2026 Best Value Sports Management Schools in Tennessee
[Sports Management](/majors/parks-recreation-fitness/health-and-physical-education/sports-management/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 23 schools to find the best return on investment for sports management students.
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2026 Best Value Sports Management Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in sports management, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Sports Management Schools
For return on investment in sports management, no school beat Middle Tennessee State University this year. Set in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,266 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $31,574. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $23,500. Sports Management graduates of Middle Tennessee State University earn a median of $36,462 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Students looking for strong value in sports management will find it at University Of Memphis, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,728 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $15,384. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $27,500. Sports Management graduates of University Of Memphis earn a median of $35,610 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,500 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in sports management will find it at Trevecca Nazarene University, which ranked #3. Trevecca Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Students from in state pay about $31,300 in tuition and fees. Sports Management graduates carry a median of $24,962 in student loans. Sports Management graduates of Trevecca Nazarene University earn a median of $52,004 early in their careers. Set against $24,962 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 69%.
A rank of #4 makes The University Of Tennessee one of the best values for sports management. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,812, compared with $33,256 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the sports management program here. Sports Management graduates of The University Of Tennessee earn a median of $35,175 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tennessee Wesleyan College earned it the #5 place for sports management. Located in the town of Athens, Tennessee Wesleyan College is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $30,814 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $29,750. Soon after graduation, sports management degree recipients from Tennessee Wesleyan College generally make around $58,859. That is a strong return on a $29,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 69%.
East Tennessee State University landed the #6 spot for sports management value this year. East Tennessee State University is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,216, with out-of-state students paying around $13,726. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $22,036. Soon after graduation, sports management degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $34,043. Set against $22,036 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. East Tennessee State University admits about 86% of applicants.
Martin Methodist College landed the #7 spot for sports management value this year. Martin Methodist College is a small public school located in the town of Pulaski. Students from in state pay about $10,924 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $23,125. Early-career sports management graduates make about $28,069. That is a strong return on a $23,125 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Cumberland University placed #8 among the best values for sports management. Set in the town of Lebanon, Cumberland University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,840. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $21,902. Early-career sports management graduates make about $47,696. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 67% of applicants are accepted.
Bryan College Dayton earned the #9 position for value in sports management this year. Set in the town of Dayton, Bryan College Dayton is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,800. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $26,077. Early-career sports management graduates make about $27,342. That is a strong return on a $26,077 median debt.
Carson Newman College landed the #10 spot for sports management value this year. Carson Newman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Jefferson City. In-state tuition and fees average $34,700. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $25,625. Soon after graduation, sports management degree recipients from Carson Newman College generally make around $25,972. Set against $25,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Carson Newman College admits about 90% of applicants.
Freed Hardeman University earned the #11 position for value in sports management this year. Freed Hardeman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Henderson. In-state tuition and fees average $25,620. Students borrow a median of $24,479 to complete the sports management program here. Soon after graduation, sports management degree recipients from Freed Hardeman University generally make around $54,530. Set against $24,479 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Milligan College landed the #12 spot for sports management value this year. Set in the suburb of Milligan, Milligan College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,450. Sports Management graduates carry a median of $23,601 in student loans. Sports Management graduates of Milligan College earn a median of $64,327 early in their careers. Set against $23,601 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Lee University came in at #13 for value in sports management this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,790. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $24,750. Early-career sports management graduates make about $22,135. Set against $24,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
Bethel University Tennessee landed the #14 spot for sports management value this year. Set in the town of McKenzie, Bethel University Tennessee is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $18,712 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $29,677. Sports Management graduates of Bethel University Tennessee earn a median of $31,638 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,677 median debt. Bethel University Tennessee admits about 60% of applicants.
King College earned the #15 position for value in sports management this year. Located in the city of Bristol, King College is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $20,397. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $25,579. Sports Management graduates of King College earn a median of $49,297 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,579 median debt. King College admits about 100% of applicants.
Tusculum College landed the #16 spot for sports management value this year. Tusculum College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Greeneville. In-state tuition and fees average $29,250. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the sports management program here. Sports Management graduates of Tusculum College earn a median of $22,825 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Southern Adventist University landed the #17 spot for sports management value this year. Set in the suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,300. Sports Management graduates carry a median of $25,975 in student loans. Sports Management graduates of Southern Adventist University earn a median of $61,366 early in their careers. Set against $25,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Southern Adventist University admits about 66% of applicants.
Lipscomb University landed the #18 spot for sports management value this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,572. Students borrow a median of $24,975 to complete the sports management program here. Early-career sports management graduates make about $48,949. Set against $24,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
Union University earned the #19 position for value in sports management this year. Set in the city of Jackson, Union University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $37,398 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $28,605 to complete the sports management program here. Sports Management graduates of Union University earn a median of $68,508 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,605 median debt. Union University admits about 60% of applicants.
Belmont University landed the #20 spot for sports management value this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $42,540 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for sports management graduates is $20,000. Early-career sports management graduates make about $37,139. That is a strong return on a $20,000 median debt. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 23 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
