2027 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Tennessee
[Fine & Studio Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for fine & studio arts students.
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2027 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fine & studio arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools
Middle Tennessee State University tops our 2027 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools in Tennessee. Set in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,266, compared with $31,574 for out-of-state students. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $24,760 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Middle Tennessee State University generally make around $29,084. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Middle Tennessee State University admits about 69% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Austin Peay State University one of the best values for fine & studio arts. Austin Peay State University is a large public school located in the city of Clarksville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,006, compared with $14,766 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $24,750. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Austin Peay State University generally make around $19,157. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Austin Peay State University admits about 96% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Memphis earned it the #3 place for fine & studio arts. Set in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,728 in tuition and fees, compared with $15,384 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $28,850 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $26,451. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Tennessee Technological University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Tennessee Technological University is a large public school located in the town of Cookeville. Students from in state pay about $11,376 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,576. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $13,935. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $19,231. Set against $13,935 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Vanderbilt University earned it the #5 place for fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,498. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $13,975. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $77,997. Set against $13,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga placed #6 among the best values for fine & studio arts. Set in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,448 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $18,512. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $21,766. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
East Tennessee State University earned the #7 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. East Tennessee State University is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City. Students from in state pay about $10,216 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $13,726. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $23,875 in student loans. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of East Tennessee State University earn a median of $16,696 early in their careers. Set against $23,875 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Tennessee placed #8 among the best values for fine & studio arts. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,812, with out-of-state students paying around $33,256. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $23,661. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Lee University earned the #9 position for value in fine & studio arts this year. Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,790. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $29,750. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Lee University earn a median of $26,598 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
Sewanee The University Of The South landed the #10 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Set in the rural area of Sewanee, Sewanee The University Of The South is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $56,120 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $22,091. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Sewanee The University Of The South earn a median of $36,927 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,091 median debt. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Rhodes College landed the #11 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Rhodes College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Memphis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $57,110. Students borrow a median of $23,078 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Rhodes College generally make around $40,807. Set against $23,078 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 50%.
Belmont University landed the #12 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $42,540. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $23,447 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $49,699. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Belmont University admits about 95% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 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.
