by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking is part of that endeavor. You may be surprised that some normally high-priced schools offer very generous financial aid packages to those who qualify.
In This Year's Value Report:
After analyzing 33 schools in Tennessee, we came up with our list of those that offered the best value Bachelor's Degree programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking, we first consider its average net price of students from families making $30-$48k a year. The net price is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that that the student receives. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
We go into more detail on these factors on our best value ranking methodology page.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2024 rankings named Vanderbilt University the best value (income $30-$48k) school in Tennessee for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee.
Not only is Vanderbilt University a great value, but it is also ranked #1 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,456.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,492.
The quality degree programs at Sewanee - The University of the South helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee. Sewanee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sewanee, Tennessee.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Sewanee - The University of the South is ranked #4 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,758.
Read full value report on Sewanee - The University of the South
A rank of #4 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list means Trevecca Nazarene University is a great place for students working on their degree. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Trevecca Nazarene University a great value, but it is also ranked #14 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,506.
Out of the 33 bachelor’s degree schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Middle Tennessee State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Not only is Middle Tennessee State University a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,499.
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #6 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. UT Chattanooga is a public institution located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Not only is The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga a great value, but it is also ranked #12 in Tennessee for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $10,058.
University of Memphis did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the school is a large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Memphis is ranked #8 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,495.
East Tennessee State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking. Johnson City, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, East Tennessee State University is ranked #11 for quality in the state of Tennessee. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $12,211.
Tennessee Technological University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. Tennessee Tech University is a public institution located in Cookeville, Tennessee.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Tennessee Technological University is ranked #16 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,166.
Bryan College - Dayton came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Dayton, Tennessee.
Not only is Bryan College - Dayton a great value, but it is also ranked #17 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,031.
Tennessee Wesleyan University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Athens, Tennessee.
Not only is Tennessee Wesleyan University a great value, but it is also ranked #23 in Tennessee for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $10,373.
The University of Tennessee - Martin landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking. The University of Tennessee - Martin is a medium-sized public school located in Martin, Tennessee.
The University of Tennessee - Martin has the honor of being ranked #28 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,537.
Learn More About Value at The University of Tennessee - Martin
Rhodes College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. Rhodes College is located in Memphis, Tennessee and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Rhodes College is ranked #10 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,875.
Carson - Newman University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. Carson - Newman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
Carson - Newman University has the honor of being ranked #21 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,947.
With a ranking of #15, Freed-Hardeman University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. FHU is located in Henderson, Tennessee and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Freed-Hardeman University a great value, but it is also ranked #22 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,024.
Tennessee State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking. This medium-sized public school is located in Nashville, Tennessee.
Tennessee State University has the honor of being ranked #24 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $12,512.
Christian Brothers University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. Christian Brothers is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Memphis, Tennessee.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Christian Brothers University is ranked #18 for quality in the state of Tennessee. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $14,613.
Lincoln Memorial University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. LMU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Harrogate, Tennessee.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Lincoln Memorial University is ranked #20 for quality in the state of Tennessee. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $15,097.
Lee University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #19. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Not only is Lee University a great value, but it is also ranked #13 in Tennessee for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $16,520.
Austin Peay State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized public school located in Clarksville, Tennessee.
Austin Peay State University has the honor of being ranked #27 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $13,230.
Bethel University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking. Bethel University is a small private not-for-profit school located in McKenzie, Tennessee.
Not only is Bethel University a great value, but it is also ranked #15 in Tennessee for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $16,737.
With a ranking of #22, Tusculum University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Greeneville, Tennessee.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Tusculum University is ranked #31 for quality in the state of Tennessee. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $30-$48k per year is $12,143.
Southern Adventist University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee list. Collegedale, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Southern Adventist University has the honor of being ranked #5 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $19,996.
Belmont University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #24. Belmont is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Belmont University has the honor of being ranked #3 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $24,109.
Lipscomb University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $30-$48k) in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the school is a small private not-for-profit institution.
Not only is Lipscomb University a great value, but it is also ranked #7 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $30-$48k a year pay an annual average net price of $21,563.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
