2026 Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in Tennessee
[Chemical Engineering](/majors/engineering/chemical-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for chemical engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in chemical engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Chemical Engineering Schools
The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga earned the #1 spot for value among chemical engineering schools in Tennessee. Set in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,448, compared with $18,512 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,324 to complete the chemical engineering program here. Early-career chemical engineering graduates make about $57,952. Set against $23,324 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tennessee Technological University earned it the #2 place for chemical engineering. Set in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,376, compared with $15,576 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for chemical engineering graduates is $13,500. Soon after graduation, chemical engineering degree recipients from Tennessee Technological University generally make around $60,300. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Tennessee Technological University admits about 76% of applicants.
The University Of Tennessee came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value chemical engineering schools. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,812, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. Students borrow a median of $22,375 to complete the chemical engineering program here. Soon after graduation, chemical engineering degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $76,302. Set against $22,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Vanderbilt University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value chemical engineering schools. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $67,498 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for chemical engineering graduates is $13,975. Early-career chemical engineering graduates make about $75,639. That is a strong return on a $13,975 median debt. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
