2026 Best Value History Schools in Tennessee
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the history degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value History Schools
For return on investment in history, no school beat Middle Tennessee State University this year. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,266, while out-of-state students pay about $31,574. History graduates carry a median of $18,500 in student loans. Early-career history graduates make about $35,208. Set against $18,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga one of the best values for history. Located in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,448, compared with $18,512 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,324 to complete the history program here. Early-career history graduates make about $26,952. Set against $23,324 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Memphis one of the best values for history. Located in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,728, with out-of-state students paying around $15,384. Typical student debt for history graduates is $25,000. History graduates of University Of Memphis earn a median of $30,652 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Tennessee Technological University one of the best values for history. Tennessee Technological University is a large public school located in the town of Cookeville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,376, with out-of-state students paying around $15,576. Students borrow a median of $17,194 to complete the history program here. Early-career history graduates make about $24,659. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Austin Peay State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value history schools. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,006, compared with $14,766 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,750 to complete the history program here. History graduates of Austin Peay State University earn a median of $34,456 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Austin Peay State University admits about 96% of applicants.
East Tennessee State University landed the #6 spot for history 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. History graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Early-career history graduates make about $27,799. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The University Of Tennessee landed the #7 spot for history value this year. The University Of Tennessee is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,812, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. History graduates carry a median of $19,000 in student loans. History graduates of The University Of Tennessee earn a median of $28,713 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Vanderbilt University placed #8 among the best values for history. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $67,498 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $15,000 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $46,856. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Lee University earned the #9 position for value in history this year. Set in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,790. Typical student debt for history graduates is $26,422. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from Lee University generally make around $38,249. Set against $26,422 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Rhodes College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value history schools. Rhodes College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Memphis. Students from in state pay about $57,110 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,104 to complete the history program here. Soon after graduation, history degree recipients from Rhodes College generally make around $29,279. That is a strong return on a $23,104 median debt. Rhodes College admits about 50% of applicants.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 36 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
[History](/majors/history/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
