by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. This list is proof that you shouldn't avoid normally high-priced schools, since the actual price may be very affordable if you qualify for financial aid.
In This Year's Value Report:
After analyzing 45 schools in Tennessee, we came up with our list of those that offered the best value 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. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
When determining the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking, we first look at its average net price of a student coming from a family that makes $0-$30k a year. The net price is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid 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.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
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 analysis found Vanderbilt University to be the best value (income $0-$30k) school in Tennessee in this year’s ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the school is a fairly large private not-for-profit institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Vanderbilt University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Tennessee. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $4,752.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee list. UT Knoxville is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville has the honor of being ranked #2 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $10,425.
Learn More About Value at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
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 Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee. Sewanee, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Sewanee - The University of the South a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,474.
Learn More About Value at Sewanee - The University of the South
Out of the 45 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Roane State Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Roane State Community College is located in Harriman, Tennessee and has a small student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Roane State Community College is ranked #30 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $3,395.
Out of the 45 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Southwest Tennessee Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Southwest is located in Memphis, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Southwest Tennessee Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #25 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,613.
Learn More About Value at Southwest Tennessee Community College
Jackson State Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. JSCC is a small public school situated in Jackson, Tennessee.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Jackson State Community College is ranked #15 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,650.
Chattanooga State Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Chattanooga, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Chattanooga State Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #24 in Tennessee for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $6,414.
Read full value report on Chattanooga State Community College
Middle Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #8. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee State University has the honor of being ranked #9 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $8,817.
Pellissippi State Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Pellissippi State Community College has the honor of being ranked #34 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $4,711.
Learn More About Value at Pellissippi State Community College
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Chattanooga, 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, The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is ranked #13 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $8,914.
Dyersburg State Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Dyersburg State Community College is a small public school located in Dyersburg, Tennessee.
Not only is Dyersburg State Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #37 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $4,648.
East Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #12. ETSU is a fairly large public school situated in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Not only is East Tennessee State University 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 $0-$30k per year is $10,458.
Volunteer State Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Gallatin, Tennessee, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Volunteer State Community College is ranked #35 for quality in the state of Tennessee. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,861.
Walters State Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Walters State Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Morristown, Tennessee.
Walters State Community College has the honor of being ranked #43 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $3,566.
With a ranking of #15, Trevecca Nazarene University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee list. TNU is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Trevecca Nazarene University a great value, but it is also ranked #11 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $10,800.
With a ranking of #16, Northeast State Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee list. This medium-sized public school is located in Blountville, Tennessee.
Northeast State Community College has the honor of being ranked #40 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $5,233.
Nashville State Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Nashville State Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nashville State Community College has the honor of being ranked #38 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,896.
University of Memphis landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. University of Memphis is a large public school located in Memphis, Tennessee.
Not only is University of Memphis a great value, but it is also ranked #10 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,640.
Tennessee Technological University landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Located in Cookeville, Tennessee, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Tennessee Technological University has the honor of being ranked #14 in Tennessee for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $11,112.
The University of Tennessee - Martin landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Martin, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized 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 - Martin is ranked #31 for quality in the state of Tennessee. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $7,909.
Read full value report on The University of Tennessee - Martin
Columbia State Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Columbia, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is Columbia State Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #36 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,310.
Christian Brothers University landed the #22 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Memphis, Tennessee.
Not only is Christian Brothers University a great value, but it is also ranked #21 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,054.
With a ranking of #23, Lincoln Memorial University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee list. Located in Harrogate, Tennessee, the school is a medium-sized private not-for-profit institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Lincoln Memorial University is ranked #17 for quality in the state of Tennessee. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $11,849.
Tennessee Wesleyan University landed the #24 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Athens, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Tennessee Wesleyan University a great value, but it is also ranked #29 in Tennessee for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,455.
Motlow State Community College landed the #25 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee ranking. Motlow is located in Tullahoma, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Motlow State Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #33 in Tennessee for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $8,208.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.