2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in Tennessee
Trying to decide what college is best for you is no easy matter. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Tennessee Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking - to help you make that decision.
We analyzed 36 colleges and universities to determine which were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in Tennessee. Quality is an important component in this ranking, so it is not just naming the schools with the cheapest price tag. Instead, it is identifying those institutions that offer the most value when taking their educational quality into consideration. So it is possible that College A may rank better than College B, while College B is less expensive to attend.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
When determining average cost, we look at total expenses, such as tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other living expenses. This gives a rough estimation of how much money you can expect to pay out-of-pocket or through loans each year.
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Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in Tennessee
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences to be the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in Tennessee in this year’s ranking. Baptist College of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 235 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Baptist College of Health Sciences is 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $22,346. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Baptist College of Health Sciences is $99,216. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in Tennessee list. This large public school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 5,103 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UT Knoxville is 4.4 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $32,010 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UT Knoxville be around $140,204. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. UT Knoxville did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Colleges in Tennessee list.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at The University of Tennessee - Martin helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Tennessee. UT Martin is located in Martin, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,176 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At UT Martin, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,714 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UT Martin is $97,930. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list means Tennessee Technological University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Tennessee Technological University is a fairly large public school located in Cookeville, Tennessee that handed out 2,248 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Tennessee Tech University graduates in less than 4.6 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,434 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Tech University is $120,539. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Middle Tennessee State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Tennessee. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 4,078 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At Middle Tennessee State University, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $23,518 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University be around $108,653. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Union University landed the #6 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Tennessee ranking. Union U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jackson, Tennessee. It awarded 533 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Union U is 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $43,655 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Union U is about $178,549. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Union U excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Tennessee list.
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The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #7. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a fairly large public school located in Chattanooga, Tennessee that handed out 2,082 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at UT Chattanooga about 4.5 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $24,606 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UT Chattanooga is $111,219. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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With a ranking of #8, East Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list. ETSU is located in Johnson City, Tennessee and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,480 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at ETSU to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $24,162 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $111,145 to get a bachelor’s degree from ETSU. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Freed - Hardeman University landed the #9 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Tennessee ranking. Freed - Hardeman is located in Henderson, Tennessee and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 308 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Freed - Hardeman to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $35,950 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Freed - Hardeman be around $150,271. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Johnson University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 350 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Johnson University is 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $27,486. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Johnson University is $116,816. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
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University of Memphis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list. This large public school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 3,088 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At U of Memphis, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.7 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $26,386 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from U of Memphis is $123,486. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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With a ranking of #12, Lincoln Memorial University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list. Harrogate, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 315 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at LMU graduates in less than 4.1 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $37,860. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from LMU is about $154,469. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Sewanee - The University of the South came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee ranking. Sewanee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sewanee, Tennessee. It awarded 432 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Sewanee graduates in less than 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $61,274 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Sewanee be around $249,998. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Sewanee is ranked #3 for overall quality in Tennessee.
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Vanderbilt University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 2,280 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Vanderbilt is 4.0 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $73,148 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $296,249 to get a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Vanderbilt also made our Best Colleges in Tennessee list, coming in at #1.
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Lipscomb University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 774 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Lipscomb is 4.2 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $51,454 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Lipscomb is $216,107. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Lipscomb also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges in Tennessee ranking.
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With a ranking of #16, Rhodes College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 561 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.0 years for the average student at Rhodes College to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $64,573 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College is $261,521. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Rhodes College also made our Best Colleges in Tennessee list, coming in at #2.
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With a ranking of #17, Belmont University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list. Belmont is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,635 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at Belmont about 4.2 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $54,595. This means that the average student pays around $227,115 to get a bachelor’s degree from Belmont. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Belmont is ranked #5 for overall quality in Tennessee.
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With a ranking of #18, Lee University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list. Cleveland, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 848 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Lee University graduates in less than 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $32,500 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Lee University is $140,400. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Milligan College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Milligan College, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 225 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Milligan about 4.1 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $47,140. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Milligan is about $194,217. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. On top of its placing in our value rankings, Milligan also did well on our Best Colleges in Tennessee list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Southern Adventist University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee ranking. Located in Collegedale, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 511 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Southern Adventist about 4.9 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $35,510 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Southern Adventist is $173,289. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Le Moyne - Owen College landed the #21 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Tennessee ranking. Le Moyne - Owen College is located in Memphis, Tennessee and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 137 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
At Le Moyne - Owen College, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 5.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $19,296 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Le Moyne - Owen College is $98,410. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Austin Peay State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee ranking. Austin Peay State University is a fairly large public school situated in Clarksville, Tennessee. It awarded 1,517 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Austin Peay State University, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $27,712 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University is $124,704. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Fisk University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list. Fisk is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 91 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Fisk is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $37,954 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $159,027 to get a bachelor’s degree from Fisk. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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With a ranking of #24, Lane College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Tennessee list. Lane College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jackson, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 176 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Lane College graduates in less than 4.7 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $23,680. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Lane College is about $112,006. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Bryan College - Dayton did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #25. Dayton, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 215 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at William Jennings Bryan College graduates in less than 4.2 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $39,650 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from William Jennings Bryan College is $165,737. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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