Best ROI Colleges in Tennessee
25 schools ranked by median earnings divided by average net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Earnings ÷ Net Price | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roane State Community College Harriman · community | 9.2× | $4,270 | 35.5% | $39,407 | — |
| 2 | Columbia State Community College Columbia · community | 8.5× | $4,734 | 30.9% | $40,256 | — |
| 3 | Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg · community | 7.8× | $4,612 | 31.8% | $36,132 | — |
| 4 | Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville · community | 7.7× | $4,983 | 33.4% | $38,440 | — |
| 5 | Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis · community | 7.2× | $4,754 | 19.1% | $34,071 | — |
| 6 | Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga · community | 7.1× | $5,283 | 28.0% | $37,598 | — |
| 7 | Walters State Community College Morristown · community | 6.9× | $5,387 | 34.9% | $37,085 | — |
| 8 | Baptist Health Sciences University Memphis · private | 6.5× | $11,212 | 56.2% | $72,529 | 82.0% |
| 9 | Christian Brothers University Memphis · private | 5.8× | $9,854 | 59.2% | $57,478 | 86.7% |
| 10 | Vanderbilt University Nashville · private | 5.8× | $15,846 | 93.4% | $91,565 | 5.9% |
| 11 | Cleveland State Community College Cleveland · community | 5.7× | $6,384 | 30.5% | $36,671 | — |
| 12 | Nashville State Community College Nashville · community | 5.7× | $6,777 | 23.7% | $38,519 | — |
| 13 | Jackson State Community College Jackson · community | 5.6× | $6,236 | 28.3% | $35,224 | — |
| 14 | Volunteer State Community College Gallatin · community | 5.3× | $7,802 | 27.2% | $41,150 | — |
| 15 | Northeast State Community College Blountville · community | 5.0× | $6,864 | 37.3% | $34,553 | — |
| 16 | Le Moyne-Owen College Memphis · private | 5.0× | $7,099 | 26.9% | $35,594 | 99.2% |
| 17 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville · public | 4.6× | $9,735 | 43.4% | $44,301 | 96.4% |
| 18 | The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin · public | 4.1× | $10,701 | 52.1% | $44,213 | 88.2% |
| 19 | University of Memphis Memphis · public | 3.9× | $12,397 | 53.2% | $48,458 | 72.0% |
| 20 | Bethel University McKenzie · private | 3.8× | $12,595 | 34.6% | $47,482 | 60.2% |
| 21 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro · public | 3.6× | $13,359 | 56.0% | $48,541 | 69.1% |
| 22 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga · public | 3.6× | $14,265 | 55.8% | $51,151 | 81.1% |
| 23 | Strayer University-Tennessee Memphis · private | 3.4× | $11,645 | 13.8% | $40,092 | — |
| 24 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville · public | 3.4× | $14,246 | 65.0% | $48,501 | 76.1% |
| 25 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville · public | 3.2× | $18,976 | 71.2% | $60,249 | 41.6% |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.