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Best Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Schools in Tennessee

25 Schools Ranked
$39,202 Average Earnings
$23,028 Avg Student Debt

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. Or you may find the programs at a trade school or bootcamp to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Grad Degree Search has created the Best Schools in Tennessee to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 25 schools in Tennessee to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Schools in Tennessee

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Our 2023 rankings named Vanderbilt University the best school in Tennessee for students working on their degree.

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#2

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Belmont University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Schools in Tennessee list.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Sewanee - The University of the South. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Schools in Tennessee list.

Read full report on Sewanee - The University of the South

#4

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lipscomb University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Schools in Tennessee list.

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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a great place for students.

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#6

Milligan University

Milligan College, Tennessee

With a ranking of #6, Milligan University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working.

Read full report on Milligan University

#7

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee

Tennessee Technological University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Schools in Tennessee ranking.

Full Tennessee Technological University Report

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs.

Full The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Report

#9

King University

Bristol, Tennessee

King University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #9 on the list.

Full King University Report

#10

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, Tennessee

Freed-Hardeman University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs.

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#11

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, Tennessee

Southern Adventist University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Schools in Tennessee list.

Full Southern Adventist University Report

#12

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee

Union University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Schools in Tennessee list.

Full Union University Report

#13

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Schools in Tennessee ranking.

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#14

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, Tennessee

Lincoln Memorial University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Schools in Tennessee list.

Full Lincoln Memorial University Report

The University of Tennessee - Martin ranked #15 on this year’s Best Schools in Tennessee list.

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#16

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee

Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs.

Full Trevecca Nazarene University Report

#17

Christian Brothers University

Memphis, Tennessee

Christian Brothers University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs.

Read full report on Christian Brothers University

#18

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, Tennessee

Carson - Newman University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs.

Read full report on Carson - Newman University

#19

Cumberland University

Lebanon, Tennessee

With a ranking of #19, Cumberland University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working.

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#20

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Schools in Tennessee ranking.

Read full report on Tennessee State University

#21

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis ranked #21 on this year’s Best Schools in Tennessee list.

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#22

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Schools in Tennessee list.

Full East Tennessee State University Report

#23

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee

Lee University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #23 on the list.

Read full report on Lee University

#24

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee

Austin Peay State University landed the #24 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs.

Read full report on Austin Peay State University

#25

Tusculum University

Greeneville, Tennessee

Tusculum University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #25 on the list.

Full Tusculum University Report

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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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