Best Value Degrees in Tennessee (2026)
Top 100 of 458 programs in Tennessee · Updated 2026
The best college programs in Tennessee, ranked by overall value. We scored 458 programs across Tennessee schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $54,801/yr in graduate earnings.
Programs in TN
458
Avg Earnings (Top 100)
$54,801/yr
Avg DW Score
77/100
#1 Program
Nursing (RN/BSN)
Austin Peay State University
Top Programs in Tennessee
Top 100 programs by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | DW Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
Austin Peay State University · Clarksville, TN |
87
81–85 |
$68,235/yr | High | 20.3x |
| 2 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
Tennessee State University · Nashville, TN |
86
80–85 |
$65,331/yr | High | 21.8x |
| 3 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
University of Memphis · Memphis, TN |
87
82–85 |
$73,680/yr | High | 17.3x |
| 4 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN |
86
80–85 |
$65,839/yr | High | 19.6x |
| 5 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
The University of Tennessee-Martin · Martin, TN |
87
81–84 |
$71,727/yr | High | 17.5x |
| 6 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
East Tennessee State University · Johnson City, TN |
85
79–83 |
$64,459/yr | High | 17.7x |
| 7 |
Business Administration
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN |
85
79–86 |
$59,147/yr | High | 13.6x |
| 8 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN |
85
79–83 |
$65,273/yr | High | 16.8x |
| 9 |
Management Science & Analytics
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN |
84
75–86 |
$59,501/yr | Very High | 15.4x |
| 10 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
Strayer University-Tennessee · Memphis, TN |
87
82–85 |
$81,061/yr | High | 13.6x |
| 11 |
Computer & Information Science
Austin Peay State University · Clarksville, TN |
84
73–85 |
$58,060/yr | Very High | 20.1x |
| 12 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
Baptist Health Sciences University · Memphis, TN |
85
80–81 |
$74,962/yr | High | 12.8x |
| 13 |
Construction Management
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN |
83
76–84 |
$71,762/yr | High | 22.5x |
| 14 |
Computer Science
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN |
83
70–86 |
$70,193/yr | Very High | 17.9x |
| 15 |
Computer Science
Tennessee Technological University · Cookeville, TN |
84
71–86 |
$63,180/yr | Very High | 22.0x |
| 16 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus · Nashville, TN |
84
79–81 |
$76,234/yr | High | 12.6x |
| 17 |
Computer & Information Science
East Tennessee State University · Johnson City, TN |
82
68–85 |
$52,008/yr | Very High | 22.4x |
| 18 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
The University of Tennessee Southern · Pulaski, TN |
85
80–83 |
$67,349/yr | High | 14.0x |
| 19 |
Computer Science
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN |
82
70–86 |
$57,653/yr | Very High | 22.3x |
| 20 |
Computer Science
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN |
82
70–85 |
$59,567/yr | Very High | 20.8x |
| 21 |
Accounting
Tennessee State University · Nashville, TN |
81
73–84 |
$53,620/yr | Very High | 18.8x |
| 22 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
Tennessee Technological University · Cookeville, TN |
83
78–80 |
$61,379/yr | High | 14.8x |
| 23 |
Medical Laboratory Science
Austin Peay State University · Clarksville, TN |
77
74–76 |
$70,028/yr | Moderate | 20.7x |
| 24 |
Business Administration
University of Memphis · Memphis, TN |
81
76–81 |
$47,611/yr | High | 13.2x |
| 25 |
Business Administration
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN |
81
75–81 |
$44,608/yr | High | 14.3x |
| 26 |
Accounting
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN |
79
71–83 |
$51,963/yr | Very High | 18.1x |
| 27 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN |
82
77–79 |
$65,298/yr | High | 12.8x |
| 28 |
Finance
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN |
78
71–82 |
$53,826/yr | Very High | 13.6x |
| 29 |
Computer Engineering
Tennessee Technological University · Cookeville, TN |
82
71–85 |
$69,291/yr | Very High | 25.1x |
| 30 |
Business (General)
Strayer University-Tennessee · Memphis, TN |
81
76–80 |
$55,431/yr | High | 10.6x |
| 31 |
Computer Science
University of Memphis · Memphis, TN |
81
68–83 |
$57,233/yr | Very High | 18.3x |
| 32 |
Finance
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN |
78
71–81 |
$46,505/yr | Very High | 15.6x |
| 33 |
Business Administration
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN |
80
74–81 |
$45,308/yr | High | 13.7x |
| 34 |
Computer & Information Science
Strayer University-Tennessee · Memphis, TN |
82
70–82 |
$67,315/yr | Very High | 14.0x |
| 35 |
Computer Engineering
University of Memphis · Memphis, TN |
80
69–83 |
$65,222/yr | Very High | 21.9x |
| 36 |
Accounting
University of Memphis · Memphis, TN |
77
69–80 |
$51,425/yr | Very High | 14.8x |
| 37 |
Engineering-Related Fields
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN |
77
73–78 |
$67,431/yr | High | 20.0x |
| 38 |
Accounting
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN |
76
66–82 |
$53,197/yr | Very High | 14.8x |
| 39 |
Business Administration
Tennessee State University · Nashville, TN |
78
72–80 |
$40,077/yr | High | 15.1x |
| 40 |
Information Science
Strayer University-Tennessee · Memphis, TN |
81
70–82 |
$71,167/yr | Very High | 14.7x |
| 41 |
Finance
Austin Peay State University · Clarksville, TN |
79
74–80 |
$48,264/yr | Very High | 12.9x |
| 42 |
Finance
University of Memphis · Memphis, TN |
75
68–79 |
$44,395/yr | Very High | 14.3x |
| 43 |
Agricultural Business
Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN |
77
74–77 |
$50,013/yr | High | 12.9x |
| 44 |
Business Administration
The University of Tennessee-Martin · Martin, TN |
77
70–79 |
$41,279/yr | High | 13.4x |
| 45 |
Accounting
The University of Tennessee-Martin · Martin, TN |
76
67–80 |
$48,101/yr | Very High | 15.7x |
| 46 |
Computer Science
Tennessee State University · Nashville, TN |
79
68–80 |
$50,628/yr | Very High | 16.9x |
| 47 |
Allied Health & Diagnostic Professions
Tennessee State University · Nashville, TN |
75
72–74 |
$48,894/yr | Moderate | 17.5x |
| 48 |
Criminal Justice
Austin Peay State University · Clarksville, TN |
73
69–75 |
$36,749/yr | Moderate | 14.4x |
| 49 |
Nursing (RN/BSN)
Bethel University · McKenzie, TN |
80
75–77 |
$71,315/yr | High | 8.8x |
| 50 |
Finance
The University of Tennessee-Martin · Martin, TN |
75
69–78 |
$45,325/yr | Very High | 13.3x |
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 100 programs at Tennessee colleges and universities, drawn from 458 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI.
Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best college program in Tennessee?
By DegreeWorth Score, Nursing (RN/BSN) at Austin Peay State University ranks #1 in Tennessee with a score of 87/100 and graduate earnings of $68,235/yr.
How many college programs are in Tennessee?
Our database includes 458 programs across Tennessee colleges with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.