Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Baptist Health Sciences University ranked first and Vanderbilt University ranked second for the best colleges in Tennessee. Memphis is famous for its role in the development of blues, soul, and rock 'n' roll, while Nashville is renowned as the heart of country music. The state is known for its barbeque, music scene, and, of course, moonshine. Students here can explore the Great Smoky Mountains, Jack Daniel's Distillery, and Graceland.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$9,649
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$72,529
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$20,917
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$91,565
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate93%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,948
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,478
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate53%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$26,604
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$66,651
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate82%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,400
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$60,249
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate70%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,184
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,687
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate63%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$26,357
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$64,911
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate80%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$23,048
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$59,831
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate71%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$13,539
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$51,151
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate53%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$13,267
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$48,541
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate56%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$13,216
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$48,458
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate57%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$14,426
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$48,501
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate61%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$26,070
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$55,541
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate69%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$11,952
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$44,213
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate54%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$31,860
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$55,930
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate73%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,584
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$48,382
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$14,124
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$45,989
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,490
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,485
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate67%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$28,533
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$53,990
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate63%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$23,439
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$53,723
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate67%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in Tennessee for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$36,093
CertificateN/A
Associate$53,980
Bachelor$50,696
Master$72,497
Cost of attending college in Tennessee
In-state-tuition$22,061
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$23,918
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in Tennessee
In Tennessee the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Registered Nursing, and Health & Fitness. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Business Administration 4,947graduates
2Registered Nursing 4,411graduates
3Health & Fitness 2,284graduates
4General Psychology 1,619graduates
5Biology 1,522graduates
6Education-grades & methods 1,438graduates
7Social Work 1,152graduates
8Accounting 1,032graduates
9Criminal Justice 910graduates
10Computer Science 860graduates
Fastest growing careers
Tennessee job growth
16.2%
Nurse Practitioners
57.2%
Statisticians
54.5%
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
49.1%
Information Security Analysts
47.3%
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
47%
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
43.1%
Medical and Health Services Managers
42.8%
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
38.4%
Physician Assistants
35.6%
Physical Therapist Assistants
35.3%
Best bachelor’s degrees in Tennessee
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Program NamesEconomic Score
1Philosophy 0.97
2Social Sciences 1.2
3Construction Mgmt. 1.26
4Neurobiology & Neurosciences 1.27
5Chemical Engineering 1.56
6Systems Engineering 1.69
7Biblical Studies 1.74
8Electrical Engineering 1.84
9Computer Systems Analysis 1.89
10Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering 2.04
11Engineering Science 2.08
12Engineering Fields 2.16
13Homeland Security 2.22
14Engineering technology 2.25
15Industrial Engineering 2.25
16Civil Engineering 2.29
17Mechanical Engineering 2.37
18Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology 2.41
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in Tennessee are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
28.9%
Filters
Tennessee
16.2%
