Highest 20-Year ROI Colleges in Tennessee
The biggest 20-year net financial gain over a high-school-only earner — tuition and debt already subtracted. Our tax-verified answer to the 20-year ROI question, from IRS-linked federal earnings rather than self-reported surveys.
Showing Tennessee
Clear state| # | College | Type | 20-yr net gain | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | Private | $966,334 | $96,741 | $15,846 | $14,000 | +656% | Strong return | |
| 2 | Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus Nashville, TN | For-profit | $657,946 | $83,791 | $27,267 | $24,166 | +229% | Strong return | |
| 3 | Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN | Private | $648,172 | $82,724 | $24,345 | $24,500 | +255% | Strong return | |
| 4 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN | Private | $594,178 | $78,413 | $16,813 | $18,744 | +351% | Strong return | |
| 5 | Bethel University McKenzie, TN | Private | $447,210 | $70,376 | $12,595 | $27,249 | +321% | Strong return | |
| 6 | Baptist Health Sciences University Memphis, TN | Private | $316,862 | $63,623 | $11,212 | $29,500 | +235% | Strong return | |
| 7 | The University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, TN | Public | $303,073 | $63,105 | $12,798 | $21,500 | +207% | Strong return | |
| 8 | Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN | Private | $294,348 | $64,163 | $20,406 | $20,000 | +116% | Strong return | |
| 9 | The University of the South Sewanee, TN | Private | $289,903 | $65,486 | $27,872 | $22,855 | +71% | Strong return | |
| 10 | Rhodes College Memphis, TN | Private | $276,890 | $64,958 | $28,585 | $21,761 | +63% | Break-even | |
| 11 | Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN | Private | $265,185 | $60,722 | $9,854 | $27,000 | +219% | Strong return | |
| 12 | Strayer University-Tennessee Nashville, TN | For-profit | $255,777 | $60,858 | $11,645 | $40,621 | +158% | Strong return | |
| 13 | Milligan University Milligan, TN | Private | $250,670 | $62,266 | $21,365 | $25,219 | +82% | Strong return | |
| 14 | Belmont University Nashville, TN | Private | $245,882 | $64,297 | $33,147 | $20,500 | +38% | Break-even | |
| 15 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN | Private | $213,898 | $60,998 | $24,739 | $19,500 | +51% | Break-even | |
| 16 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN | Public | $189,066 | $58,622 | $18,976 | $20,500 | +63% | Break-even | |
| 17 | Cumberland University Lebanon, TN | Private | $184,542 | $58,306 | $18,759 | $17,952 | +63% | Break-even | |
| 18 | Carson-Newman University Jefferson City, TN | Private | $155,281 | $57,206 | $20,251 | $21,500 | +37% | Break-even | |
| 19 | Maryville College Maryville, TN | Private | $143,753 | $56,522 | $19,360 | $25,375 | +33% | Break-even | |
| 20 | Tennessee State University Nashville, TN | Public | $139,237 | $55,613 | $15,796 | $27,000 | +45% | Break-even | |
| 21 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN | Public | $135,501 | $54,679 | $12,397 | $23,300 | +67% | Break-even | |
| 22 | King University Bristol, TN | Private | $106,462 | $55,207 | $22,347 | $22,750 | +5% | Break-even | |
| 23 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN | Public | $101,233 | $53,196 | $14,246 | $15,650 | +31% | Break-even | |
| 24 | South College Knoxville, TN | For-profit | $95,565 | $53,690 | $17,858 | $18,668 | +11% | Break-even | |
| 25 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN | Public | $94,794 | $52,948 | $14,265 | $19,500 | +24% | Break-even | |
| 26 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN | Public | $92,576 | $52,665 | $13,359 | $20,000 | +26% | Break-even | |
| 27 | Nashville Auto-Diesel College Nashville, TN | For-profit | $74,957 | $52,216 | $32,544 | $11,730 | +4% | Break-even | |
| 28 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN | Public | $73,143 | $52,208 | $15,983 | $19,442 | +2% | Break-even | |
| 29 | Walters State Community College Morristown, TN | Public | $72,086 | $49,143 | $5,387 | — | +285% | Strong return | |
| 30 | Union University Jackson, TN | Private | $68,888 | $54,256 | $27,171 | $20,714 | -20% | Poor return | |
| 31 | Tusculum University Greeneville, TN | Private | $61,584 | $52,729 | $21,131 | $23,250 | -17% | Poor return | |
| 32 | Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN | Public | $42,412 | $47,596 | $4,754 | — | +173% | Strong return | |
| 33 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro Murfreesboro, TN | Public | $34,058 | $47,366 | $6,631 | — | +78% | Strong return | |
| 34 | The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, TN | Public | $32,195 | $49,133 | $10,701 | $21,024 | -18% | Poor return | |
| 35 | Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN | Public | $31,590 | $47,432 | $6,777 | $9,595 | +43% | Break-even | |
| 36 | Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN | Public | $31,525 | $47,494 | $7,802 | $7,550 | +36% | Break-even | |
| 37 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson Jackson, TN | Public | $14,736 | $46,584 | $8,472 | — | -7% | Poor return | |
| 38 | Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens, TN | Private | $6,208 | $48,642 | $14,836 | $20,000 | -45% | Poor return | |
| 39 | Roane State Community College Harriman, TN | Public | $-4,561 | $45,353 | $4,270 | $8,454 | -70% | Poor return | |
| 40 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN | Public | $-5,507 | $47,046 | $9,735 | $20,547 | -56% | Poor return | |
| 41 | Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN | Public | $-5,783 | $45,429 | $5,283 | $10,419 | -70% | Poor return | |
| 42 | Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN | Public | $-28,925 | $44,182 | $4,734 | $8,500 | -165% | Poor return | |
| 43 | Northeast State Community College Blountville, TN | Public | $-42,296 | $43,696 | $6,864 | $6,827 | -180% | Poor return | |
| 44 | Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN | Public | $-47,632 | $43,242 | $6,236 | — | -241% | Poor return | |
| 45 | Lee University Cleveland, TN | Private | $-59,396 | $46,275 | $18,878 | $25,750 | -85% | Poor return | |
| 46 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Morristown Morristown, TN | Public | $-64,300 | $43,376 | $15,910 | — | -151% | Poor return | |
| 47 | Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, TN | Private | $-77,471 | $45,833 | $21,574 | $21,500 | -91% | Poor return | |
| 48 | Motlow State Community College Tullahoma, TN | Public | $-95,024 | $41,823 | $15,742 | — | -201% | Poor return | |
| 49 | Cleveland State Community College Cleveland, TN | Public | $-114,047 | $40,081 | $6,384 | $7,954 | -414% | Poor return | |
| 50 | Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville, TN | Public | $-115,225 | $39,896 | $4,983 | $8,725 | -488% | Poor return | |
| 51 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton Elizabethton, TN | Public | $-121,356 | $39,789 | $8,568 | — | -404% | Poor return | |
| 52 | Concorde Career College-Memphis Memphis, TN | For-profit | $-152,988 | $39,980 | $24,563 | $9,500 | -196% | Poor return | |
| 53 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Dickson Dickson, TN | Public | $-154,880 | $38,734 | $14,780 | — | -312% | Poor return | |
| 54 | Johnson University Knoxville, TN | Private | $-155,747 | $42,017 | $22,063 | $21,500 | -131% | Poor return | |
| 55 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville Nashville, TN | Public | $-162,432 | $38,460 | $15,816 | — | -307% | Poor return | |
| 56 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest Newbern, TN | Public | $-172,676 | $37,336 | $9,698 | — | -495% | Poor return | |
| 57 | Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg, TN | Public | $-177,718 | $36,701 | $4,612 | $6,900 | -807% | Poor return | |
| 58 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis Memphis, TN | Public | $-250,290 | $33,917 | $14,315 | — | -487% | Poor return | |
| 59 | Lane College Jackson, TN | Private | $-262,950 | $34,589 | $10,904 | $30,500 | -290% | Poor return | |
| 60 | Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN | For-profit | $-340,252 | $33,069 | $23,958 | $15,917 | -217% | Poor return | |
| 61 | SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville Nashville, TN | For-profit | $-437,862 | $28,220 | $24,700 | $9,500 | -264% | Poor return | |
| 62 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville Knoxville, TN | Public | $-455,744 | $24,214 | $20,012 | — | -619% | Poor return |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
Top-Rated Colleges (DR Rating)Best ROI Colleges in the U.S.Best Value CollegesBest Colleges for Economic MobilityHighest-Earning CollegesLowest-Debt CollegesLowest Net-Price CollegesBest-Rated Majors (DR Rating)Highest-Paying MajorsBest ROI MajorsLowest-Debt MajorsFastest-Growing Majors by Job OutlookMajors With the Most Job Openings