Colleges Whose Graduates Earn the Most in Tennessee
Ranked by median earnings 10 years after entry (93 colleges with at least 200 undergraduates). Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
| # | College | Median earnings 10 years after entry | Net price | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit | $91,565 | $15,846 | $91,565 |
| 2 | Baptist Health Sciences University Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit | $72,529 | $11,212 | $72,529 |
| 3 | Rhodes College Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit | $66,651 | $28,585 | $66,651 |
| 4 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN · Public | $66,318 | — | $66,318 |
| 5 | The University of the South Sewanee, TN · Private nonprofit | $64,911 | $27,872 | $64,911 |
| 6 | Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting Nashville, TN · Private for-profit | $62,978 | — | $62,978 |
| 7 | Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus Nashville, TN · Private for-profit | $61,480 | $27,267 | $61,480 |
| 8 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN · Public | $60,249 | $18,976 | $60,249 |
| 9 | King University Bristol, TN · Private nonprofit | $59,831 | $22,347 | $59,831 |
| 10 | Cumberland University Lebanon, TN · Private nonprofit | $57,687 | $18,759 | $57,687 |
| 11 | Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit | $57,478 | $9,854 | $57,478 |
| 12 | Belmont University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit | $55,930 | $33,147 | $55,930 |
| 13 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit | $55,541 | $24,739 | $55,541 |
| 14 | Bryan College-Dayton Dayton, TN · Private nonprofit | $54,434 | $20,614 | $54,434 |
| 15 | Union University Jackson, TN · Private nonprofit | $53,990 | $27,171 | $53,990 |
| 16 | Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN · Private nonprofit | $53,723 | $24,345 | $53,723 |
| 17 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN · Public | $51,151 | $14,265 | $51,151 |
| 18 | Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN · Private nonprofit | $49,956 | $20,406 | $49,956 |
| 19 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit | $49,378 | $16,813 | $49,378 |
| 20 | Maryville College Maryville, TN · Private nonprofit | $49,279 | $19,360 | $49,279 |
| 21 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN · Public | $48,541 | $13,359 | $48,541 |
| 22 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN · Public | $48,501 | $14,246 | $48,501 |
| 23 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN · Public | $48,458 | $12,397 | $48,458 |
| 24 | Carson-Newman University Jefferson City, TN · Private nonprofit | $48,382 | $20,251 | $48,382 |
| 25 | Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, TN · Private nonprofit | $47,485 | $21,574 | $47,485 |
| 26 | Bethel University McKenzie, TN · Private nonprofit | $47,482 | $12,595 | $47,482 |
| 27 | Milligan University Milligan, TN · Private nonprofit | $46,641 | $21,365 | $46,641 |
| 28 | Nashville Auto-Diesel College Nashville, TN · Private for-profit | $46,396 | $32,544 | $46,396 |
| 29 | Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens, TN · Private nonprofit | $45,989 | $14,836 | $45,989 |
| 30 | Fisk University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit | $45,454 | $32,020 | $45,454 |
| 31 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN · Public | $44,859 | $15,983 | $44,859 |
| 32 | Tusculum University Greeneville, TN · Private nonprofit | $44,367 | $21,131 | $44,367 |
| 33 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN · Public | $44,301 | $9,735 | $44,301 |
| 34 | The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, TN · Public | $44,213 | $10,701 | $44,213 |
| 35 | Lee University Cleveland, TN · Private nonprofit | $43,222 | $18,878 | $43,222 |
| 36 | Tennessee State University Nashville, TN · Public | $42,730 | $15,796 | $42,730 |
| 37 | Welch College Gallatin, TN · Private nonprofit | $42,198 | $25,263 | $42,198 |
| 38 | Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN · Public | $41,150 | $7,802 | $41,150 |
| 39 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro Murfreesboro, TN · Public | $40,869 | $6,631 | $40,869 |
| 40 | Johnson University Knoxville, TN · Private nonprofit | $40,596 | $22,063 | $40,596 |
| 41 | TCAT Athens Athens, TN · Public | $40,540 | $12,758 | $40,540 |
| 42 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Hartsville Hartsville, TN · Public | $40,469 | $7,194 | $40,469 |
| 43 | Motlow State Community College Tullahoma, TN · Public | $40,397 | $15,742 | $40,397 |
| 44 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Pulaski Pulaski, TN · Public | $40,368 | $15,269 | $40,368 |
| 45 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-McMinnville McMinnville, TN · Public | $40,322 | $11,413 | $40,322 |
| 46 | Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN · Public | $40,256 | $4,734 | $40,256 |
| 47 | Strayer University-Tennessee Nashville, TN · Private for-profit | $40,092 | $11,645 | $40,092 |
| 48 | SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville Nashville, TN · Private for-profit | $39,544 | $24,700 | $39,544 |
| 49 | Roane State Community College Harriman, TN · Public | $39,407 | $4,270 | $39,407 |
| 50 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville Nashville, TN · Public | $38,955 | $15,816 | $38,955 |
| 51 | The University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, TN · Public | $38,924 | $12,798 | $38,924 |
| 52 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Morristown Morristown, TN · Public | $38,837 | $15,910 | $38,837 |
| 53 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville Shelbyville, TN · Public | $38,700 | $7,573 | $38,700 |
| 54 | Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN · Public | $38,519 | $6,777 | $38,519 |
| 55 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest Newbern, TN · Public | $38,514 | $9,698 | $38,514 |
| 56 | Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville, TN · Public | $38,440 | $4,983 | $38,440 |
| 57 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson Jackson, TN · Public | $38,383 | $8,472 | $38,383 |
| 58 | Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN · Public | $37,598 | $5,283 | $37,598 |
| 59 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville Knoxville, TN · Public | $37,235 | $20,012 | $37,235 |
| 60 | Walters State Community College Morristown, TN · Public | $37,085 | $5,387 | $37,085 |
| 61 | Herzing University-Nashville Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit | $36,909 | $20,537 | $36,909 |
| 62 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Dickson Dickson, TN · Public | $36,829 | $14,780 | $36,829 |
| 63 | Cleveland State Community College Cleveland, TN · Public | $36,671 | $6,384 | $36,671 |
| 64 | South College Knoxville, TN · Private for-profit | $36,642 | $17,858 | $36,642 |
| 65 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jacksboro Jacksboro, TN · Public | $36,449 | $12,746 | $36,449 |
| 66 | Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg, TN · Public | $36,132 | $4,612 | $36,132 |
| 67 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Hohenwald Hohenwald, TN · Public | $36,106 | $12,267 | $36,106 |
| 68 | Le Moyne-Owen College Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit | $35,594 | $7,099 | $35,594 |
| 69 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Upper Cumberland Crossville, TN · Public | $35,551 | $10,865 | $35,551 |
| 70 | Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN · Public | $35,224 | $6,236 | $35,224 |
| 71 | Nossi College of Art and Design Nashville, TN · Private for-profit | $35,113 | $24,044 | $35,113 |
| 72 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton Elizabethton, TN · Public | $35,069 | $8,568 | $35,069 |
| 73 | Northeast State Community College Blountville, TN · Public | $34,553 | $6,864 | $34,553 |
| 74 | Fortis Institute-Cookeville Cookeville, TN · Private for-profit | $34,509 | $23,582 | $34,509 |
| 75 | Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN · Public | $34,071 | $4,754 | $34,071 |
| 76 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Livingston Livingston, TN · Public | $33,497 | $12,612 | $33,497 |
| 77 | Fortis Institute-Nashville Nashville, TN · Private for-profit | $32,886 | $29,039 | $32,886 |
| 78 | William R Moore College of Technology Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit | $32,194 | $14,957 | $32,194 |
| 79 | Lane College Jackson, TN · Private nonprofit | $31,670 | $10,904 | $31,670 |
| 80 | Concorde Career College-Memphis Memphis, TN · Private for-profit | $31,599 | $24,563 | $31,599 |
| 81 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Harriman Harriman, TN · Public | $31,591 | $11,148 | $31,591 |
| 82 | Remington College-Memphis Campus Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit | $31,349 | $26,572 | $31,349 |
| 83 | Remington College-Nashville Campus Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit | $31,349 | $29,098 | $31,349 |
| 84 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis Memphis, TN · Public | $31,192 | $14,315 | $31,192 |
| 85 | Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN · Private for-profit | $31,102 | $23,958 | $31,102 |
| 86 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology Crump Crump, TN · Public | $30,796 | $-839 | $30,796 |
| 87 | Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro-Nashville Hendersonville, TN · Private for-profit | $30,461 | $22,587 | $30,461 |
| 88 | Paul Mitchell the School-Murfreesboro Murfreesboro, TN · Private for-profit | $30,461 | $18,716 | $30,461 |
| 89 | Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers Chattanooga, TN · Private for-profit | $25,954 | $33,625 | $25,954 |
| 90 | Paul Mitchell the School-Memphis Memphis, TN · Private for-profit | $25,306 | $18,186 | $25,306 |
| 91 | Brillare Beauty Institute Cleveland, TN · Private nonprofit | $24,728 | $17,894 | $24,728 |
| 92 | Genesis Career College-Cookeville Cookeville, TN · Private for-profit | $22,652 | $12,321 | $22,652 |
| 93 | Tennessee School of Beauty of Knoxville Inc Knoxville, TN · Private for-profit | $19,913 | $10,052 | $19,913 |