Tennessee Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest In State Tution

Below is a college cost ranking of the 34 private colleges in Tennessee with the lowest in state tution. What is the cheapest college in Tennessee? Pentecostal Theological Seminary leads the list with a tuition and fee total of $0. Note these costs do not include room and board or living expenses.

Affordable doesn't simply mean finding a school with a low published price. It's important to research the typical financial aid package offered by a school, the average net price actually paid and most importantly the quality of education you receive for your tuition dollar. Sometimes a school which appears cheap based on list price can be a poor relative value if it can't award competitive financial aid or doesn't offer a quality education. The list below is a ranking on published in state tution with no consideration of actual average price paid or academic quality of the school. Please see the CollegeSimply Best Value Colleges in Tennessee list for a ranking which considers school quality and average net price.

All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS 2025 survey and reflect reported costs for academic year 2024/2025.

List of Tennessee Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest In State Tution
College Tuition In State

Collegedale, Tennessee

$28,600

Lebanon, Tennessee

$29,040

Greeneville, Tennessee

$30,250

Athens, Tennessee

$32,214

Nashville, Tennessee

$32,850

Jefferson City, Tennessee

$34,700

Bristol, Tennessee

$38,168

Memphis, Tennessee

$38,420

Maryville, Tennessee

$40,198

Jackson, Tennessee

$41,550

Milligan, Tennessee

$42,100

Nashville, Tennessee

$43,684

Nashville, Tennessee

$44,520

Sewanee, Tennessee

$56,418

Memphis, Tennessee

$57,920

Nashville, Tennessee

$69,988

This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.