College Costs in Tennessee

Tennessee Colleges, Cost and Affordability for 2027

How much does it cost to attend college in Tennessee?   The average annual in-state college tuition in Tennessee was $19,016 for the 2024-2025 academic year. This is $1,206 higher than the U.S. average and ranks Tennessee in the middle of the pack as the 19th most expensive state or district to attend college. This is a change of $1,839 from the 2022-2023 average of $17,177 and represents a 10.71% annual increase in tuition costs. The list of Tennessee colleges below provides school specific cost and value rating.

This analysis surveyed tuition data from the 65 colleges and universities in Tennessee, the most popular being The University of Tennessee Knoxville with 34,027 full time students and an in-state tuition list price of $13,812. Vanderbilt University is the most expensive in Tennessee with an in-state tuition of $67,498.

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.

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Tennessee Public Private For-Profit 4 Year 2 Year

  • Private 4 Year
  • Harrogate, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $26,938 tuition

Lincoln Memorial is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and pre-veterinary studies. The rural campus sits near Cumberland Gap in the Appalachian Mountains.

#7 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1000-1210
  • Avg GPA 3.29
  • Acceptance Rate 63%
  • Net Price $21,447
Motlow State Community College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Tullahoma, TN
  • 3.0 | 2 reviews
  • $4,738 tuition

Motlow State is a public community college offering associate degrees and technical career programs. The main campus is in Tullahoma in southern Middle Tennessee.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.16
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $17,423
Bryan College Dayton Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Dayton, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $19,800 tuition

Bryan is a private Christian college known for undergraduate biblical studies, education, and business. Most undergrads live on a residential campus in the small town of Dayton in eastern Tennessee.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.67
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $18,159
Cleveland State Community College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Cleveland, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $4,762 tuition
  • Aug 17 application deadline

A public community college known for undergraduate nursing and industrial technology programs. The campus is in Cleveland, a midsize city in southeastern Tennessee near Chattanooga.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.29
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $7,236
Walters State Community College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Morristown, TN
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • $4,752 tuition

Walters State is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and allied health programs. The main campus in Morristown anchors several locations across East Tennessee.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.33
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $6,262
Freed Hardeman University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Henderson, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $25,620 tuition

Freed-Hardeman is a private Christian university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and education. The residential campus sits in the small town of Henderson in West Tennessee.

#13 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee 5/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 952-1087
  • Avg GPA 3.75
  • Acceptance Rate 60%
  • Net Price $20,178
Jackson State Community College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Jackson, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $4,740 tuition

A community college known for undergraduate nursing and allied health programs. Most students commute to the campus in Jackson.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $7,068
Northeast State Community College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Blountville, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $4,782 tuition

Northeast State is a public community college known for associate programs in health sciences and technical fields. The Blountville campus primarily serves commuting students across northeast Tennessee's Tri-Cities region.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.09
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $7,325
Williamson Christian College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Franklin, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $16,090 tuition

Williamson Christian College is a small private Christian college known for undergraduate biblical studies and ministry. The campus is located in Franklin, a suburb south of Nashville.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.25
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $19,784
Tennessee Wesleyan University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Athens, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $30,814 tuition

Tennessee Wesleyan is a small private Methodist university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus sits in the small town of Athens in East Tennessee.

#14 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee 5/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 960-1100
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 69%
  • Net Price $15,125
King University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Bristol, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $36,194 tuition

King is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and business. The campus is in Bristol on the Tennessee-Virginia border.

#20 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee 0/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1000-1160
  • Avg GPA 3.46
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $22,748
Southern Adventist University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Collegedale, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $27,300 tuition

Southern Adventist is a private Seventh-day Adventist university known for undergraduate nursing and theology. Most students live on the residential campus in Collegedale near Chattanooga.

#11 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee 5/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1020-1300
  • Avg GPA 3.59
  • Acceptance Rate 65%
  • Net Price $25,753
Nossi College of Art and Design Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Nashville, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $20,350 tuition
0/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 46%
  • Net Price $24,044

  • Private 4 Year
  • Pulaski, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $10,924 tuition
  • Aug 26 application deadline

UT Southern is a small public university with undergraduate programs in nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in the small town of Pulaski in southern Tennessee.

#17 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee
  • SAT Range 905-1110
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.17
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $14,546
Visible Music College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Memphis, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $22,000 tuition

Visible Music College is a private Christian college known for undergraduate contemporary music, worship arts, and music business. The urban campus is located in Memphis.

5/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 605-1250
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 28%
  • Net Price $27,045
American Baptist College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Nashville, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $13,604 tuition

American Baptist College is a small private HBCU known for undergraduate theology and ministry. Students study on a compact Nashville campus with deep roots in Baptist tradition.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $8,340
John A Gupton College Campus
 

  • Private 2 Year
  • Nashville, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $12,223 tuition

John A. Gupton is a private college known for undergraduate funeral service and mortuary science. The small urban campus is located in Nashville.

  • SAT Range 890-960
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $19,334
Dyersburg State Community College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Dyersburg, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • $4,758 tuition

A public community college known for undergraduate nursing and allied health. The college serves northwest Tennessee from campuses in Dyersburg, Covington, and Trenton.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 2.97
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $5,595