2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in Tennessee
[General Educational Leadership & Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/educational-leadership-and-administration-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 23 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general educational leadership & administration students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in Tennessee
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general educational leadership & administration degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools
Tennessee State University tops our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools in Tennessee. Set in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,616, compared with $22,416 for out-of-state students. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $29,489 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Tennessee State University earn a median of $45,060 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Tennessee Martin earned it the #2 place for general educational leadership & administration. The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Martin. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,560, while out-of-state students pay about $16,600. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $23,770. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $40,400. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Middle Tennessee State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general educational leadership & administration, landing the #3 spot this year. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. Students from in state pay about $10,266 in tuition and fees, compared with $31,574 for out-of-state students. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $22,754 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Middle Tennessee State University earn a median of $56,415 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Tennessee Technological University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general educational leadership & administration, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,376, while out-of-state students pay about $15,576. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $17,580. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $64,036. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general educational leadership & administration will find it at University Of Memphis, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,728, compared with $15,384 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $26,315. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from University Of Memphis generally make around $74,676. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #6 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Set in the city of Nashville, Trevecca Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,300. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,962. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Trevecca Nazarene University generally make around $67,303. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Austin Peay State University placed #7 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Austin Peay State University is a large public school located in the city of Clarksville. Students from in state pay about $9,006 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,766. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $24,530. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Austin Peay State University generally make around $55,045. That is a strong return on a $24,530 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
East Tennessee State University earned the #8 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,216 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $13,726. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $21,301 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $62,532. Set against $21,301 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
South College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Located in the city of Knoxville, South College is a large private for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,535. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,533 in student loans. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $51,389. That is a strong return on a $24,533 median debt.
Lincoln Memorial University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Set in the town of Harrogate, Lincoln Memorial University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $26,938 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $20,693 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Lincoln Memorial University generally make around $57,547. Set against $20,693 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Lincoln Memorial University admits about 63% of applicants.
The University Of Tennessee earned the #11 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,812 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $22,859 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $49,826. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.
Vanderbilt University placed #12 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. In-state tuition and fees average $67,498. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $13,975. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $78,283. Set against $13,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Vanderbilt University admits about 6% of applicants.
Carson Newman College landed the #13 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Carson Newman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Jefferson City. Students from in state pay about $34,700 in tuition and fees. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $22,843 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Carson Newman College generally make around $63,728. That is a strong return on a $22,843 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Freed Hardeman University placed #14 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Freed Hardeman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Henderson. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $25,620. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $24,479 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Freed Hardeman University earn a median of $54,530 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,479 median debt. Freed Hardeman University admits about 60% of applicants.
Lipscomb University came in at #15 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $40,572 in tuition and fees. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $23,529 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Lipscomb University earn a median of $60,024 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,529 median debt. The acceptance rate is 68%.
Union University landed the #16 spot for general educational leadership & administration value this year. Located in the city of Jackson, Union University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $37,398. Students borrow a median of $28,605 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Union University earn a median of $64,839 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,605 median debt. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
More General Educational Leadership & Administration Rankings
View All General Educational Leadership & Administration Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 23 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
