2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Tennessee
[Early Childhood Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/early-childhood-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find the best return on investment for early childhood education students.
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2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in early childhood education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools
For return on investment in early childhood education, no school beat Christian Brothers University this year. Set in the city of Memphis, Christian Brothers University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $38,420 in tuition and fees. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $32,416 in student loans. Early Childhood Education graduates of Christian Brothers University earn a median of $51,040 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $32,416 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at Middle Tennessee State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,266, while out-of-state students pay about $31,574. Students borrow a median of $22,500 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Middle Tennessee State University generally make around $42,657. That is a strong return on a $22,500 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at Tennessee State University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $8,616 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,416. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Tennessee State University generally make around $34,756. Set against $29,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,448, with out-of-state students paying around $18,512. Students borrow a median of $22,517 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $50,000. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Tennessee Technological University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #5 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. Students borrow a median of $14,566 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early Childhood Education graduates of Tennessee Technological University earn a median of $39,034 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #6 spot for early childhood education value this year. Trevecca Nazarene University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. In-state tuition and fees average $31,300. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $24,962. Early Childhood Education graduates of Trevecca Nazarene University earn a median of $52,004 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Trevecca Nazarene University admits about 69% of applicants.
East Tennessee State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Set in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,216, compared with $13,726 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $15,000. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $42,981. Set against $15,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Carson Newman College earned the #8 position for value in early childhood education this year. Set in the suburb of Jefferson City, Carson Newman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $34,700 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Carson Newman College generally make around $45,527. Set against $26,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Vanderbilt University earned the #9 position for value in early childhood education this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $67,498 in tuition and fees. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $13,975 in student loans. Early Childhood Education graduates of Vanderbilt University earn a median of $77,997 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 6%.
Freed Hardeman University came in at #10 for value in early childhood education this year. Set in the town of Henderson, Freed Hardeman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $25,620. Students borrow a median of $23,125 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $40,936. Set against $23,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Johnson University placed #11 among the best values for early childhood education. Set in the rural area of Knoxville, Johnson University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,122. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $23,819. Early Childhood Education graduates of Johnson University earn a median of $43,102 early in their careers. Set against $23,819 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Johnson University admits about 65% of applicants.
Lee University placed #12 among the best values for early childhood education. Located in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $23,790. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $23,832 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Lee University generally make around $46,351. Set against $23,832 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Belmont University placed #13 among the best values for early childhood education. Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,540. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $23,447. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $47,237. That is a strong return on a $23,447 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
More Early Childhood Education Rankings
View All Early Childhood Education Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
