ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Value Teacher Education Schools in Tennessee

6 Colleges in the United States
$23,701 Avg Student Debt
$51,333 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Teacher Education Badge [Teacher Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 13 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value teacher education schools.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/teacher-education/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: offers_data.offers found, count = 1
DEBUG: Specific major detected (cip4 = 13.12), keeping min_relevance at 0.8
DEBUG: Starting relevance filtering - min_relevance = 0.8, max_relevance = 1
DEBUG: Checking offer "Teaching (MAT) (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.7
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Teaching (MAT) (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.7)
DEBUG: relevant_offers count = 0
DEBUG: No relevant offers, showing generic ESYOH widget

2026 Best Value Teacher Education Schools in Tennessee

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the teacher education degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Teacher Education Schools

1

The University Of Tennessee Martin earned the #1 spot for value among teacher education schools in Tennessee. Located in the town of Martin, The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,560, with out-of-state students paying around $16,600. Students borrow a median of $21,000 to complete the teacher education program here. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $43,634. Set against $21,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Tennessee Martin admits about 88% of applicants.

2

Students looking for strong value in teacher education will find it at Tennessee State University, which ranked #2. Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Nashville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,616, with out-of-state students paying around $22,416. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the teacher education program here. Teacher Education graduates of Tennessee State University earn a median of $34,756 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,000 median debt. Tennessee State University admits about 70% of applicants.

3

Students looking for strong value in teacher education will find it at Middle Tennessee State University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,266 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $31,574. Students borrow a median of $22,500 to complete the teacher education program here. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $42,657. Set against $22,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.

4

Christian Brothers University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in teacher education, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Memphis, Christian Brothers University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,420. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $32,416 in student loans. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $51,040. Set against $32,416 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Christian Brothers University admits about 87% of applicants.

5

A rank of #5 makes The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga one of the best values for teacher education. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public school located in the city of Chattanooga. In-state tuition and fees average $10,448, with out-of-state students paying around $18,512. Typical student debt for teacher education graduates is $22,517. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $44,879. That is a strong return on a $22,517 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.

ADBLOCK #101
6

University Of Memphis placed #6 among the best values for teacher education. Located in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,728 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,384. Typical student debt for teacher education graduates is $28,439. Teacher Education graduates of University Of Memphis earn a median of $33,502 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,439 median debt. University Of Memphis admits about 72% of applicants.

7

Austin Peay State University landed the #7 spot for teacher education value this year. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,006, with out-of-state students paying around $14,766. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $41,743. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.

8

East Tennessee State University placed #8 among the best values for teacher education. Located in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,216, while out-of-state students pay about $13,726. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $15,000 in student loans. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $42,981. Set against $15,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.

9
Carson Newman College crest
Carson Newman College
Jefferson City, TN

Carson Newman College placed #9 among the best values for teacher education. Set in the suburb of Jefferson City, Carson Newman College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,700. Teacher Education graduates carry a median of $26,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from Carson Newman College generally make around $45,527. Set against $26,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Carson Newman College admits about 90% of applicants.

10
Vanderbilt University crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University came in at #10 for value in teacher education this year. Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,498. Typical student debt for teacher education graduates is $13,975. Teacher Education graduates of Vanderbilt University earn a median of $50,383 early in their careers. Set against $13,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 6%.

ADBLOCK #115
11
Johnson University crest
Johnson University
Knoxville, TN

Johnson University came in at #11 for value in teacher education this year. Located in the rural area of Knoxville, Johnson University is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $21,122. Typical student debt for teacher education graduates is $23,819. Early-career teacher education graduates make about $43,102. Set against $23,819 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 65%.

12

Southern Adventist University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value teacher education schools. Southern Adventist University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Collegedale. Students from in state pay about $27,300 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,250 to complete the teacher education program here. Soon after graduation, teacher education degree recipients from Southern Adventist University generally make around $61,366. Set against $24,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.

ADBLOCK #173
View All Teacher Education Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 13 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options