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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Civil Engineering Schools in Tennessee

6 Colleges in the United States
324 Civil Engineering Degrees Awarded
$64,109 Avg Early-Career Salary

Civil Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools to find the best for civil engineering students.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Civil Engineering in Tennessee

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the civil engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Civil Engineering

1
Vanderbilt University crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Our analysis ranked Vanderbilt University the best school in the country for a degree in civil engineering. Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Vanderbilt University graduates 94% of students within six years. Vanderbilt University awarded about 31 civil engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $77,997. Students borrow a median of $13,975 to complete this degree. Get the full civil engineering details for Vanderbilt University

2

The University Of Tennessee came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best civil engineering schools. The University Of Tennessee is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville. The six-year graduation rate is 74%. There were roughly 142 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at The University Of Tennessee in the most recent data year. Graduates of the civil engineering program make about $67,818 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $21,450. More information about a degree in civil engineering from The University Of Tennessee

3

A rank of #3 makes The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga one of the top schools for civil engineering. Set in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public institution. About 50% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 37 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga in the most recent data year. Graduates of the civil engineering program make about $65,419 in their early career. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga graduates carry a median of $20,747 in student loans. Read more about the civil engineering program at The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga

4

A rank of #4 makes Tennessee Technological University one of the top schools for civil engineering. Set in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public institution. About 58% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 59 civil engineering students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee Technological University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, civil engineering degree recipients from Tennessee Technological University generally make around $63,577. Students borrow a median of $20,870 to complete this degree. Get the full civil engineering details for Tennessee Technological University

5

University Of Memphis is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in civil engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. University Of Memphis is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis. Roughly 51% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Memphis awarded about 42 civil engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the civil engineering program make about $64,780 in their early career. University Of Memphis graduates carry a median of $29,750 in student loans. More information about a degree in civil engineering from University Of Memphis

6

Tennessee State University placed #6 among the best civil engineering schools. Located in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public university. Roughly 35% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 13 civil engineering degrees were awarded at Tennessee State University in the most recent year. Civil Engineering graduates of Tennessee State University earn a median of $45,060 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $29,489. See the full civil engineering program report for Tennessee State University

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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