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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2026 Best Value Legal Professions Schools in Tennessee

2 Colleges in the United States
$21,219 Avg Student Debt
$57,174 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Legal Professions Badge [Legal Professions](/majors/legal-studies-and-professions/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong legal professions education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for legal professions students.

What’s on this page:

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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in legal professions, balancing cost against outcomes.

1

Nashville State Community College earned the #1 spot for value among legal professions schools in Tennessee. Located in the city of Nashville, Nashville State Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,730, while out-of-state students pay about $17,714. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $16,745 in student loans. Legal Professions graduates of Nashville State Community College earn a median of $41,456 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,745 median debt.

2

A rank of #2 makes University Of Memphis one of the best values for legal professions. University Of Memphis is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis. In-state tuition and fees average $10,728, compared with $15,384 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,315 to complete the legal professions program here. Early-career legal professions graduates make about $52,464. Set against $26,315 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Memphis admits about 72% of applicants.

3

The University Of Tennessee is a great value for students pursuing a degree in legal professions, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,812, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. Legal Professions graduates carry a median of $22,859 in student loans. Legal Professions graduates of The University Of Tennessee earn a median of $65,905 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.

4

Lincoln Memorial University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value legal professions schools. Lincoln Memorial University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Harrogate. In-state tuition and fees average $26,938. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $20,693. Legal Professions graduates of Lincoln Memorial University earn a median of $46,511 early in their careers. Set against $20,693 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 63%.

5
Vanderbilt University crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value legal professions schools. 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 legal professions graduates is $13,975. Legal Professions graduates of Vanderbilt University earn a median of $156,307 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Vanderbilt University admits about 6% of applicants.

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6
Lipscomb University crest
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN

Lipscomb University came in at #6 for value in legal professions this year. Lipscomb 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 $40,572. Students borrow a median of $24,500 to complete the legal professions program here. Legal Professions graduates of Lipscomb University earn a median of $32,967 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,500 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.

7
Belmont University crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN

Belmont University landed the #7 spot for legal professions value this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $42,540. Typical student debt for legal professions graduates is $23,447. Soon after graduation, legal professions degree recipients from Belmont University generally make around $58,486. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 14 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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