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2026 Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in Tennessee

[Natural Resource Management](/majors/natural-resources-conservation/natural-resource-management/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for natural resource management students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in Tennessee

2026 Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools in Tennessee

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

Best Value Natural Resource Management Schools

1

The University Of Tennessee Martin
Martin, TN

$10,560 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,748 Avg Student Debt

$44,213 Median Earnings (10yr)

The University Of Tennessee Martin earned the #1 spot for value among natural resource management schools in Tennessee. Located in the town of Martin, The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $10,560 in tuition and fees, compared with $16,600 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for natural resource management graduates is $22,748. Early-career natural resource management graduates make about $33,543. That is a strong return on a $22,748 median debt. The University Of Tennessee Martin admits about 88% of applicants.

2

The University Of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

$13,812 In-State Tuition & Fees

$22,859 Avg Student Debt

$60,249 Median Earnings (10yr)

The University Of Tennessee came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value natural resource management schools. The University Of Tennessee is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,812, compared with $33,256 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,859 to complete the natural resource management program here. Natural Resource Management graduates of The University Of Tennessee earn a median of $49,826 early in their careers. Set against $22,859 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.

View All Natural Resource Management 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 · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.