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2026 Best Value Philosophy Schools in Tennessee

[Philosophy](/majors/philosophy-and-religious-studies/philosophy/) 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.

College Factual analyzed 15 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value philosophy schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Philosophy Schools in Tennessee

2026 Best Value Philosophy Schools in Tennessee

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

Best Value Philosophy Schools

1

The University Of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

$13,812 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,000 Avg Student Debt

$60,249 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is The University Of Tennessee, our #1 best value for philosophy in Tennessee. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,812, with out-of-state students paying around $33,256. Philosophy graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career philosophy graduates make about $49,826. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.

2

Johnson University
Knoxville, TN

$21,122 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,819 Avg Student Debt

$40,596 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Johnson University one of the best values for philosophy. Located in the rural area of Knoxville, Johnson University is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $21,122 in tuition and fees. Philosophy graduates carry a median of $23,819 in student loans. Early-career philosophy graduates make about $34,290. That is a strong return on a $23,819 median debt. The acceptance rate is 65%.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 15 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.