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2026 Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools in Tennessee

[Child Development & Psychology](/majors/psychology/child-development-psychology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for child development & psychology students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools in Tennessee

2026 Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools in Tennessee

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in child development & psychology, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Child Development & Psychology Schools

1

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 earned the #1 spot for value among child development & psychology schools in Tennessee. The University Of Tennessee is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,812, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $22,859. Child Development & Psychology graduates of The University Of Tennessee earn a median of $49,826 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,859 median debt. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.

2

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

$67,498 In-State Tuition & Fees

$13,975 Avg Student Debt

$91,565 Median Earnings (10yr)

Vanderbilt University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value child development & psychology schools. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $67,498 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for child development & psychology graduates is $13,975. Early-career child development & psychology graduates make about $77,997. That is a strong return on a $13,975 median debt. The acceptance rate is 6%.

View All Child Development & Psychology 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 · 6 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.