2026 Best Value Photography Schools in Tennessee
[Photography](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/film-video-and-photographic-arts/photography/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for photography students.
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2026 Best Value Photography Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in photography, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Photography Schools
Leading the list is Middle Tennessee State University, our #1 best value for photography in Tennessee. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. Students from in state pay about $10,266 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $31,574. Students borrow a median of $19,270 to complete the photography program here. Photography graduates of Middle Tennessee State University earn a median of $28,202 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Freed Hardeman University earned it the #2 place for photography. Set in the town of Henderson, Freed Hardeman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $25,620. Students borrow a median of $24,479 to complete the photography program here. Early-career photography graduates make about $54,530. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Southern Adventist University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in photography, landing the #3 spot this year. Southern Adventist University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Collegedale. Students from in state pay about $27,300 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,498 to complete the photography program here. Photography graduates of Southern Adventist University earn a median of $61,366 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Belmont University earned it the #4 place for photography. 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. Photography graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, photography degree recipients from Belmont University generally make around $49,699. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Belmont University admits about 95% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 7 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.
