2026 Best Value Art History Schools in Tennessee
[Art History](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for art history students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Art History Schools in Tennessee
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the art history degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Art History Schools
Leading the list is University Of Memphis, our #1 best value for art history in Tennessee. Located in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,728, while out-of-state students pay about $15,384. Typical student debt for art history graduates is $28,850. Art History graduates of University Of Memphis earn a median of $26,451 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
The University Of Tennessee came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value art history schools. The University Of Tennessee is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville. Students from in state pay about $13,812 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $33,256. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the art history program here. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $23,661. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.
Vanderbilt University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value art history schools. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,498. Typical student debt for art history graduates is $13,975. Art History graduates of Vanderbilt University earn a median of $77,997 early in their careers. Set against $13,975 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Vanderbilt University admits about 6% of applicants.
Sewanee The University Of The South came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value art history schools. Set in the rural area of Sewanee, Sewanee The University Of The South is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $56,120. Typical student debt for art history graduates is $22,091. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from Sewanee The University Of The South generally make around $36,927. Set against $22,091 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 57%.
More Art History Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
