Tennessee

Average student debt in Tennessee — 17 colleges, and what their graduates earn

Every Tennessee university with published federal figures, ordered by how fast the debt clears. The typical graded US university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt.

#UniversityGradeYou borrowMonthlyYou earnDebt clears in
1 Vanderbilt University Tennessee A $14,000 $159 $91,565 0.3 yrs
2 Rhodes College Tennessee B $21,761 $247 $66,651 0.8 yrs
3 University of Tennessee, Knoxville Tennessee C $20,500 $233 $60,249 1 yrs
4 King University Tennessee C $22,750 $259 $59,831 1.1 yrs
5 Lipscomb University Tennessee C $19,500 $222 $55,541 1.2 yrs
6 Belmont University Tennessee C $20,500 $233 $55,930 1.3 yrs
7 Christian Brothers University Tennessee C $27,000 $307 $57,478 1.5 yrs
8 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Tennessee C $19,500 $222 $51,151 1.7 yrs
9 Tennessee Technological University Tennessee D $15,650 $178 $48,501 1.7 yrs
10 Middle Tennessee State University Tennessee D $20,000 $227 $48,541 2.2 yrs
11 University of Memphis Tennessee D $23,300 $265 $48,458 2.6 yrs
12 Bethel University Tennessee F $27,249 $310 $47,482 3.4 yrs
13 East Tennessee State University Tennessee F $19,442 $221 $44,859 3.6 yrs
14 Austin Peay State University Tennessee F $20,547 $234 $44,301 4.3 yrs
15 University of Tennessee, Martin Tennessee F $21,024 $239 $44,213 4.5 yrs
16 Fisk University Tennessee F $27,000 $307 $45,454 4.6 yrs
17 Tennessee State University Tennessee F $27,000 $307 $42,730 8.4 yrs

In-state tuition is the lever that moves this most

The debt column is shaped far more by residency and institutional aid than by anything else. If you are applying from another state or another country, the figures here understate what you would borrow — check the university's own net price for your situation.

Read the salary next to the debt, never alone

Two universities in this state with identical graduate salaries can be two grades apart, because one leaves students owing twice as much. The payback column is the one that combines both.

Questions

Which university in Tennessee pays back fastest?
Vanderbilt University — $91,565 median earnings against $14,000 of debt, clearing in about 0.3 years.
How much do US students typically borrow?
Across the 810 universities we grade, median debt at graduation is $22,500 — about $256 a month on the standard ten-year federal plan.
Can scholarships change these numbers?
Directly. Every award comes off the borrowing before you ever repay it, which shortens the payback on each university page. Each page lists the scholarships we hold for that institution.
All payback rankings Fastest payback Lowest debt Highest earnings Scholarships that cut the debt How we calculate this

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject at each institution. Information only, not financial advice.