Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Tennessee
Key facts
- #1 Vanderbilt University, TN: $92k
- #2 Baptist Health Sciences University, TN: $73k
- #3 Rhodes College, TN: $67k
- 57 colleges ranked across Tennessee
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: $47k across the typical college in this list.
- 1Vanderbilt University TN$92k
- 2Baptist Health Sciences University TN$73k
- 3Rhodes College TN$67k
- 4The University of the South TN$65k
- 5Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting TN$63k
- 6Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus TN$61k
- 7The University of Tennessee-Knoxville TN$60k
- 8King University TN$60k
- 9Cumberland University TN$58k
- 10Christian Brothers University TN$57k
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Vanderbilt University leads on $92k, and #10 Christian Brothers University is at $57k.
- Baptist Health Sciences University reaches #2 on a sample of 770 students enrolled, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is the largest market in the top ten, with 30,418 students enrolled behind its figure.
- Colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Median earnings ten years after enrolling show what former students of a college go on to earn, as the Department of Education publishes it.
How to use it
Compare colleges within the same level and field, and read earnings next to completion rate and net price. Earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as the college.
The top 25
- 1
Vanderbilt University TN
$92k
- Completion rate
- 94%
- Net price a year
- $15,846
- Private nonprofit
- 7,208 students
Based on 7,208 students enrolled.
- 2
- Completion rate
- 40%
- Net price a year
- $11,212
- Private nonprofit
- 770 students
Based on 770 students enrolled.
Baptist Health Sciences University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 3
Rhodes College TN
$67k
- Completion rate
- 85%
- Net price a year
- $28,585
- Private nonprofit
- 1,836 students
Based on 1,836 students enrolled.
- 4
The University of the South TN
$65k
- Completion rate
- 80%
- Net price a year
- $27,872
- Private nonprofit
- 1,607 students
Based on 1,607 students enrolled.
The University of the South: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 5
- Completion rate
- Not available
- Net price a year
- Not available
- Private for-profit
- 805 students
Based on 805 students enrolled.
Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 6
- Completion rate
- Not available
- Net price a year
- $27,267
- Private for-profit
- 1,027 students
Based on 1,027 students enrolled.
Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 7
- Completion rate
- 74%
- Net price a year
- $18,976
- Public
- 30,418 students
Based on 30,418 students enrolled.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 8
King University TN
$60k
- Completion rate
- 48%
- Net price a year
- $22,347
- Private nonprofit
- 908 students
Based on 908 students enrolled.
- 9
Cumberland University TN
$58k
- Completion rate
- 46%
- Net price a year
- $18,759
- Private nonprofit
- 2,104 students
Based on 2,104 students enrolled.
- 10
Christian Brothers University TN
$57k
- Completion rate
- 55%
- Net price a year
- $9,854
- Private nonprofit
- 905 students
Based on 905 students enrolled.
Christian Brothers University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 11
Belmont University TN
$56k
- Completion rate
- 71%
- Net price a year
- $33,147
- Private nonprofit
- 7,137 students
Based on 7,137 students enrolled.
- 12
Lipscomb University TN
$56k
- Completion rate
- 72%
- Net price a year
- $24,739
- Private nonprofit
- 2,997 students
Based on 2,997 students enrolled.
- 13
Bryan College-Dayton TN
$54k
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Net price a year
- $20,614
- Private nonprofit
- 814 students
Based on 814 students enrolled.
- 14
Union University TN
$54k
- Completion rate
- 66%
- Net price a year
- $27,171
- Private nonprofit
- 1,607 students
Based on 1,607 students enrolled.
- 15
Southern Adventist University TN
$54k
- Completion rate
- 49%
- Net price a year
- $24,345
- Private nonprofit
- 2,773 students
Based on 2,773 students enrolled.
Southern Adventist University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 16
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Net price a year
- $14,265
- Public
- 10,074 students
Based on 10,074 students enrolled.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 17
Lincoln Memorial University TN
$50k
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Net price a year
- $20,406
- Private nonprofit
- 1,572 students
Based on 1,572 students enrolled.
Lincoln Memorial University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 18
Trevecca Nazarene University TN
$49k
- Completion rate
- 53%
- Net price a year
- $16,813
- Private nonprofit
- 1,737 students
Based on 1,737 students enrolled.
Trevecca Nazarene University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 19
Maryville College TN
$49k
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Net price a year
- $19,360
- Private nonprofit
- 1,005 students
Based on 1,005 students enrolled.
- 20
- Completion rate
- 54%
- Net price a year
- $13,359
- Public
- 16,301 students
Based on 16,301 students enrolled.
Middle Tennessee State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 21
- Completion rate
- 58%
- Net price a year
- $14,246
- Public
- 8,698 students
Based on 8,698 students enrolled.
Tennessee Technological University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 22
University of Memphis TN
$48k
- Completion rate
- 51%
- Net price a year
- $12,397
- Public
- 12,701 students
Based on 12,701 students enrolled.
- 23
Carson-Newman University TN
$48k
- Completion rate
- 53%
- Net price a year
- $20,251
- Private nonprofit
- 1,387 students
Based on 1,387 students enrolled.
Carson-Newman University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 24
Freed-Hardeman University TN
$47k
- Completion rate
- 71%
- Net price a year
- $21,574
- Private nonprofit
- 1,212 students
Based on 1,212 students enrolled.
Freed-Hardeman University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 25
Bethel University TN
$47k
- Completion rate
- 35%
- Net price a year
- $12,595
- Private nonprofit
- 1,547 students
Based on 1,547 students enrolled.
Full ranking
All 57 colleges that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
How this ranking works
Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones.
Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
Sample bar: colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (median earnings, completion, net price), as held in our college tables. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which certification ranks first: colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in tennessee?
- Vanderbilt University leads Tennessee among colleges for earnings: its former students earn a median of $92k ten years after enrolling, against $47k for the typical college in this list.
- How many colleges are ranked?
- 57 colleges have at least 500 students enrolled, so the list has 57 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones. Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Four-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Community and two-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Northeast
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in New England
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mid-Atlantic
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Tennessee,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-tennessee
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-tennessee">Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Tennessee (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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