Colleges in Tennessee: ACT scores and what they really cost.

42 four-year colleges in Tennessee, 30 of which publish an admitted ACT range. The lowest average net price among TN schools is $7,099 a year at Le Moyne-Owen College, after grant and scholarship aid. Sorted cheapest first. All figures from the U.S. Department of Education.

Browse Tennessee colleges by ACT score
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42 colleges

Le Moyne-Owen College

Memphis, TN · Private
$7,099/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
99%
Undergrads
581

American Baptist College

Nashville, TN · Private
$9,216/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
Undergrads
46

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN · Public
$9,735/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
18–24
Admit rate
96%
Undergrads
7,560

Christian Brothers University

Memphis, TN · Private
$9,854/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–24
Admit rate
87%
Undergrads
905

Mid-South Christian College

Memphis, TN · Private
$10,172/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
100%
Undergrads
19

The University of Tennessee-Martin

Martin, TN · Public
$10,701/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–25
Admit rate
88%
Undergrads
4,866

Lane College

Jackson, TN · Private
$10,904/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
Undergrads
736

Baptist Health Sciences University

Memphis, TN · Private
$11,212/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
17–22
Admit rate
82%
Undergrads
770

Strayer University-Tennessee

Nashville, TN · Private, for-profit
$11,645/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
Undergrads
1,784

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN · Public
$12,397/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
18–24
Admit rate
72%
Undergrads
12,701

Bethel University

McKenzie, TN · Private
$12,595/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
15–21
Admit rate
60%
Undergrads
1,547

The University of Tennessee Southern

Pulaski, TN · Public
$12,798/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
18–24
Admit rate
87%
Undergrads
864

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN · Public
$13,359/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–26
Admit rate
69%
Undergrads
16,301

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN · Public
$14,246/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–27
Admit rate
76%
Undergrads
8,698

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN · Public
$14,265/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–26
Admit rate
81%
Undergrads
10,074

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN · Private
$14,836/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–23
Admit rate
69%
Undergrads
846

Tennessee State University

Nashville, TN · Public
$15,796/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
16–21
Admit rate
70%
Undergrads
4,848

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN · Private
$15,846/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
34–35
Admit rate
6%
Undergrads
7,208

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN · Public
$15,983/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–26
Admit rate
86%
Undergrads
10,004

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN · Private
$16,813/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
18–24
Admit rate
69%
Undergrads
1,737

Cumberland University

Lebanon, TN · Private
$18,759/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
67%
Undergrads
2,104

Lee University

Cleveland, TN · Private
$18,878/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
20–27
Admit rate
71%
Undergrads
2,617

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN · Public
$18,976/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
25–31
Admit rate
42%
Undergrads
30,418

Maryville College

Maryville, TN · Private
$19,360/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
61%
Undergrads
1,005

Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City, TN · Private
$20,251/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–25
Admit rate
90%
Undergrads
1,387

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, TN · Private
$20,406/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
18–24
Admit rate
63%
Undergrads
1,572

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN · Private
$20,614/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
Undergrads
814

Tusculum University

Greeneville, TN · Private
$21,131/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
72%
Undergrads
785

Milligan University

Milligan, TN · Private
$21,365/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
22–27
Admit rate
72%
Undergrads
818

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN · Private
$21,574/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–26
Admit rate
60%
Undergrads
1,212

Johnson University

Knoxville, TN · Private
$22,063/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
18–24
Admit rate
65%
Undergrads
743

King University

Bristol, TN · Private
$22,347/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
100%
Undergrads
908

Nossi College of Art and Design

Nashville, TN · Private, for-profit
$24,044/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
46%
Undergrads
247

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN · Private
$24,345/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–25
Admit rate
66%
Undergrads
2,773

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN · Private
$24,739/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
23–30
Admit rate
68%
Undergrads
2,997

Welch College

Gallatin, TN · Private
$25,263/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
ACT accepted
Admit rate
Undergrads
226

Union University

Jackson, TN · Private
$27,171/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
22–30
Admit rate
60%
Undergrads
1,607

Visible Music College

Memphis, TN · Private
$27,820/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–30
Admit rate
28%
Undergrads
79

The University of the South

Sewanee, TN · Private
$27,872/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
27–31
Admit rate
57%
Undergrads
1,607

Rhodes College

Memphis, TN · Private
$28,585/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
26–32
Admit rate
50%
Undergrads
1,836

Fisk University

Nashville, TN · Private
$32,020/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
19–24
Admit rate
37%
Undergrads
1,035

Belmont University

Nashville, TN · Private
$33,147/yr
average net price after aid
Admitted ACT
24–30
Admit rate
95%
Undergrads
7,137

Net price is total cost of attendance (tuition, fees, housing, books) minus grant and scholarship aid, for students receiving federal aid. Admitted ACT range is the 25th to 75th percentile of admitted students; schools that do not publish a range may still accept ACT scores. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Common questions

How many four-year colleges are in Tennessee?

Tennessee (TN) has 42 four-year colleges reporting an average net price to the U.S. Department of Education. 30 of them publish an admitted ACT score range; the rest are test-optional or do not report one, though they may still accept ACT scores.

What is the cheapest college in Tennessee?

By average net price after grant and scholarship aid, Le Moyne-Owen College in Memphis is the least expensive four-year college in Tennessee at $7,099 a year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus aid that does not need to be repaid, for students receiving federal aid. What a specific family pays varies by household income.

Are public colleges cheaper than private colleges in Tennessee?

Usually, but not always. Among Tennessee's 10 public colleges the median net price is $14,246 a year, against $20,614 across 32 private colleges. Private schools often discount heavily through grant aid, so a private college can cost a specific family less than a public one despite a far higher sticker price.

Does household income change what college costs in Tennessee?

Substantially. Across Tennessee colleges the median net price is $14,532 a year for a family earning under $30,000 and $24,641 for one earning over $110,000, at the same schools. The average price a college publishes blends every income level together, so it may be far from what any particular family pays.