These rankings are based on data about college professor and faculty salaries at each institution. Faculty who earn higher salaries tend to be more tenured, so colleges and universities with higher average salaries is often seen as an indicator of higher academic strength. But, this ranking can also be affected by other factors -- such as the presence of a medical school or other high-paying faculty positions.
| Rank | Institution | Average Faculty Salary | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University | 148484 | 5.86 | 1,500 – 1,560 | 25186 | 73909 |
#1
Vanderbilt University
|
| 2 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 117140 | 43.58 | 1,250 – 1,400 | 21648 | 47782 |
#2
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
|
| 3 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | 115086 | 90 | -- | 0 | 68668 | |
| 4 | Belmont University | 94917 | 93.67 | 1,180 – 1,370 | 38578 | 42770 |
#4
Belmont University
|
| 5 | Baptist Health Sciences University | 93174 | 82.02 | 930 – 1,110 | 11348 | 59224 |
Baptist Health Sciences University
|
| 6 | The University of the South | 91418 | 56.42 | 1,250 – 1,400 | 34815 | 53456 |
The University of the South
|
| 7 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | 91410 | 71.62 | 1,040 – 1,210 | 15347 | 42209 |
#7
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
|
| 8 | University of Memphis | 87855 | 78.78 | 970 – 1,190 | 12756 | 40921 |
University of Memphis
|
| 9 | Middle Tennessee State University | 87588 | 69.09 | 1,040 – 1,240 | 13859 | 39941 |
Middle Tennessee State University
|
| 10 | Rhodes College | 85478 | 51.51 | 1,320 – 1,460 | 31037 | 48898 |
Rhodes College
|
| 11 | Tennessee Technological University | 84887 | 76.13 | 1,040 – 1,290 | 15336 | 43759 |
Tennessee Technological University
|
| 12 | Austin Peay State University | 81355 | 96.91 | 970 – 1,180 | 9882 | 38779 |
Austin Peay State University
|
| 13 | Tennessee State University | 79675 | 84.63 | 890 – 1,090 | 14586 | 34160 |
#13
Tennessee State University
|
| 14 | Lipscomb University | 79080 | 67.74 | 1,090 – 1,350 | 27695 | 50454 |
Lipscomb University
|
| 15 | South College | 78752 | 100 | -- | 17588 | 37570 |
#15
South College
|
| 16 | East Tennessee State University | 77109 | 86.19 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 16286 | 38704 |
East Tennessee State University
|
| 17 | The University of Tennessee-Martin | 75371 | 89.68 | 1,040 – 1,210 | 11955 | 38863 |
The University of Tennessee-Martin
|
| 18 | Union University | 73716 | 58.57 | 1,120 – 1,380 | 28452 | 45505 |
Union University
|
| 19 | Christian Brothers University | 72298 | 86.7 | 1,020 – 1,200 | 16754 | 48592 |
Christian Brothers University
|
| 20 | Nossi College of Art and Design | 71250 | 46.31 | -- | 24044 | 28099 |
Nossi College of Art and Design
|
| 21 | Lincoln Memorial University | 70510 | 62.59 | 980 – 1,190 | 21447 | 45242 |
Lincoln Memorial University
|
| 22 | Lee University | 68906 | 71.38 | 1,040 – 1,270 | 20416 | 38082 |
Lee University
|
| 23 | Herzing University-Nashville | 68250 | 92.73 | -- | 20456 | 59213 |
Herzing University-Nashville
|
| 24 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 66867 | 75.12 | 980 – 1,220 | 18035 | 46065 |
Trevecca Nazarene University
|
| 25 | Freed-Hardeman University | 65579 | 59.68 | 1,010 – 1,230 | 20178 | 40086 |
Freed-Hardeman University
|
| 26 | Milligan University | 62602 | 72.29 | 1,120 – 1,280 | 21165 | 43168 |
Milligan University
|
| 27 | Maryville College | 61657 | 68.85 | 1,040 – 1,240 | 21469 | 39305 |
Maryville College
|
| 28 | Southern Adventist University | 61128 | 71.63 | 1,010 – 1,280 | 25753 | 44818 |
Southern Adventist University
|
| 29 | Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus | 60301 | 0 | -- | 26463 | 58951 | |
| 30 | The University of Tennessee Southern | 60143 | 86.71 | 970 – 1,180 | 14546 | 36151 |
The University of Tennessee Southern
|
| 31 | Carson-Newman University | 57486 | 63.81 | 970 – 1,180 | 20895 | 39324 |
Carson-Newman University
|
| 32 | Cumberland University | 55395 | 67.33 | 970 – 1,140 | 18499 | 52246 |
Cumberland University
|
| 33 | Fisk University | 55043 | 37.42 | 1,060 – 1,290 | 18595 | 33604 |
Fisk University
|
| 34 | Johnson University | 54677 | 59.67 | 990 – 1,200 | 22615 | 35649 |
Johnson University
|
| 35 | Tennessee Wesleyan University | 52613 | 68.85 | 1,010 – 1,140 | 15125 | 45987 |
Tennessee Wesleyan University
|
| 36 | Bryan College-Dayton | 51759 | 100 | 980 – 1,190 | 18159 | 45559 |
Bryan College-Dayton
|
| 37 | Lane College | 48526 | 100 | 800 – 930 | 11803 | 24623 |
#37
Lane College
|
| 38 | King University | 47118 | 99.24 | 1,010 – 1,140 | 22748 | 52248 |
King University
|
| 39 | Le Moyne-Owen College | 46845 | 99.23 | 780 – 950 | 6542 | 25992 |
Le Moyne-Owen College
|
| 40 | Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers | 46158 | 100 | -- | 33625 | 28876 |
Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers
|
| 41 | Tusculum University | 45767 | 72.17 | 930 – 1,110 | 20355 | 39925 |
Tusculum University
|
| 42 | Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga | 43124 | 95.44 | -- | 23907 | 26349 | |
| 43 | SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville | 40442 | 61.18 | -- | 24574 | 51697 | |
| 44 | Welch College | 40191 | 100 | 930 – 1,210 | 21157 | 34190 |
Welch College
|
| 45 | Bethel University | 28327 | 60.23 | 850 – 1,090 | 13112 | 38990 |
Bethel University
|
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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