The two-year student loan default rate measures how many graduates from the institution go into default on their student loans with two years of graduation. This is a complicated metric with many factors, but in general colleges and universities with high student loan default rates may indicate that students have trouble finding employment or well-paying jobs after college. This may mean that the institution has a less-established reputation with employers or that it graduates a higher percentage of students with degrees in lower-wage fields of study.
| Rank | Institution | Student Loan Default Rate (2 Year) | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | 0 | 90 | -- | 0 | 68668 | |
| 2 | Vanderbilt University | 1.3 | 5.86 | 1,500 – 1,560 | 26689 | 73909 |
#2
Vanderbilt University
|
| 3 | Belmont University | 1.4 | 95.28 | 1,180 – 1,370 | 37558 | 42770 |
#3
Belmont University
|
| 4 | Milligan University | 1.6 | 70.27 | 1,080 – 1,340 | 21463 | 43168 |
#4
Milligan University
|
| 5 | Rhodes College | 2.3 | 49.68 | 1,290 – 1,430 | 30590 | 48898 |
#5
Rhodes College
|
| 6 | Visible Music College | 2.4 | 28.68 | -- | 25726 | 32345 | |
| 7 | The University of the South | 3 | 56.9 | 1,230 – 1,400 | 33616 | 53456 |
#7
The University of the South
|
| 8 | Southern Adventist University | 3.2 | 66.61 | 980 – 1,280 | 25374 | 44818 |
#8
Southern Adventist University
|
| 9 | Bryan College-Dayton | 3.4 | 97.17 | 980 – 1,190 | 17105 | 45559 |
#9
Bryan College-Dayton
|
| 10 | Lipscomb University | 3.4 | 67.74 | 1,090 – 1,350 | 27386 | 50454 |
#10
Lipscomb University
|
| 11 | Baptist Health Sciences University | 3.5 | 67.76 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 15395 | 59224 | |
| 12 | Trevecca Nazarene University | 3.5 | 69.44 | 980 – 1,190 | 16222 | 46065 |
#12
Trevecca Nazarene University
|
| 13 | Union University | 3.6 | 60.16 | 1,120 – 1,380 | 27191 | 45505 |
#13
Union University
|
| 14 | Pentecostal Theological Seminary | 3.7 | 0 | -- | 0 | 63721 | |
| 15 | Lincoln Memorial University | 3.9 | 62.6 | 980 – 1,190 | 19401 | 45242 |
#15
Lincoln Memorial University
|
| 16 | Maryville College | 3.9 | 60.92 | 1,040 – 1,300 | 20990 | 39305 |
#16
Maryville College
|
| 17 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 4 | 41.6 | 1,210 – 1,390 | 20885 | 47782 |
#17
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
|
| 18 | King University | 4.4 | 99.72 | 930 – 1,140 | 23282 | 52248 |
#18
King University
|
| 19 | Johnson University | 4.5 | 53.77 | 1,010 – 1,180 | 20713 | 35649 |
#19
Johnson University
|
| 20 | Christian Brothers University | 5.2 | 86.7 | 1,020 – 1,200 | 17068 | 48592 |
#20
Christian Brothers University
|
| 21 | Freed-Hardeman University | 5.9 | 90.61 | 1,080 – 1,280 | 18267 | 40086 |
Freed-Hardeman University
|
| 22 | Cumberland University | 6.2 | 67 | 1,040 – 1,210 | 17669 | 52246 |
Cumberland University
|
| 23 | Carson-Newman University | 6.3 | 90.45 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 19755 | 39324 | |
| 24 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | 6.4 | 77.02 | 1,040 – 1,210 | 13801 | 42209 |
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
|
| 25 | Fisk University | 6.8 | 57.91 | 990 – 1,260 | 19836 | 33604 |
Fisk University
|
| 26 | Tennessee Technological University | 6.8 | 83.16 | 1,040 – 1,280 | 15138 | 43759 |
Tennessee Technological University
|
| 27 | Bethel University | 6.9 | 97.17 | 1,040 – 1,310 | 20606 | 38990 |
Bethel University
|
| 28 | SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville | 7 | 61.18 | -- | 20409 | 51697 | |
| 29 | Nossi College of Art and Design | 7.4 | 43.27 | -- | 23745 | 28099 |
#29
Nossi College of Art and Design
|
| 30 | Lee University | 7.5 | 70.52 | 1,040 – 1,270 | 20222 | 38082 |
#30
Lee University
|
| 31 | Tennessee Wesleyan University | 7.5 | 59.41 | 970 – 1,180 | 16414 | 45987 |
#31
Tennessee Wesleyan University
|
| 32 | Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus | 7.6 | 0 | -- | 25441 | 58951 | |
| 33 | Tusculum University | 8 | 60.42 | 930 – 1,140 | 22961 | 39925 |
#33
Tusculum University
|
| 34 | Middle Tennessee State University | 8.5 | 68 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 12700 | 39941 |
#34
Middle Tennessee State University
|
| 35 | Tennessee State University | 8.5 | 70.18 | 890 – 1,070 | 9231 | 34160 |
#35
Tennessee State University
|
| 36 | Lane College | 8.8 | 54.39 | 800 – 930 | 13384 | 24623 | |
| 37 | Austin Peay State University | 9.5 | 96.38 | -- | 14679 | 38779 |
#37
Austin Peay State University
|
| 38 | East Tennessee State University | 9.9 | 87.06 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 16033 | 38704 |
#38
East Tennessee State University
|
| 39 | The University of Tennessee-Martin | 10.1 | 88.2 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 11151 | 38863 |
#39
The University of Tennessee-Martin
|
| 40 | University of Memphis | 10.2 | 72.03 | 970 – 1,180 | 13656 | 40921 |
#40
University of Memphis
|
| 41 | South College | 10.6 | 54.39 | -- | 16584 | 37570 |
#41
South College
|
| 42 | Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga | 11.7 | 95.44 | -- | 25215 | 26349 | |
| 43 | Welch College | 13.8 | 57.91 | 930 – 1,210 | 19214 | 34190 |
Welch College
|
| 44 | Le Moyne-Owen College | 15.9 | 97.17 | 800 – 930 | 8362 | 25992 |
Le Moyne-Owen College
|
| 45 | The University of Tennessee Southern | 18 | 82.71 | 1,030 – 1,160 | 15642 | 36151 |
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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