News
Tennessee Tech again ranked top public school in state by MONEY
MONEY has again ranked Tennessee Tech as the top public college in Tennessee in its
“Best Colleges in America” listing. Tech was ranked third in the state overall among
both public and private universities.
“Tech provides an excellent return on investment for our students,” said Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham. “The combination of high-quality education and affordable cost produces a great value for our students and their families.”
Ten schools, both public and private, from Tennessee made the rankings. Only Vanderbilt University and Rhodes College were ranked higher in the state. Tech is ranked #27 among public colleges in the Southeast, and #42 among both public and private schools in the Southeast. Only three public universities in the state were ranked.
Among ranked Tennessee schools, data in the rankings shows that Tech has the lowest estimated full price, the second lowest estimated price with average grants, and the second lowest average student debt.
In recent years, Tech has worked to make college costs more affordable, transparent and easier to understand for students and their families, being among the first in the state to adopt a flat-rate tuition and to simplify student fees. In 2020, the university also launched its Tech Promise scholarship, a last-dollar need-based scholarship, and in 2021 launched its merit-based Presidential Scholars program, which provides guaranteed scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 each year, depending on a student’s GPA and ACT score.
“We know that a degree from Tennessee Tech is one of the best ways to achieve upward mobility,” Oldham said. “We are doing everything we can to make a Tennessee Tech degree accessible and affordable to students.”
Nearly 700 colleges across the country that met MONEY’s criteria were ranked based on education quality, affordability and how students did after graduation. Tech’s overall ranking is #320.
Other notable schools in Tennessee include the University of Tennessee – Knoxville (#349), the University of Memphis (#492) and Belmont University (#556).
MONEY drew on the research and advice of dozens of the nation’s top experts on education quality, financing and value to develop this new analysis of nearly 700 colleges and universities. Schools were ranked based on 24 factors in three categories: quality of education, affordability and outcomes. A detailed methodology for the rankings is at https://money.com/best-colleges/methodology/.
Tennessee Tech offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees across nine schools and colleges: Agriculture and Human Ecology, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Graduate Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Nursing. It is no stranger to top rankings, receiving high marks from U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly, and Payscale.com.
