In its annual evaluation of higher education institutions across the United States, WalletHub has released its 2026 rankings, revealing how Tennessee colleges and universities measure up. The comprehensive analysis considers various factors such as student selectivity, cost and financing, faculty resources, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes, and career success.

Leading the charge for Tennessee is Vanderbilt University, which secured the 21st spot nationally. The Nashville-located institution excelled in areas such as student selectivity, faculty resources, campus experience, education outcomes, and career outcomes, placing it among the top 50 in these categories. However, Vanderbilt faced challenges in affordability and campus safety, ranking 741st for cost and financing and 749th for campus safety.

As for the state’s top 10 colleges and universities, Vanderbilt University took the lead, followed by other notable institutions, though specific names beyond Vanderbilt were not highlighted in the report.

On the other end of the spectrum, WalletHub identified Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and another institution among the lower-ranked colleges in the state. MTSU, while being the ninth-highest ranked in Tennessee, fell to 783rd nationally due to a lower percentage of international students.

Meanwhile, Johnson University received the lowest ranking for return on educational investment, indicating areas where improvement might be needed to enhance its value proposition for students.

Johnson University was ranked the lowest for return on educational investment, per WalletHub.

You can explore an interactive map of all the institutions evaluated by WalletHub below:

To view the full ranking, click here.