Best Art & Design Colleges in Tennessee (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 19 Art & Design programs in Tennessee by the median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing. Vanderbilt University leads the list, and across the 16 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $50,586 at Belmont University to $16,786, with a median of $41,482.
For 4 of the 19 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 9 public and 10 private nonprofit schools. Vanderbilt University ranks 62nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and it also posts the highest six-year completion rate on the page at 94%. Austin Peay State University reports the lowest average net price, at $9,735.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Art & Design Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University · Nashville, TN | No published median | $15,846 | $3,414 | 5.9% |
| Vanderbilt University admits 6% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 94%, the highest on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (44 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (23 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (11 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | Belmont University · Nashville, TN | $50,586 | $33,147 | $22,950 | 95.3% |
| Belmont University reports $50,586 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing, the top figure among the 16 schools with a citable earnings cohort. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management (411 graduates), Music (94 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (47 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($58,314), Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management ($53,893), Music ($36,866) | |||||
| 3 | Trevecca Nazarene University · Nashville, TN | $49,184 | $16,813 | $14,532 | 69.4% |
| Trevecca Nazarene University, a private nonprofit university in Nashville, shows an average net price of $16,813 alongside median earnings of $49,184 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management (15 graduates), Music (14 graduates) | |||||
| 4 | Tennessee State University · Nashville, TN | $46,337 | $15,796 | $15,005 | 70.1% |
| Tennessee State University reports median earnings of $46,337 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing and ranks 502nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (7 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (5 graduates) | |||||
| 5 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $45,397 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
| Graduates of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville earn a median of $45,397 four years after completing, and the school admits 42% of applicants. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (40 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (34 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (16 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($69,047), Music ($46,701), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($41,414) | |||||
| 6 | University of Memphis · Memphis, TN | $44,973 | $12,397 | $10,607 | 72.0% |
| University of Memphis posts an average net price of $12,397 and a six-year completion rate of 51%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (54 graduates), Music (46 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (28 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($48,064), Music ($45,321), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($38,440) | |||||
| 7 | Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN | $43,447 | $13,359 | $9,289 | 69.1% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 54%, Middle Tennessee State University reports median earnings of $43,447 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (136 graduates), Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management (106 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (66 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management ($46,349), Fine and Studio Arts ($44,760), Music ($43,999) | |||||
| 8 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN | $42,480 | $14,265 | $9,876 | 81.1% |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga admits 81% of applicants and its Art & Design graduates earn a median of $42,480 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (53 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (15 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (10 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($37,293) | |||||
| 9 | Tennessee Technological University · Cookeville, TN | $41,664 | $14,246 | $9,815 | 76.1% |
| Tennessee Technological University ranks 260th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $14,246. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (21 graduates), Music (18 graduates) | |||||
| 10 | The University of Tennessee-Martin · Martin, TN | $41,300 | $10,701 | $7,151 | 88.2% |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin reports an average net price of $10,701 and a six-year completion rate of 53%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Visual and Performing Arts, General (15 graduates), Music (14 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Visual and Performing Arts, General ($37,930) | |||||
| 11 | Austin Peay State University · Clarksville, TN | $36,551 | $9,735 | $7,588 | 96.4% |
| Austin Peay State University holds the lowest average net price on the page at $9,735 and reports median earnings of $36,551 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (48 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (15 graduates), Music (15 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($33,880) | |||||
| 12 | East Tennessee State University · Johnson City, TN | $35,967 | $15,983 | $12,433 | 86.2% |
| East Tennessee State University reports median earnings of $35,967 for its Art & Design graduates four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 53%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (30 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (26 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (22 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Music ($35,707), Fine and Studio Arts ($34,516) | |||||
| 13 | Lee University · Cleveland, TN | No published median | $18,878 | $12,834 | 70.5% |
| Lee University, a private nonprofit university in Cleveland, reports a six-year completion rate of 63% and an average net price of $18,878. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (25 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (20 graduates), Film/Video and Photographic Arts (16 graduates) | |||||
| 14 | Rhodes College · Memphis, TN | $33,993 | $28,585 | $15,770 | 50.4% |
| Rhodes College in Memphis reports median earnings of $33,993 for its Art & Design graduates two years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 50%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (11 graduates), Music (7 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (5 graduates) | |||||
| 15 | Visible Music College · Memphis, TN | $33,690 | $27,820 | $27,744 | 28.0% |
| Graduates of Visible Music College earn a median of $33,690 four years after completing, and the school admits 28% of applicants. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (18 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (9 graduates) | |||||
| 16 | Union University · Jackson, TN | $24,421 | $27,171 | $25,839 | 60.4% |
| Union University posts median earnings of $24,421 two years after completing and an average net price of $27,171. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (13 graduates), Music (7 graduates) | |||||
| 17 | Freed-Hardeman University · Henderson, TN | $21,234 | $21,574 | $20,988 | 59.7% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 71%, Freed-Hardeman University reports median earnings of $21,234 for its Art & Design graduates two years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Film/Video and Photographic Arts (13 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (7 graduates) | |||||
| 18 | Lipscomb University · Nashville, TN | No published median | $24,739 | $20,048 | 67.7% |
| Lipscomb University in Nashville admits 68% of applicants and reports an average net price of $20,048 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Film/Video and Photographic Arts (18 graduates), Visual and Performing Arts, General (17 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (13 graduates) | |||||
| 19 | Tusculum University · Greeneville, TN | $16,786 | $21,131 | $20,766 | 72.2% |
| Tusculum University reports median earnings of $16,786 two years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 25%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Visual and Performing Arts, General (6 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Art & Design graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Art & Design earnings cohort in Tennessee appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 4 of the 19 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 16 schools with a published figure. The spread from top to bottom is $33,800, with Vanderbilt University at the top and the lowest listed median at $16,786.