Best Psychology Colleges in Tennessee (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 25 Psychology programs in Tennessee by median earnings of Psychology graduates four years after completing. Vanderbilt University leads the list, and across the 24 schools with a reported completion median, median earnings range from $58,715 at The University of the South to $23,649, with a median of $44,690.
For 2 of the 25 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 8 public and 17 private nonprofit institutions. Vanderbilt University ranks 62nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, and it also posts the highest six-year completion rate at 94%. Austin Peay State University reports the lowest average net price at $9,735.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Psychology Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University · Nashville, TN | $60,327 | $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: Psychology, General (100 graduates), Research and Experimental Psychology (29 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($71,584) | |||||
| 2 | The University of the South · Sewanee, TN | $58,715 | $27,872 | $10,485 | 56.9% |
| The University of the South reports $58,715 in median earnings for its Psychology graduates four years after completing, the top citable figure on the page. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (44 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($58,715) | |||||
| 3 | Fisk University · Nashville, TN | $57,147 | $32,020 | $27,647 | 37.4% |
| Fisk University shows median earnings of $57,147 four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $32,020. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (18 graduates) | |||||
| 4 | Christian Brothers University · Memphis, TN | $53,643 | $9,854 | $9,466 | 86.7% |
| With an average net price of $9,854, Christian Brothers University ranks 4th on this list and reports median earnings of $53,643 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (26 graduates), Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (8 graduates) | |||||
| 5 | Belmont University · Nashville, TN | $52,172 | $33,147 | $22,950 | 95.3% |
| Belmont University graduates 71% of its students within six years and reports median earnings of $52,172 for its Psychology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (39 graduates) | |||||
| 6 | Trevecca Nazarene University · Nashville, TN | $49,989 | $16,813 | $14,532 | 69.4% |
| Trevecca Nazarene University ranks 634th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $49,989 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (52 graduates) | |||||
| 7 | Lipscomb University · Nashville, TN | $47,933 | $24,739 | $20,048 | 67.7% |
| Lipscomb University admits 68% of applicants and reports median earnings of $47,933 for its Psychology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (40 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($47,933) | |||||
| 8 | Bryan College-Dayton · Dayton, TN | $47,549 | $20,614 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Bryan College-Dayton reports median earnings of $47,549 four years after completing and an average net price of $19,500 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (31 graduates) | |||||
| 9 | Milligan University · Milligan, TN | $46,990 | $21,365 | $15,118 | 72.3% |
| Milligan University ranks 9th on this list, with median earnings of $46,990 four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 63%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (27 graduates) | |||||
| 10 | Tennessee State University · Nashville, TN | $46,721 | $15,796 | $15,005 | 70.1% |
| Tennessee State University, a public university in Nashville, reports median earnings of $46,721 four years after completing and an average net price of $15,796. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (65 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($46,721) | |||||
| 11 | Lee University · Cleveland, TN | $46,719 | $18,878 | $12,834 | 70.5% |
| Lee University reports median earnings of $46,719 four years after completing and an average net price of $12,834 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (64 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($46,719) | |||||
| 12 | University of Memphis · Memphis, TN | $45,700 | $12,397 | $10,607 | 72.0% |
| University of Memphis ranks 224th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $45,700 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (195 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($45,700) | |||||
| 13 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN | $44,700 | $14,265 | $9,876 | 81.1% |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga reports median earnings of $44,700 for its Psychology graduates four years after completing, and its average net price is $14,265. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (188 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($44,700) | |||||
| 14 | Middle Tennessee State University · Murfreesboro, TN | $44,681 | $13,359 | $9,289 | 69.1% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 54%, Middle Tennessee State University ranks 14th on this list and shows median Psychology earnings of $44,681 four years after graduating. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (218 graduates), Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (18 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology ($55,031), Psychology, General ($43,826) | |||||
| 15 | Union University · Jackson, TN | $44,056 | $27,171 | $25,839 | 60.4% |
| Union University, a private nonprofit university in Jackson, admits 60% of applicants and posts median Psychology earnings of $44,056 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (11 graduates) | |||||
| 16 | Tennessee Technological University · Cookeville, TN | $44,043 | $14,246 | $9,815 | 76.1% |
| Tennessee Technological University ranks 260th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, and its Psychology graduates earn a median of $44,043 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (47 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($44,043) | |||||
| 17 | Cumberland University · Lebanon, TN | $42,713 | $18,759 | $17,882 | 67.3% |
| An average net price of $17,882 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median Psychology earnings of $42,713 four years after completing at Cumberland University. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (14 graduates) | |||||
| 18 | East Tennessee State University · Johnson City, TN | $42,358 | $15,983 | $12,433 | 86.2% |
| East Tennessee State University admits 86% of applicants and reports a six-year completion rate of 53%, alongside median Psychology earnings of $42,358 four years after graduating. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (159 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($42,358) | |||||
| 19 | Austin Peay State University · Clarksville, TN | $41,303 | $9,735 | $7,588 | 96.4% |
| Austin Peay State University carries the lowest average net price on this list at $9,735, and its Psychology graduates earn a median of $41,303 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (89 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($41,303) | |||||
| 20 | King University · Bristol, TN | $40,796 | $22,347 | $22,696 | 99.7% |
| King University admits 100% of applicants and posts median Psychology earnings of $40,796 four years after completing, with an average net price of $22,347. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (29 graduates) | |||||
| 21 | Carson-Newman University · Jefferson City, TN | $39,866 | $20,251 | $16,672 | 90.5% |
| Carson-Newman University ranks 1141st on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, and its Psychology graduates earn a median of $39,866 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (26 graduates), Psychology, Other (5 graduates) | |||||
| 22 | Tusculum University · Greeneville, TN | $37,934 | $21,131 | $20,766 | 72.2% |
| A six-year completion rate of 25% and median Psychology earnings of $37,934 four years after graduating are reported by Tusculum University. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (14 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($37,934) | |||||
| 23 | The University of Tennessee-Martin · Martin, TN | $36,507 | $10,701 | $7,151 | 88.2% |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin reports an average net price of $7,151 for families earning under $30,000, and its Psychology graduates earn a median of $36,507 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (22 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Psychology, General ($36,507) | |||||
| 24 | Freed-Hardeman University · Henderson, TN | $25,967 | $21,574 | $20,988 | 59.7% |
| Freed-Hardeman University reports median Psychology earnings of $25,967 two years after completing, and its six-year completion rate is 71%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (14 graduates) | |||||
| 25 | Rhodes College · Memphis, TN | $23,649 | $28,585 | $15,770 | 50.4% |
| Rhodes College, a private nonprofit college in Memphis, reports median earnings of $23,649 for its Psychology graduates two years after completing, and an average net price of $15,770 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Psychology, General (33 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Psychology graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled after completing the program. For 2 of the 25 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 figures cited on this page cover the 24 schools with a reported completion median. The spread from Vanderbilt University to the bottom of the list is $35,066.