These are Tennessee’s best colleges, according to new U.S. News rankings

EDUCATION

These are Tennessee’s best colleges, according to new U.S. News rankings

Jordan GreenNashville Tennessean
July 22, 2026, 4:07 a.m. CT

• A recent U.S. News & World Report study ranked the best colleges in Tennessee for 2026.
• Vanderbilt University was named the top school in the state and ranked 17th nationally.
• The University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Belmont University secured the second and third spots, respectively.

For a long time, Tennessee has proudly boasted a wide variety of higher educational opportunities within its borders, and a recent study has ranked the best schools in the state

U.S. News & World Report named fifteen schools among the state’s best in its latest Best Colleges ranking for 2026, which was released earlier this year. The 2026 edition evaluates more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success. 

The organization also gave a breakdown ranking of the best colleges in each state, and in Tennessee, Vanderbilt University ranked as the best school, as it often does

Here are the best colleges in Tennessee

What are the best colleges in Tennessee?

Vanderbilt University was the best school in Tennessee and among the best schools in the nation according to the 2026 ranking. The university also ranked No. 7 in the nation for best value schools and No. 6 for lowest acceptance rates

1. Vanderbilt University (Nashville, No. 17 nationally)
2. University of Tennessee at Knoxville (Knoxville, No. 102 nationally)
3. Belmont University (Nashville, No. 213 nationally)
4. Lipscomb University (Nashville, No. 222 nationally)
5. Union University (Jackson, No. 242 nationally)
6. Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro, No. 257 nationally)
7. Tennessee Tech University (Cookeville, No. 257 nationally)
8. University of Memphis (Memphis, No. 273 nationally)
9. East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, No. 301 nationally)
10. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (Chattanooga, No. 329 nationally)

Methodology

U.S. News ensures accuracy by combining data from schools and third-party. Department of Education’s IPEDS and the Common Data Set (CDS), improving faculty representation for undergraduates. Secondaryof Commerce, and Elsevier, which help verify and supplement the information collected

Schools are first grouped into 10 categories based on the 2021 Carnegie Basic Classification, which was the latest available update when U.S. News began work on the 2026 edition of the Best Colleges rankings

Student outcomes, which tracks a school’s success in preparing students for life after college, is the most significant metric used to score schools, as it makes up 52% of the score

Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com