Cheap Colleges in Tennessee for Out-of-State Students
Out-of-state students pay between $10,924 and $33,256 a year in tuition and fees at the 23 public colleges and universities we rank in Tennessee, a gap of $22,332 between the cheapest and the most expensive. This list ranks the non-resident price, not the in-state price.
The median public college charges nonresidents $17,742, $4,957 (39%) above the national median of $12,786 for public colleges. Residents pay a median of $4,998, so the typical out-of-state premium is $12,744, with nonresidents charged 3.5 times the in-state price.
The University of Tennessee Southern ranks first at $10,924, ahead of East Tennessee State University ($14,522) and Austin Peay State University ($14,766).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- All public colleges and universities, 4-year and 2-year (community colleges and state colleges included)
- Ranked by out-of-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Tennessee
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported out-of-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; Tennessee has 23
- Data period
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 23 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | The University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, TN Public · 4-year | $10,924 | $10,924 | $12,798 | 36% | 864 |
| 2 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN Public · 4-year | $14,522 | $10,472 | $15,983 | 52% | 10,004 |
| 3 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN Public · 4-year | $14,766 | $9,006 | $9,735 | 42% | 7,560 |
| 4 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 4-year | $15,384 | $10,728 | $12,397 | 50% | 12,701 |
| 5 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN Public · 4-year | $15,576 | $11,376 | $14,246 | 56% | 8,698 |
| 6 | The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, TN Public · 4-year | $16,600 | $10,560 | $10,701 | 54% | 4,866 |
| 7 | Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN Public · 2-year | $17,714 | $4,730 | $6,777 | 18% | 5,653 |
| 8 | Motlow State Community College Tullahoma, TN Public · 2-year | $17,722 | $4,738 | $15,742 | 31% | 3,962 |
| 9 | Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN Public · 2-year | $17,724 | $4,740 | $6,236 | 23% | 2,511 |
| 10 | Walters State Community College Morristown, TN Public · 2-year | $17,736 | $4,752 | $5,387 | 35% | 3,591 |
| 11 | Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN Public · 2-year | $17,740 | $4,756 | $7,802 | 26% | 5,339 |
| 12 | Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg, TN Public · 2-year | $17,742 | $4,758 | $4,612 | 31% | 2,103 |
| 13 | Cleveland State Community College Cleveland, TN Public · 2-year | $17,746 | $4,762 | $6,384 | 33% | 1,975 |
| 14 | Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN Public · 2-year | $17,750 | $4,778 | $4,754 | 19% | 5,047 |
| 15 | Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN Public · 2-year | $17,756 | $4,772 | $5,283 | 24% | 5,284 |
| 16 | Northeast State Community College Blountville, TN Public · 2-year | $17,766 | $4,782 | $6,864 | 33% | 4,404 |
| 17 | Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville, TN Public · 2-year | $17,770 | $4,786 | $4,983 | 30% | 6,715 |
| 18 | Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN Public · 2-year | $18,112 | $5,296 | $4,734 | 30% | 3,897 |
| 19 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Public · 4-year | $18,512 | $10,448 | $14,265 | 52% | 10,074 |
| 20 | Roane State Community College Harriman, TN Public · 2-year | $18,630 | $4,998 | $4,270 | 34% | 3,250 |
| 21 | Tennessee State University Nashville, TN Public · 4-year | $22,416 | $8,616 | $15,796 | 33% | 4,848 |
| 22 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public · 4-year | $31,574 | $10,266 | $13,359 | 54% | 16,301 |
| 23 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 4-year | $33,256 | $13,812 | $18,976 | 74% | 30,418 |
How to compare these colleges
The ranked column is the out-of-state price. The in-state price is shown for comparison, and net price is the average for students who receive aid, measured mostly for in-state students at public colleges, so it is not a good guide to what a nonresident will pay. Many states cut the non-resident rate through regional exchange programs, reciprocity agreements or merit awards, and residency can change after a year of living in the state, so check each college's non-resident aid page before ruling a school out.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Tennessee
Cheapest colleges in Tennessee
36 schools
Community colleges in Tennessee
13 schools
Best value colleges in Tennessee
29 schools
Highest graduate earnings in Tennessee
37 schools
Most affordable private colleges in Tennessee
26 schools
Same list in nearby states
Cheap colleges in North Carolina for out-of-state students
43 schools
Cheap colleges in Georgia for out-of-state students
27 schools
Cheap colleges in Missouri for out-of-state students
27 schools
All 58 colleges in Tennessee See the national version of this ranking