See the top 20 Tennessee colleges, according to Niche

A total of 20 Tennessee colleges and universities made the new Niche ranking of the "Best Colleges in America."

Niche, a ranking and review organization, released its 2027 "Best Colleges" on Aug. 31. The rankings consider data from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, along with more than a million student and alumni reviews of the school, plus data on enrollment, alumni earnings, tuition and financial aid, according to a news release that accompanied the new list.

However, experts have criticized rankings that rely on surveys in recent years, saying they are subjective and tend to favor schools in wealthier, less diverse neighborhoods. That can be due to a wide range of factors, from some schools having more resources

and connections to solicit reviews to students and alumni having reliable internet connections to submit them.

With that in mind, here's a look at how Tennessee colleges and universities fared on the 2027 Niche rankings.

From last year: See Tennessee's top 20 colleges for 2026, according to Niche

Top 20 Tennessee colleges, according to Niche

Niche included 711 colleges and universities nationwide for this year's "Best Colleges" list. Six in Tennessee broke the top 250 on the national list.

• No. 1: Vanderbilt University (private, Nashville, No. 7 nationally)
• No. 2: University of Tennessee-Knoxville (public, Knoxville, No. 131 nationally)
• No. 3: Rhodes College (private, Memphis, No. 179 nationally)
• No. 4: Sewanee-The University of the South (private, Sewanee, No. 186 nationally)
• No. 5: University of Memphis (public, Memphis, No. 201 nationally)
• No. 6: Lipscomb University (private, Nashville, No. 226 nationally)
• No. 7: Tennessee Technological University (public, Cookeville, No. 257 nationally)
• No. 8: Union University (private, Jackson, No. 295 nationally)
• No. 9: Lincoln Memorial University (private, Harrogate, No. 353 nationally)
• No. 10: University of Tennessee at Martin (public, Martin, No. 376 nationally)

• No. 11: East Tennessee State University (public, Johnson City, No. 387 nationally)
• No. 12: Middle Tennessee State University (public, Murfreesboro, No. 529 nationally)
• No. 13: Johnson University (private, Knoxville, No. 533 nationally)
• No. 14: Lee University (private, Cleveland, No. 597 nationally)
• No. 15: South College (private, Knoxville, No. 614 nationally)
• No. 16: Austin Peay State University (public, Clarksville, No. 636 nationally)
• No. 17: Freed-Hardeman University (private, Henderson, No. 663 nationally)
• No. 18: Southern Adventist University (private, Collegedale, No. 672 nationally)
• No. 19: Maryville College (private, Maryville, No. 673 nationally)
• No. 20: Christian Brothers University (private, Memphis, No. 699 nationally)

Learn more

See Niche's full list of the "2027 Best Colleges in America" and find more information, including breakdowns by state, major, student life, athletics and value, at niche.com/colleges.

Rachel Wegner covers education and children's issues for The Tennessean. Got a story you think she should hear? Reach her via email at [e-mail]. You can also find her on X or Bluesky under the handle RachelAnnWegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: See the top 20 Tennessee colleges, according to Niche