Fifteen Tennessee schools made this year’s U.S. News & World Report list of the best national universities. Vanderbilt University kept its spot in the top 20, while four others made the top 250.
According to U.S. News, a digital media company known for its rankings, it considers schools to be national universities if they offer a full range of undergraduate majors, alongside master’s programs, doctoral programs and professional practice doctorates. It also defines them as universities with an emphasis on faculty research.
“Over the years, Best Colleges has evolved into a comprehensive tool that reflects the changing landscape of higher education, providing prospective students with a crucial starting point to identify schools that align with their academic and personal goals,” U.S. News Managing Editor for Education LaMont Jones said in a Sept. 23 news release.
U.S. News considered more than 1,700 schools to determine this year’s lists. It also ranked the best liberal arts colleges in the nation and provided several other specialized rankings. Here’s a look at how Tennessee schools fared.
From 2024: See which Tennessee colleges, universities made the U.S. News rankings
Best national universities in Tennessee
A total of 434 schools were included in this year’s U.S. News list of the best national universities. Here are the fifteen in Tennessee that made the cut:
No. 17: Vanderbilt University (private, Nashville)
No. 102: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (public, Knoxville)
No. 213: Belmont University (private, Nashville)
No. 222: Lipscomb University (private, Nashville)
No. 242: Union University (private, Jackson)
No. 257 (tied): Middle Tennessee State University (public, Murfreesboro)
No. 257 (tied): Tennessee Tech University (public, Cookeville)
No. 273: University of Memphis (public, Memphis)
No. 301: East Tennessee State University (public, Johnson City)
No. 329: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (public, Chattanooga)
No. 343: Lincoln Memorial University (private, Harrogate)
No. 358: Carson-Newman University (private, Jefferson City)
No. 363: Trevecca Nazarene University (private, Nashville)
No. 395-434: South College (private/proprietary, Knoxville and Nashville)*
No. 395-434: Tennessee State University (public, Nashville)*
*A total of 40 colleges and universities nationwide were ranked as No. 394-434 instead of receiving individual rankings.
Students walk past the Faye and Joe Wyatt Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Nov. 27, 2023.
Best liberal arts colleges, universities in Tennessee
A total of 201 schools were included in this year’s U.S. News list of the best liberal arts colleges. U.S. News defines liberal arts colleges as schools that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts. Here are the five in Tennessee that made the cut:
No. 45: Sewanee: The University of the South (private, Sewanee)
No. 55: Rhodes College (private, Memphis)
No. 156: Fisk University (private, Nashville)
No. 170: Maryville College (private, Maryville)
No. 183-201: Lane College (private, Jackson)*
*A total of 19 colleges and universities nationwide were ranked as No. 183-201 instead of receiving individual rankings.
The University of the South, commonly known as Sewanee, is located in Sewanee, Tenn.
From 2023: As colleges quit US News rankings, how do you pick a school?
A note on methodology
Changes in recent years to the methodology behind U.S. News college and university rankings have driven questions over their accuracy and relevance. Some schools have opted out of the rankings.
A 2025 survey of college admissions officers by Kaplan, a global education services company, revealed 70% said college rankings have lost some of their prestige in recent years. Vanderbilt also commissioned in 2024 an in-depth review of five college ranking systems, including U.S. News. It concluded college rankings are undoubtedly popular but flawed by methodological issues.
University of Massachusetts professor, historian and policy analyst Jack Schneider said that, generally speaking, ranking lists serve as a starting point but don’t reflect everything a school has to offer.
“Approach lists with a lot of skepticism,” Schneider said
He encourages people to examine the methodology of each ranking and do their own research, especially when it comes to what they want and need out of a school experience.
Learn more
See the full U.S. News college and university rankings, including lists for best regional schools, best value schools, most innovative colleges and more, at USnews.com/best-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 RAwegner@tennessean.com. You can also find her on X or Bluesky under the handle RachelAnnWegner.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: U.S. News best colleges 2026: Vanderbilt, other TN schools make cut