MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University was again included on the Forbes list of the 500 Top Colleges in the U.S., one of only four public institutions in the state to make the 2026 ranking.

Forbes, a global media company best known for its financial and business reporting, bases its annual America’s Top Colleges list on several factors, including average student debt, return on investment, enrollment and outcomes for low-income students.

“We are pleased to be included again on the Forbes list of the nation’s best,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “I am particularly proud that our efforts to support student success continue to garner national recognition, as it reflects well upon the hard work of our faculty and staff.”

Forbes said the 500 schools on the list are ranked based exclusively on outcomes for undergraduates. It singled out the national reputation for MTSU’s music programs in the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment and the College of Liberal Arts, as well as its affordable tuition. 

“Graduates from the Recording Industry program have gone on to work with musicians including Keith Urban, Kacey Musgraves and Bruce Springsteen,” Forbes said. “First-time freshmen are eligible for merit scholarships based on GPA and standardized testing scores.”

Ten Tennessee universities made the Forbes list, six private and four public. The privates are Vanderbilt; Rhodes College; Sewanee, the University of the South; Christian Brothers; Belmont; and Lipscomb. The four publics are MTSU, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville; Tennessee Tech; and the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

MTSU also recently made the 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. compiled by the Princeton Review, as well as national recognition from the Colleges of Distinction.

— Andrew Oppmann (Andrew.Oppmann@mtsu.edu)