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2024 Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee

42 Colleges in Tennessee
6,004 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$68,124 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, nursing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 42 schools in Tennessee to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 6,004 degrees in nursing to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee The nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Nursing rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for nursing schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Nursing Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Master's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Nursing in Tennessee

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the nursing degree levels they offer.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Nursing

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
424 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$113,428 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Vanderbilt University if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 424 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at Vanderbilt University make $45,304 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Vanderbilt University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Nursing Degrees Awarded
26.6% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc if you want to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Madison, MTSA is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

There were approximately 94 nursing students who graduated with this degree at MTSA in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc make $106,226 more than the average nursing graduate.

More information about a degree in nursing from Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$82,743 Median Starting Salary

The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center is a good option for students interested in a degree in nursing. Located in the city of Memphis, UTHSC is a public university with a small student population.

There were about 130 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UTHSC in the most recent year we have data available. Those nursing students who get their degree from The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center make $14,619 more than the standard nursing graduate.

More information about a degree in nursing from The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
229 Nursing Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

Southern Adventist University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in nursing. Located in the large suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #273 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Southern Adventist is a great university overall.

There were roughly 229 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Southern Adventist in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $65,727 for their early career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Southern Adventist University

5
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
235 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$74,261 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Jackson, Union is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #579 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Union is a great university overall.

There were about 235 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Union in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the nursing degree program at Union University earn $6,138 more than the typical graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Union University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
320 Nursing Degrees Awarded
6.9% Growth in Graduates

UT Knoxville is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Knoxville. A Best Colleges rank of #173 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Knoxville is a great university overall.

There were about 320 nursing students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville get an earnings boost of about $6,894 above the average income of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
737 Nursing Degrees Awarded
14.8% Growth in Graduates

ETSU is a large public university located in the city of Johnson City. A Best Colleges rank of #851 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ETSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 737 nursing students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from East Tennessee State University earn a boost of approximately $7,233 above the typical earnings of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from East Tennessee State University

8
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
215 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$78,546 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #206 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Belmont is a great university overall.

There were about 215 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Belmont in the most recent data year. Nursing degree recipients from Belmont University receive an earnings boost of about $10,422 over the average income of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from Belmont University

9
King crest
King University
Bristol, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
192 Nursing Degrees Awarded
2.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Bristol, King is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 192 nursing students who graduated with this degree at King in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $65,337 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in nursing from King University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
426 Nursing Degrees Awarded
0.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Harrogate, LMU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 14th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 426 nursing students who graduated with this degree at LMU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $64,466 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from Lincoln Memorial University


 

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 7,016
Florida 282 21,034
North Carolina 279 7,329
Virginia 274 6,630
South Carolina 248 3,276
Kentucky 244 6,143
Louisiana 242 3,416
Mississippi 234 2,801
Arkansas 234 2,878
Alabama 233 7,210
West Virginia 207 1,768

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 4,957
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 304
Nursing Practice 183
Nurse Anesthetist 138
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 105
School Nursing 81
Critical Care Nursing 52
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 30
Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery 26
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing 25

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Allied Health Professions 2,881
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 1,693
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 1,471
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 1,038
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 993
Health & Medical Administrative Services 857
Dental Support Services 726
Medicine 680
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 566
Communication Sciences 425

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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