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2024 Best Education Schools in Tennessee

25 Colleges in Tennessee
5,194 Education Degrees Awarded
$44,170 Avg Early-Career Salary
Education is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #4 most popular degree program in the country. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 25 schools in Tennessee to determine which ones were the best for education students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,194 degrees in education during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Education School

Best Education Schools in Tennessee The education program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Education rankings. For our Best Overall Education School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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.

Education Rankings by Degree Level

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Education Schools in Tennessee list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Education 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 education degree levels they offer.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Education

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
346 Education Degrees Awarded
$53,436 Median Starting Salary

Vanderbilt University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in education. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 346 education students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the education degree program at Vanderbilt University make $9,266 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in education from Vanderbilt University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Education Degrees Awarded
2.8% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Southern Adventist University if you wish to pursue a degree in education. 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 schools nationwide means Southern Adventist is a great university overall.

There were about 36 education students who graduated with this degree at Southern Adventist in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the education program earn around $41,420 for their early career.

More information about a degree in education from Southern Adventist University

3
Lipscomb crest
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
342 Education Degrees Awarded
$47,334 Median Starting Salary

Lipscomb University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in education. Located in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #577 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Lipscomb is a great university overall.

There were approximately 342 education students who graduated with this degree at Lipscomb in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the education program at Lipscomb University earn $3,164 more than the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in education from Lipscomb University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
220 Education Degrees Awarded
4.1% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga if you wish to pursue a degree in education. UT Chattanooga is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chattanooga. This university ranks 16th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 220 education students who graduated with this degree at UT Chattanooga in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, education degree recipients usually make around $39,908 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in education from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
216 Education Degrees Awarded
$51,571 Median Starting Salary

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

There were approximately 216 education students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year. Education degree recipients from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville receive an earnings boost of around $7,401 above the typical income of education majors.

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

6
Carson - Newman crest
Carson - Newman University
Jefferson City, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
254 Education Degrees Awarded
$45,572 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Jefferson City, Carson - Newman is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #795 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Carson - Newman is a great university overall.

There were approximately 254 education students who graduated with this degree at Carson - Newman in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, education degree recipients generally make around $45,572 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in education from Carson - Newman University

7
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
161 Education Degrees Awarded
3.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the 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 161 education students who graduated with this degree at Union in the most recent data year. Those education students who get their degree from Union University earn $5,679 more than the typical education graduate.

More information about a degree in education from Union University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
338 Education Degrees Awarded
$41,822 Median Starting Salary

Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 20th out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 338 education students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee Tech University in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, education degree recipients typically earn about $41,822 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in education from Tennessee Technological University

9
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
162 Education Degrees Awarded
$36,411 Median Starting Salary

Lee University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cleveland. A Best Colleges rank of #950 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Lee University is a great university overall.

There were about 162 education students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the education program earn about $36,411 for their early career.

More information about a degree in education from Lee University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Education Degrees Awarded
$33,206 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Henderson, FHU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 25th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 76 education students who graduated with this degree at FHU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the education program state that they receive average early career earnings of $33,206.

More information about a degree in education from Freed-Hardeman University


 

Best Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Education Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 6,573
West Virginia 38 1,439
Mississippi 38 3,988
South Carolina 38 3,529
Florida 38 9,462
Virginia 38 8,301
Arkansas 38 4,035
Alabama 37 4,473
Kentucky 37 5,091
Georgia 37 7,575
Louisiana 37 2,757

View All Rankings >

Education Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 1,526
Educational Administration 1,225
General Education 605
Curriculum & Instruction 546
Teacher Education Subject Specific 421
Special Education 354
Student Counseling 239
Teaching English or French 146
Instructional Media Design 65
Other Education 35

View All Education Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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