2026 Best Nursing Practice Schools in Tennessee
Nursing Practice degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for nursing practice students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Nursing Practice in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall nursing practice education in Tennessee.
Top Schools in Nursing Practice
Vanderbilt University tops our 2026 ranking of the best nursing practice schools. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Nashville. About 94% of students finish within six years. About 55 nursing practice degrees were awarded at Vanderbilt University in the most recent year. Graduates of the nursing practice program make about $125,565 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $13,975.
Get the full nursing practice details for Vanderbilt University
Students looking for a strong nursing practice program will find one at The University Of Tennessee, which ranked #2. The University Of Tennessee is a very large public school located in the city of Knoxville. About 74% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 61 nursing practice students who graduated with this degree at The University Of Tennessee in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing practice degree from The University Of Tennessee earn around $97,755 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $23,292 to complete this degree.
Read more about the nursing practice program at The University Of Tennessee
The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in nursing practice, ranking #3. Located in the city of Memphis, The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center is a mid-sized public university. About 84 nursing practice degrees were awarded at The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center in the most recent year. Graduates of the nursing practice program make about $96,631 in their early career. The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center graduates carry a median of $29,537 in student loans.
See the full nursing practice program report for The University Of Tennessee Health Science Center
Belmont University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in nursing practice, landing the #4 spot this year. Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. About 70% of students finish within six years. Belmont University awarded about 12 nursing practice degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the nursing practice program make about $80,864 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,625.
Read more about the nursing practice program at Belmont University
East Tennessee State University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best nursing practice schools. Located in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public university. About 53% of students finish within six years. About 17 nursing practice degrees were awarded at East Tennessee State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the nursing practice program make about $89,640 in their early career. East Tennessee State University graduates carry a median of $25,091 in student loans.
Read more about the nursing practice program at East Tennessee State University
Tennessee Technological University landed the #6 spot for nursing practice this year. Tennessee Technological University is a large public school located in the town of Cookeville. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 10 nursing practice degrees were awarded at Tennessee Technological University in the most recent year. Graduates of the nursing practice program make about $77,364 in their early career. Tennessee Technological University graduates carry a median of $18,349 in student loans.
More information about a degree in nursing practice from Tennessee Technological University
The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga came in at #7 for nursing practice this year. This large public university is located in the city of Chattanooga. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga graduates 50% of students within six years. There were roughly 12 nursing practice students who graduated with this degree at The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga in the most recent data year. Graduates of the nursing practice program make about $108,081 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $23,558 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in nursing practice from The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga
More Nursing Practice Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 14 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
