by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 322,592 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $70,916 and had an average of $25,426 in loans still to pay off.
Across Tennessee, there were 6,004 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $68,124 and $23,683 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,180 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,466 and $26,819 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular nursing programs in the United States.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The colleges and universities below are the best for tennessee bachelor’s degree nursing students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Tennessee State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. ETSU is a fairly large public school situated in Johnson City, Tennessee. It awarded 563 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Memphis. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. UofM is a public institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 304 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South College. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 254 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
Out of the 30 schools in the Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 242 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Belmont University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. Belmont University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 186 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Lincoln Memorial University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Harrogate, Tennessee, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 169 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Union University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Union is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jackson, Tennessee. It awarded 161 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Austin Peay State University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. Austin Peay State University is a public institution located in Clarksville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 156 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Tennessee Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Cookeville, Tennessee, this medium-sized public school handed out 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #10, The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this fairly large public school awarded 120 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
King University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking. King is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bristol, Tennessee. It awarded 118 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Tennessee Wesleyan University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Athens, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 97 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
Southern Adventist University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Collegedale, Tennessee, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Lee University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Cleveland, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 78 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Middle Tennessee State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking. Murfreesboro, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 76 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Nursing at Middle Tennessee State University
Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking. Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Nursing at Baptist College of Health Sciences
Freed-Hardeman University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. Freed-Hardeman University is located in Henderson, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. UTHSC is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
With a ranking of #19, Carson - Newman University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #20, The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. The University of Tennessee - Martin is located in Martin, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
Lipscomb University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking. Lipscomb is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Cumberland University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Lebanon, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
Tusculum University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. Greeneville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
Milligan University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Milligan College, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Martin Methodist College ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Nursing Major in Tennessee for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Pulaski, Tennessee, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
