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2024 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee

17 Colleges in Tennessee
1,235 Associate Degrees
$52,546 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a associate degree in nursing, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #2 most popular program in the country. 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 17 schools in Tennessee to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a associate degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,235 associate degrees in nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Associate Degree

Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee Your choice of nursing for getting your associate degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their associate degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their associate degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank Nursing Schools

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More Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list to help you make the college decision.


 

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Nursing in Tennessee

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for nursing students seeking a an associate degree.

10 Top Tennessee Schools for an Associate in Nursing

1
86 Annual Graduates
$51,554 Median Starting Salary
$25,000 Median Student Debt

Southern Adventist University is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in an associate degree in nursing. Located in the large suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

After graduation, nursing associate recipients usually earn about $51,554 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a associate in nursing from Southern Adventist University

2
171 Annual Graduates
$49,221 Median Starting Salary
$21,000 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat Lincoln Memorial University if you want to pursue an associate degree in nursing. Located in the town of Harrogate, LMU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

After graduating, nursing associate recipients typically earn about $49,221 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in nursing from Lincoln Memorial University

3
102 Annual Graduates
$61,588 Median Starting Salary
$16,593 Median Student Debt

Southwest Tennessee Community College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in nursing. Located in the large city of Memphis, Southwest is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at Southwest Tennessee Community College make $9,042 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in nursing from Southwest Tennessee Community College

4
62 Annual Graduates
$54,713 Median Starting Salary
$8,450 Median Student Debt

Jackson State Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for getting an associate degree in nursing. JSCC is a small public college located in the city of Jackson.

Associate recipients from the nursing program at Jackson State Community College get $2,167 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in nursing from Jackson State Community College

5
101 Annual Graduates
$51,224 Median Starting Salary
$16,253 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Soon after graduating, nursing associate recipients usually make an average of $51,224 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in nursing from Chattanooga State Community College

6
112 Annual Graduates
$57,682 Median Starting Salary
$13,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Dyersburg, DSCC is a public college with a small student population.

Associate recipients from the nursing degree program at Dyersburg State Community College get $5,136 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in nursing from Dyersburg State Community College

7
87 Annual Graduates
$52,604 Median Starting Salary
$18,841 Median Student Debt

Located in the distant town of Columbia, Columbia State Community College is a public college with a small student population.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $52,604 in their early career salary.

More information about a associate in nursing from Columbia State Community College

8
66 Annual Graduates
$47,635 Median Starting Salary
$11,518 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Harriman, Roane State Community College is a public college with a small student population.

After graduation, nursing associate recipients generally make an average of $47,635 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in nursing from Roane State Community College

9

Located in the large suburb of Gallatin, VSCC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in nursing from Volunteer State Community College

10
40 Annual Graduates
$53,764 Median Starting Salary
$25,500 Median Student Debt

Nashville State Community College is a moderately-sized public college located in the city of Nashville.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the nursing program earn an average of $53,764 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a associate in nursing from Nashville State Community College

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
Mississippi 143 1,269
Georgia 121 1,473
Florida 121 9,083
North Carolina 120 2,538
Arkansas 105 1,212
Virginia 97 2,569
West Virginia 92 813
Kentucky 90 1,848
Louisiana 80 966
South Carolina 77 1,223
Alabama 69 2,116

View All Rankings >

Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 1,235

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 757
Allied Health Professions 577
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 476
Dental Support Services 183
Health & Medical Administrative Services 104
Other Health Professions 73
Ophthalmic & Optometric Support Services 28
Public Health 16
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 14
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions 12

Notes and References

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