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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing in Tennessee

28 Ranked Colleges
3,097 Degrees Awarded
$16,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in Tennessee

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 259,493 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, registered nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States.

Across Tennessee, there were 4,931 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,097 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer a degree in registered nursing. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent registered nursing programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the registered nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Registered Nursing Schools

The registered nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee

The colleges and universities below are the best for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing in Tennessee

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 136 degrees to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

Baptist College of Health Sciences did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences is $9,945 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences

#2

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tennessee Technological University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee. This fairly large school is located in Cookeville, Tennessee, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Tennessee Tech University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee Tech University is $15,929 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Tennessee Technological University

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a public institution located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 123 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Chattanooga also made our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $12,952 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga.

Full The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Registered Nursing Report

#4

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 85 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middle Tennessee State University, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $12,464 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Middle Tennessee State University

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee. UTHSC is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

UTHSC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Registered Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center

#6

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee
#15 in overall quality

East Tennessee State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. ETSU is a fairly large school located in Johnson City, Tennessee that handed out 464 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

ETSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for East Tennessee State University is $14,332 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full East Tennessee State University Registered Nursing Report

#7

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality

University of Memphis landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. This large school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 269 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

UofM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Memphis is $13,248 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full UofM Registered Nursing Report

#2 in overall quality

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. UT Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 252 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students list, UT Knoxville has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Knoxville is $18,825 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Registered Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. This medium-sized school is located in Martin, Tennessee, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Martin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Martin is $10,955 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Martin

#10

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee
#23 in overall quality

Austin Peay State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #10. Austin Peay State University is a public institution located in Clarksville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 148 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Austin Peay State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Austin Peay State University is $13,692 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Austin Peay State University

#11

Bethel University

McKenzie, Tennessee
#24 in overall quality

Bethel University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. Bethel University is a small school located in McKenzie, Tennessee that handed out 23 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Bethel also made our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Bethel is $15,701 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Bethel University

#12

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee
#3 in overall quality

Union University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. Union University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jackson, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 166 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Union did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Union is $28,249 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Union University

#13

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee
#19 in overall quality

Lee University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. Lee University is a medium-sized school located in Cleveland, Tennessee that handed out 56 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students list, Lee University has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lee University is $17,696 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Lee University

#14

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, Tennessee
#10 in overall quality

Freed-Hardeman University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. Located in Henderson, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

FHU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FHU is $16,703 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full Freed-Hardeman University Registered Nursing Report

#15

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,443 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend Tennessee State University.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Tennessee State University

#16

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, Tennessee
#13 in overall quality

Lincoln Memorial University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. LMU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Harrogate, Tennessee. It awarded 158 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at LMU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend LMU is $15,180 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Lincoln Memorial University

#17

Cumberland University

Lebanon, Tennessee
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Cumberland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. CU is located in Lebanon, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CU is $24,458 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at CU

#18

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, Tennessee
#21 in overall quality

Southern Adventist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #18. Southern Adventist is a small school located in Collegedale, Tennessee that handed out 77 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students list, Southern Adventist has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Adventist is $22,661 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Southern Adventist University

#19

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, Tennessee
#18 in overall quality

Tennessee Wesleyan University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. TWU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Athens, Tennessee. It awarded 76 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TWU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $13,636 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students per year to attend TWU.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at TWU

#20

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, Tennessee
#16 in overall quality

Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students list, TNU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trevecca Nazarene University is $17,499 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Full TNU Registered Nursing Report

#21

King University

Bristol, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, King University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. Bristol, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to 113 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at King, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend King University is $22,652 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at King

#22

South College

Knoxville, Tennessee

South College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. South College is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 214 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,816 for tennessee bachelor’s degree registered nursing students per year to attend South College.

Read more about Registered Nursing at South College

#23

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, Tennessee
#20 in overall quality

Carson - Newman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #23. Carson - Newman University is located in Jefferson City, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

Carson - Newman also took the #20 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $17,471 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students per year to attend Carson - Newman.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Carson - Newman

#24

Tusculum University

Greeneville, Tennessee
#25 in overall quality

Tusculum University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. Tusculum University is a small school located in Greeneville, Tennessee that handed out 21 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Tusculum also took the #25 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tusculum University is $17,537 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Tusculum

#25

Martin Methodist College

Pulaski, Tennessee

With a ranking of #25, Martin Methodist College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. Martin Methodist College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pulaski, Tennessee. It awarded 10 bachelors’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Martin Methodist is $18,859 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Registered Nursing students.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Martin Methodist

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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