Best colleges for nursing in Tennessee

    Christian Brothers University ranks first in Tennessee for nursing value (#128 nationally, value score 66.1): graduates earn $92,007 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,842 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 21 Tennessee colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best nursing colleges in Tennessee

    Christian Brothers University ranks first in Tennessee for nursing value (#128 nationally, value score 66.1): graduates earn $92,007 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,842 a year. 21 Tennessee colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $75,444 and the average net price is $16,842 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 21 Tennessee colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $75,444 and the average net price is $16,842 a year.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at Austin Peay State University: $9,049 a year.
    Median earnings
    $75,444
    National: $85,171
    Median net price
    $16,842
    National: $18,014
    Median federal debt
    $20,000
    nursing graduates
    Public colleges
    8 of 21
    in this list

    21 colleges

    The Tennessee ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Tennessee 1

      Christian Brothers University

      Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit · #128 nationally

      66.1Value
      Earnings
      $92,007
      Net price
      $16,842
      Federal debt
      $18,167
      Graduation rate
      55%
    2. Rank in Tennessee 2

      The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

      Chattanooga, TN · Public · #384 nationally

      47.0Value
      Earnings
      $77,838
      Net price
      $15,026
      Federal debt
      $14,500
      Graduation rate
      56%
    3. Rank in Tennessee 3

      The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

      Knoxville, TN · Public · #402 nationally

      45.7Value
      Earnings
      $77,118
      Net price
      $18,314
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      74%
    4. Rank in Tennessee 4

      The University of Tennessee-Martin

      Martin, TN · Public · #461 nationally

      41.4Value
      Earnings
      $77,092
      Net price
      $10,211
      Federal debt
      $20,000
      Graduation rate
      51%
    5. Rank in Tennessee 5

      Lincoln Memorial University

      Harrogate, TN · Private nonprofit · #489 nationally

      39.5Value
      Earnings
      $79,561
      Net price
      $21,394
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      49%
    6. Rank in Tennessee 6

      Cumberland University

      Lebanon, TN · Private nonprofit · #497 nationally

      38.9Value
      Earnings
      $78,954
      Net price
      $15,965
      Federal debt
      $19,000
      Graduation rate
      45%
    7. Rank in Tennessee 7

      East Tennessee State University

      Johnson City, TN · Public · #506 nationally

      38.0Value
      Earnings
      $74,311
      Net price
      $14,208
      Federal debt
      $18,250
      Graduation rate
      55%
    8. Rank in Tennessee 8

      Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences

      Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit · #511 nationally

      37.6Value
      Earnings
      $82,135
      Net price
      $10,165
      Federal debt
      $30,812
      Graduation rate
      33%
    9. Rank in Tennessee 9

      University of Memphis

      Memphis, TN · Public · #514 nationally

      37.6Value
      Earnings
      $75,444
      Net price
      $12,192
      Federal debt
      $20,000
      Graduation rate
      53%
    10. Rank in Tennessee 10

      Middle Tennessee State University

      Murfreesboro, TN · Public · #523 nationally

      36.9Value
      Earnings
      $75,061
      Net price
      $12,562
      Federal debt
      $20,275
      Graduation rate
      54%
    11. Rank in Tennessee 11

      King University-Tennessee

      Bristol, TN · Private nonprofit · #532 nationally

      36.2Value
      Earnings
      $83,010
      Net price
      $22,416
      Federal debt
      $20,832
      Graduation rate
      44%
    12. Rank in Tennessee 12

      Tennessee Wesleyan University

      Athens, TN · Private nonprofit · #535 nationally

      36.0Value
      Earnings
      $71,084
      Net price
      $14,965
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      49%
    13. Rank in Tennessee 13

      Austin Peay State University

      Clarksville, TN · Public · #541 nationally

      35.4Value
      Earnings
      $73,564
      Net price
      $9,049
      Federal debt
      $19,173
      Graduation rate
      42%
    14. Rank in Tennessee 14

      Belmont University

      Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit · #547 nationally

      34.6Value
      Earnings
      $79,069
      Net price
      $32,648
      Federal debt
      $18,750
      Graduation rate
      71%
    15. Rank in Tennessee 15

      Southern Adventist University

      Collegedale, TN · Private nonprofit · #558 nationally

      33.6Value
      Earnings
      $83,525
      Net price
      $25,979
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      56%
    16. Rank in Tennessee 16

      Tennessee Technological University

      Cookeville, TN · Public · #562 nationally

      33.3Value
      Earnings
      $71,762
      Net price
      $16,830
      Federal debt
      $17,750
      Graduation rate
      56%
    17. Rank in Tennessee 17

      Union University-Tennessee

      Jackson, TN · Private nonprofit · #612 nationally

      28.0Value
      Earnings
      $72,824
      Net price
      $22,995
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      75%
    18. Rank in Tennessee 18

      Lipscomb University

      Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit · #631 nationally

      26.0Value
      Earnings
      $74,051
      Net price
      $23,178
      Federal debt
      $22,000
      Graduation rate
      71%
    19. Rank in Tennessee 19

      Freed-Hardeman University

      Henderson, TN · Private nonprofit · #646 nationally

      23.9Value
      Earnings
      $67,718
      Net price
      $22,036
      Federal debt
      $21,400
      Graduation rate
      73%
    20. Rank in Tennessee 20

      Carson-Newman University

      Jefferson City, TN · Private nonprofit · #658 nationally

      20.8Value
      Earnings
      $70,769
      Net price
      $18,130
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      54%
    21. Rank in Tennessee 21

      Lee University-Tennessee

      Cleveland, TN · Private nonprofit · #662 nationally

      20.2Value
      Earnings
      $70,388
      Net price
      $21,034
      Federal debt
      $26,995
      Graduation rate
      62%

    Method: the same value score as the national nursing ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about nursing colleges in Tennessee

    What are the best colleges for nursing in Tennessee?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Tennessee colleges for nursing are Christian Brothers University (value score 66.1), The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (value score 47) and The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (value score 45.7). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Tennessee college has the highest earnings for nursing graduates?

    Christian Brothers University: its nursing graduates have median earnings of $92,007 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable nursing college in Tennessee on this list?

    Austin Peay State University has the lowest average net price of the ranked Tennessee colleges, $9,049 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Tennessee colleges are ranked for nursing?

    21 Tennessee colleges have a nursing bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Tennessee.