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Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Tennessee

28 Colleges
$64,114 Avg Salary
$22,124 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree School for You

Nursing is the most popular major in Tennessee with 6,004 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.

There are so many nursing programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. This report analyzed 28 schools in Tennessee to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for nursing students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Colleges.

Top 10 Best Nursing Bachelor's Degree Schools

Our analysis found The University of Tennessee - Knoxville to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Tennessee. Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public college with a fairly large student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at UT Knoxville accumulate an average of around $16,392 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $345.

Full Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Report

#2

Belmont University

Nashville, TN

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Belmont University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, nursing graduates from Belmont carry an average student debtload of $18,546. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $771, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Belmont University Report

#3

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

Out of the 28 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Memphis landed the # 3 spot on the list. UofM is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis.

Nursing majors at UofM take out an average of $23,664 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $138, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at University of Memphis

#4

King University

Bristol, TN

Out of the 28 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, King University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Bristol, King is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, nursing majors at King accumulate an average of around $19,975 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at King University

#5

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Lipscomb University is a great place for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Nursing majors at Lipscomb take out an average of $21,902 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at Lipscomb University

#6

Union University

Jackson, TN

Union University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree nursing programs. Located in the city of Jackson, Union is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Union take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $18,117. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $464.

Full Nursing at Union University Report

With a ranking of #7, The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UT Chattanooga take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $18,661.

Read More…

Tennessee Technological University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Tennessee Tech University take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $16,953. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $115.

Read More…

#9

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN

Freed-Hardeman University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the distant town of Henderson, FHU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at FHU take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $18,669.

Full Nursing at Freed-Hardeman University Report

The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. UTHSC is a small public school located in the large city of Memphis.

On average, nursing graduates from UTHSC take out $17,495 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read full report on Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center

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 Degrees Awarded
Alabama 7,364
Kentucky 6,395
Louisiana 3,502
Mississippi 2,838
Florida 21,209
Arkansas 2,882
North Carolina 7,425
West Virginia 1,771
Georgia 7,112
South Carolina 3,296
Virginia 6,775

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 262,974
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 16,647
Nursing Practice 8,862
Nursing Administration 8,663
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 4,717
Nursing Science 4,701
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 2,895
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 2,075
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing 2,011
Nurse Anesthetist 1,768
Critical Care Nursing 747
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 622
Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery 567
School Nursing 539
Clinical Nurse Leader 502
Clinical Nurse Specialist 340
Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing 269
Women’s Health Nurse/Nursing 262
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing 192
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing 87
Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing 26
Forensic Nursing 23
Palliative Care Nursing 13

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 85,339

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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