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2023 Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee

44 Colleges
$68,124 Avg Salary
$23,683 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in Tennessee. In total, 6,004 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in Tennessee.

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 Schools in Tennessee ranking. This report analyzed 44 schools in Tennessee to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee

Check out the nursing programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

Our analysis found Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Tennessee. MTSA is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Madison.

Full Nursing at Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Inc Report

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#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Vanderbilt University is a great place for nursing students. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Full Nursing at Vanderbilt University Report

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public college with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at UT Knoxville accumulate an average of around $19,518 in student debt.

Full Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Report

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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee list. UTHSC is a small public school located in the large city of Memphis.

Nursing majors at UTHSC take out an average of $27,875 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center Report

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#5

Belmont University

Nashville, TN

The excellent programs at Belmont University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Tennessee. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.

Nursing majors at Belmont take out an average of $25,500 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $673.

Full Nursing at Belmont University Report

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The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #6 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee list. 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 is $23,562.

Read full report on Nursing at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

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#7

King University

Bristol, TN

King University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the small city of Bristol, King is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from King take out $26,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Nursing at King University Report

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#8

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

University of Memphis landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. UofM is a very large public school located in the large city of Memphis.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UofM take out is $26,625. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $115.

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Southwest Tennessee Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the large city of Memphis, Southwest is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Nursing majors at Southwest take out an average of $18,522 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Nursing at Southwest Tennessee Community College

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#10

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN

Lipscomb University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Nashville, Lipscomb is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Lipscomb accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt.

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Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools 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 266,651
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 16,104
Nursing Administration 9,838
Nursing Practice 7,992
Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 5,092
Nursing Science 4,600
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 2,287
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing 2,021
Nurse Anesthetist 1,936
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing 1,883
Critical Care Nursing 773
Geriatric Nurse/Nursing 563
School Nursing 553
Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery 509
Clinical Nurse Leader 444
Clinical Nurse Specialist 419
Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing 331
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing 181
Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing 57
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing 53
Palliative Care Nursing 14
Forensic Nursing 14

Related Major Annual Graduates
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274

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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