2023 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee
It's not easy to decide which nursing program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Also there are many trade schools and bpptcamp that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Nursing Degree Search has developed this Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in Tennessee to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for nursing students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school us, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
Top Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Southwest Tennessee Community College the best school in Tennessee for nursing students working on their associate degree. This medium-sized public school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 926 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Tennessee who attend Southwest full time pay an average of $4,430 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,246.
Southwest does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 64% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Jackson State Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. JSCC is a small public school situated in Jackson, Tennessee. It awarded 532 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Students from Tennessee who attend JSCC full time pay an average of $4,396 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $18,076.
JSCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 71% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Adventist University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Southern Adventist is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Collegedale, Tennessee. It awarded 136 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $23,870 to cover tuition and fees at Southern Adventist. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Associate Degree recipients from Southern Adventist accumulate an average of $21,339 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Southern Adventist does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 39% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Lincoln Memorial University is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Harrogate, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 146 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at LMU is $25,180. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,251 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that LMU does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 62% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Dyersburg State Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Dyersburg, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 407 students in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at DSCC is $4,410. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,226. On average, associate degree students take out $7,185 in loans while pursuing their degree.
DSCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2020-2021 about 62% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Motlow State Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Motlow is a public institution located in Tullahoma, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 967 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Tennessee pay an average of $4,416 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Motlow. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,232. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $3,554 in student loans.
Motlow does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 76% took at least some of their classes online.
Remington College - Memphis Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Remington College - Memphis Campus is a private not-for-profit institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a very small population, and it awarded 41 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Associate Degree recipients from Remington College - Memphis Campus accumulate an average of $21,194 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Remington College - Memphis Campus does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2020-2021 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Northeast State Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in Blountville, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school handed out 868 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,422 in tuition and fees if they attend Northeast State Technical Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,238. Associate Degree recipients from Northeast State Technical Community College accumulate an average of $5,286 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Northeast State Technical Community College. In 2020-2021 about 60% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #9, Columbia State Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Columbia State Community College is a small public school situated in Columbia, Tennessee. It awarded 934 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $4,480 in tuition and fees if they attend Columbia State Community College full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,260. On average, associate degree students take out $11,670 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Columbia State Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2020-2021 about 88% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Chattanooga State Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,163 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Chattanooga State Community College is $4,430. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,246. On average, associate degree students take out $15,604 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Chattanooga State Community College. In 2020-2021 about 52% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Walters State Community College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Morristown, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 932 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Tennessee who attend WSCC full time pay an average of $4,399 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,215. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $4,796 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that WSCC does offer online classes in some areas. During the 2020-2021 year, about 66% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Pellissippi State Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get an associate degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 1,415 students in 2021-2022.
Students from Tennessee who attend Pellissippi State Community College full time pay an average of $4,456 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,272. On average, associate degree students take out $9,776 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Pellissippi State Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In fact, around 74% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Roane State Community College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. Roane State Community College is a small public school situated in Harriman, Tennessee. It awarded 850 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Roane State Community College is $4,724. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,540. On average, associate degree students take out $11,564 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Roane State Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 52% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Tennessee State University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree nursing programs. This medium-sized public school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 19 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $8,336 in tuition and fees if they attend Tennessee State University full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $21,692. On average, associate degree students take out $17,211 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Tennessee State University does offer online classes for certain majors. In 2020-2021 about 48% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Nashville State Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school awarded 951 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Full-time students from Tennessee pay an average of $4,372 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Nashville State Community College. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,188. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,983 in student loans.
Nashville State Community College does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 52% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #16, Cleveland State Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree. Cleveland State Community College is a small public school situated in Cleveland, Tennessee. It awarded 449 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Cleveland State Community College is $4,400. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,216. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,386 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Cleveland State Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 50% took at least some of their classes online.
Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
View Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 16 schools only.
References
- 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 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%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
NursingDegreeSearch.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© NursingDegreeSearch.com – All Rights Reserved.