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Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Tennessee

9 Schools Ranked
$42,139 Avg Student Debt

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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Nursing Degree Search has created its Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 9 schools in Tennessee to see which graduate certificate 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.

Top Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Tennessee

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
35 Total Awards
$53,722 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Vanderbilt University the best school in Tennessee for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 35 graduate certificates in 2021-2022.

Online graduate courses are available at Vanderbilt, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 21% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

161 Total Awards
$13,380 Average Tuition & Fees
$42,610 Avg Student Debt

Out of the 9 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the # 2 spot on the list. This large public school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 161 graduate certificates in 2021-2022.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $42,610 in student loans.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UT Knoxville. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 32% took at least some of their classes online.

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24 Total Awards
$10,474 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent graduate certificate programs at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Tennessee. UT Chattanooga is a public institution located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 graduate certificates in 2021-2022.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UT Chattanooga. In 2020-2021 about 58% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

#4

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee
17 Total Awards
$12,410 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Union University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Tennessee list. Jackson, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out graduate certificates to 17 students in 2021-2022.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Union. In 2020-2021 about 76% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

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#5

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
262 Total Awards
$10,908 Average Tuition & Fees
$34,783 Avg Student Debt

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Memphis is a great place for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. UofM is located in Memphis, Tennessee and has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 262 graduate certificates to qualified students.

On average, graduate certificate students take out $34,783 in loans while pursuing their degree.

UofM does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 61% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on University of Memphis

#6

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, Tennessee
3 Total Awards

Southern Adventist University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in Collegedale, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 graduate certificate awards in 2021-2022.

One thing to take note of is that Southern Adventist does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 76% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#7

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee
53 Total Awards
$9,841 Average Tuition & Fees

Austin Peay State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools in Tennessee ranking. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized public school located in Clarksville, Tennessee that handed out 53 graduate certificates in 2021-2022.

Austin Peay State University does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2020-2021 year, about 80% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Austin Peay State University

#8

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee
113 Total Awards
$10,736 Average Tuition & Fees
$51,829 Avg Student Debt

With a ranking of #8, East Tennessee State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. ETSU is a public institution located in Johnson City, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 113 graduate certificates in 2021-2022.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $51,829 in student loans.

ETSU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 51% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on East Tennessee State University

#9

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee
27 Total Awards
$10,732 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Tennessee State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their graduate certificate. Tennessee State University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 27 graduate certificates to qualified students.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Tennessee State University. In 2020-2021 about 49% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Tennessee State University

View Best Nursing Graduate Certificate Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 9 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.

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