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Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee

17 Schools Ranked

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.

The Best Nursing Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 17 schools in Tennessee to see which master's 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.

Top Nursing Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
$52,162 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Vanderbilt University to be the best school for nursing students who want to pursue a master’s degree in Tennessee.

One thing to take note of is that Vanderbilt does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 67% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Vanderbilt University

$10,474 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a great place for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

UT Chattanooga 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. In fact, around 60% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Report

#3

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee
$25,180 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Belmont University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Belmont. In fact, around 37% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

$13,380 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a great place for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UT Knoxville. In 2019-2020 about 36% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#5

King University

Bristol, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend King University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list.

King 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. In fact, around 84% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on King University

#6

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee
$11,762 Average Tuition & Fees

Tennessee Technological University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Tennessee Tech University. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 80% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#7

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, Tennessee
$20,104 Average Tuition & Fees

Lincoln Memorial University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking.

LMU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 13% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Lincoln Memorial University

#8

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, Tennessee

Southern Adventist University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

Southern Adventist does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 71% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#9

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
$10,818 Average Tuition & Fees

Middle Tennessee State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking.

Middle Tennessee 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. In 2019-2020 about 57% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Middle Tennessee State University

#10

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee
$11,666 Average Tuition & Fees

Union University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list.

Union 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. In 2019-2020 about 70% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Union University

#11

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
$10,908 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Memphis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UofM does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.

Full University of Memphis Report

#12

Cumberland University

Lebanon, Tennessee

Cumberland University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

Online graduate courses are available at CU, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 15% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Cumberland University Report

#13

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee
$10,736 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #13, East Tennessee State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at ETSU. In fact, around 49% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#14

Carson - Newman University

Jefferson City, Tennessee
$9,632 Average Tuition & Fees

Carson - Newman University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for nursing students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list.

Carson - Newman 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 2019-2020 year, about 85% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Carson - Newman University

#15

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee
$10,732 Average Tuition & Fees

Tennessee State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Tennessee State University. During the 2019-2020 year, about 41% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Tennessee State University

#16

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee
$9,841 Average Tuition & Fees

Austin Peay State University landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree nursing programs.

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. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 85% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#17

Tusculum University

Greeneville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #17, Tusculum University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students working on their master’s degree.

Tusculum 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 2019-2020 year, about 71% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Tusculum University Report

View Best Nursing Master’s Degree Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 17 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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