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Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee

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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 healthcare programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Healthcare Degree Search has created the Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 44 schools in Tennessee to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for healthcare students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee

The following schools top our list of the Best Nursing Colleges.

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 fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Madison.

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#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Out of the 44 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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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 school with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at UT Knoxville take out is $19,518.

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The excellent programs at The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best nursing schools in Tennessee. UTHSC is a small public school located in the city of Memphis.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UTHSC carry an average student debtload of $27,875.

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

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#5

Belmont University

Nashville, TN

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Belmont University is a great place for nursing students. Located in the large city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Belmont carry an average student debtload of $25,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $673, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Nursing majors at UT Chattanooga take out an average of $23,562 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#7

King University

Bristol, TN

King University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the city of Bristol, King is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at King accumulate an average of around $26,250 in student debt.

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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.

Nursing majors at UofM take out an average of $26,625 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 $115.

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Southwest Tennessee Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the large city of Memphis, Southwest is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Southwest carry an average student debtload of $18,522.

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#10

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN

Lipscomb University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the large city of Nashville, Lipscomb is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Lipscomb take out is $26,000.

Read full report on Nursing at Lipscomb University

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

Nursing is one of 30 different types of healthcare programs to choose from.

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

Majors Similar to Nursing

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274
Allied Health Professions 82,308
Public Health 40,596

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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