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Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee

19 Colleges
$57,601 Avg Salary
$21,889 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing Associate Degree 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Healthcare Degree Search has created its Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 19 schools in Tennessee to see which associate degree programs were the most popular for healthcare students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Nursing program at each school on the list.

Check out the nursing associate degree programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Tennessee.

Our 2023 rankings named Lincoln Memorial University the most popular school in Tennessee for nursing students working on their associate degree. LMU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Harrogate.

Women make up 92% of the nursing majors at the school.

Nursing majors at LMU take out an average of $24,304 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $86.

Full Nursing at Lincoln Memorial University Report

The in-demand associate degree programs at Dyersburg State Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular nursing schools in Tennessee. Located in the distant town of Dyersburg, DSCC is a public school with a small student population.

Of the 112 students majoring in nursing at DSCC, 24% are male and 76% are female.

On average, nursing graduates from DSCC take out $14,708 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Nursing at Dyersburg State Community College Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Walters State Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the small city of Morristown, WSCC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

About 83% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 17% are male.

Nursing majors at WSCC take out an average of $11,916 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Southwest Tennessee Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Located in the city of Memphis, Southwest is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Of the 102 students majoring in nursing at Southwest, 17% are male and 83% are female.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Southwest accumulate an average of around $21,348 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Southwest Tennessee Community College

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Chattanooga State Community College is a great place for nursing students working on their associate degree. Chattanooga State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Chattanooga.

Of the 101 students majoring in nursing at Chattanooga State Community College, 22% are male and 78% are female.

Nursing majors at Chattanooga State Community College take out an average of $20,491 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read More…

Columbia State Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Columbia State Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Columbia.

Women make up 87% of the nursing majors at the school.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Columbia State Community College carry an average student debt load of $20,585.

Read full report on Nursing at Columbia State Community College

#7

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN

Southern Adventist University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Of the 86 students majoring in nursing at Southern Adventist, 27% are male and 73% are female.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Southern Adventist take out while working on their Associate Degree is $24,595.

Read full report on Nursing at Southern Adventist University

Pellissippi State Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Pellissippi State Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Knoxville.

About 82% of the students majoring in nursing at the school are women while 18% are male.

After completing their Associate Degree, nursing graduates from Pellissippi State Community College carry an average student debt load of $20,369.

Read full report on Nursing at Pellissippi State Community College

Northeast State Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the rural area of Blountville, Northeast State Technical Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Of the 73 students majoring in nursing at Northeast State Technical Community College, 10% are male and 90% are female.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Northeast State Technical Community College accumulate an average of around $10,274 in student debt.

Read More…

Roane State Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for nursing students to get a associate degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the distant town of Harriman, Roane State Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Of the 66 students majoring in nursing at Roane State Community College, 15% are male and 85% are female.

While working on their Associate Degree, nursing majors at Roane State Community College accumulate an average of around $20,078 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Roane State Community College

Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Most Popular Nursing Colleges 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
Louisiana 3,502
Mississippi 2,838
South Carolina 3,296
Alabama 7,364
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 19 schools only.

  • 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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