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Most Popular Nursing Schools in Tennessee

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2023 Most Popular Nursing Schools in Tennessee

46 Colleges
$68,124 Avg Salary
$23,683 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

In 2020-2021, nursing students earned 6,004 degrees and certificates from a Tennessee school, making the subject the 3rd in the state.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Nursing Schools in Tennessee ranking. This report analyzed 46 schools in Tennessee to see which ones were the most popular programs for 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 programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Tennessee.

Our analysis found East Tennessee State University to be the most popular school for nursing students who want to pursue a degree in Tennessee. ETSU is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Johnson City.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at ETSU accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $176, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Nursing at East Tennessee State University

Out of the 46 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Lincoln Memorial University landed the # 2 spot on the list. LMU is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Harrogate.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at LMU accumulate an average of around $24,097 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $97.

Read full report on Nursing at Lincoln Memorial University

#3

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Out of the 46 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

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#4

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Memphis is a great place for nursing students. UofM is a fairly large public school located in the city of Memphis.

On average, nursing graduates from UofM take out $26,625 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $115.

Full Nursing at University of Memphis Report

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 #5 on this year’s Most Popular Nursing Schools in Tennessee list. Located in the midsize city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, nursing graduates from UT Knoxville carry an average student debt load of $19,518.

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#6

South College

Knoxville, TN

South College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville, South College is a private for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at South College take out is $44,006.

Full Nursing at South College Report

#7

Union University

Jackson, TN

Union University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular nursing programs. Located in the city of Jackson, Union is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, nursing graduates from Union take out $29,200 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $477.

Full Nursing at Union University Report

#8

Southern Adventist University

Collegedale, TN

Southern Adventist University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for nursing students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Southern Adventist accumulate an average of around $25,547 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $375, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Nursing at Southern Adventist University Report

#9

Belmont University

Nashville, TN

Belmont University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Nursing Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in the 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 debt load of $25,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $673, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

#10

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN

With a ranking of #10, Austin Peay State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for nursing students. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Austin Peay State University accumulate an average of around $27,618 in student debt.

Read full report on Nursing at Austin Peay State University

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

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

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.

  • 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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