2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Our analysis looked at 22 schools in Tennessee to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for 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.
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Top Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Volunteer State Community College to be the best school for students who want to pursue a associate degree in Tennessee. Located in Gallatin, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,150 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in .
Students from Tennessee who attend VSCC full time pay an average of $4,524 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,724.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Motlow State Community College is a great place for students working on their associate degree. Motlow is located in Tullahoma, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. In , this school awarded 926 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from Tennessee who attend Motlow full time pay an average of $4,536 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,736.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Trevecca Nazarene University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 25 students in .
TNU does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $30,090. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Jackson State Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Tennessee. JSCC is located in Jackson, Tennessee and has a small student population. In , this school awarded 541 associate degrees to qualified students.
In-state students pay an average of $4,516 in tuition and fees if they attend JSCC full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,716.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bethel University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Bethel University is a small private not-for-profit school located in McKenzie, Tennessee that handed out 291 associate degrees in .
If you want to attend Bethel, expect to pay an average of $17,530 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
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Christian Brothers University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Christian Brothers is a private not-for-profit institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 associate degrees in .
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Southwest Tennessee Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Southwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 838 associate degrees in .
In-state students pay an average of $4,550 in tuition and fees if they attend Southwest full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,750.
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Pellissippi State Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Pellissippi State Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 1,377 associate degrees in .
Students from Tennessee who attend Pellissippi State Community College full time pay an average of $4,576 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,776.
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Cumberland University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs. Cumberland University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Lebanon, Tennessee that handed out 266 associate degrees in .
If you want to attend CU, expect to pay an average of $27,840 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid.
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Chattanooga State Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school handed out 991 associate degree awards in .
In-state students pay an average of $4,550 in tuition and fees if they attend Chattanooga State Community College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,750.
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Southern Adventist University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Collegedale, Tennessee, and it awarded 142 associate degrees in .
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $25,590 to cover tuition and fees at Southern Adventist. The school does not offer an in-state discount.
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Remington College - Memphis Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. This very small private not-for-profit school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 9 associate degrees in .
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Columbia State Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Columbia, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 812 students in .
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Columbia State Community College is $4,904. Out-of-state students pay an average of $18,104.
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Walters State Community College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. WSCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Morristown, Tennessee. It awarded 907 associate degrees in .
Full-time students from Tennessee pay an average of $4,519 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend WSCC. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,719.
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Roane State Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Roane State Community College is located in Harriman, Tennessee and has a small student population. In , this school awarded 778 associate degrees to qualified students.
Students from Tennessee who attend Roane State Community College full time pay an average of $4,762 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $18,622.
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Nashville State Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Nashville State Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 829 associate degrees in .
Students from Tennessee who attend Nashville State Community College full time pay an average of $4,498 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,698.
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With a ranking of #17, Cleveland State Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree. This small public school is located in Cleveland, Tennessee, and it awarded 475 associate degrees in .
Students from Tennessee who attend Cleveland State Community College full time pay an average of $4,530 in tuition and fees. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $17,730.
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Dyersburg State Community College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs. Dyersburg, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 369 students in .
Full-time students from Tennessee pay an average of $4,540 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend DSCC. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,740.
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Northeast State Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in Blountville, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school awarded 822 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in .
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Northeast State Technical Community College is $4,542. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $17,742.
Full Northeast State Community College Report
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 22 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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