In Tennessee, there are a total of 355,417 students enrolled in higher education institutions. Of these, 247,698 attend public colleges and universities, while 107,719 are enrolled in private institutions. This comprehensive overview highlights the scale and diversity of college enrollment in Tennessee, helping prospective students and families understand their options among the largest educational institutions.
Explore Largest Tennessee Private Colleges with the Most Students, where 13,575 students are enrolled at Vanderbilt University, making it the largest institution in terms of enrollment.
Following closely, Belmont University ranks second with 8,803 students, while Lincoln Memorial University holds the third spot at 6,081. These institutions set the benchmark for large-scale education.
The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $34,389 and graduate tuition & fees is $20,517 for the academic year 2024-2025.
At these High Enrollment Tennessee Private Colleges, the average acceptance rate is 62.49%, and the average SAT score is 1,195, making them not only cost-effective but also accessible options for a wide range of students.
Our analysis includes colleges with at least 1,000 total enrollments and excludes online universities to provide a balanced overview. For a comprehensive list of online universities, visit the largest Tennessee private online colleges.
| School Name | Total Population | Undergraduate | Graduate | Men | Women | Online Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TNPrivate, 4-year | 13,575 119 | 7,221 (53.19%) | 6,354 (46.81%) | 5,934 (43.71%) | 7,641 (56.29%) | 652 (4.80%) |
| 2 - | Belmont University Nashville, TNPrivate, 4-year | 8,803 59 | 7,175 (81.51%) | 1,628 (18.49%) | 2,999 (34.07%) | 5,804 (65.93%) | 141 (1.60%) |
| 3 - | Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TNPrivate, 4-year | 6,081 276 | 1,668 (27.43%) | 4,413 (72.57%) | 1,860 (30.59%) | 4,221 (69.41%) | 567 (9.32%) |
| 4 - | Lipscomb University Nashville, TNPrivate, 4-year | 5,017 30 | 3,336 (66.49%) | 1,681 (33.51%) | 1,832 (36.52%) | 3,185 (63.48%) | 616 (12.28%) |
| 5 - | Lee University Cleveland, TNPrivate, 4-year | 3,714 34 | 3,271 (88.07%) | 443 (11.93%) | 1,415 (38.10%) | 2,299 (61.90%) | 358 (9.64%) |
| 6 2 | Cumberland University Lebanon, TNPrivate, 4-year | 3,457 385 | 2,745 (79.40%) | 712 (20.60%) | 1,632 (47.21%) | 1,825 (52.79%) | 400 (11.57%) |
| 7 - | Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TNPrivate, 4-year | 3,229 75 | 2,929 (90.71%) | 300 (9.29%) | 1,437 (44.50%) | 1,792 (55.50%) | 184 (5.70%) |
| 8 2 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TNPrivate, 4-year | 3,195 1 | 1,903 (59.56%) | 1,292 (40.44%) | 1,082 (33.87%) | 2,113 (66.13%) | 1,149 (35.96%) |
| 9 - | Bethel University McKenzie, TNPrivate, 4-year | 2,936 38 | 2,674 (91.08%) | 262 (8.92%) | 1,359 (46.29%) | 1,577 (53.71%) | 1,295 (44.11%) |
| 10 1 | Union University Jackson, TNPrivate, 4-year | 2,713 39 | 1,934 (71.29%) | 779 (28.71%) | 968 (35.68%) | 1,745 (64.32%) | 607 (22.37%) |
| Average | 5,272 | 3,486 (66.12%) | 1,786 (33.88%) | 2,052 (38.92%) | 3,220 (61.08%) | 597 (11.32%) |