15 Tennessee Major Colleges

Tennessee has 152 colleges including 64 four-year colleges, 49 community colleges, and 39 trade schools. By control type, 48 schools are public and 104 schools are private. 355,417 students enrolled in Tennessee colleges according to IPEDS.

For 4-year colleges, commonly said to as colleges, there are 64 schools are active in Tennessee (11 public and 53 private). 243,154 students enrolled in the schools, by gender, 97,607 men and 145,547 women students.

These colleges have an average acceptance rate of 71.41% and an average SAT score of 1,159. The average tuition & fees for in-state students is $10,806 and for out-of-state students is $19,853. The average enrollment is about 3,799 students per college. On average, each college offers about 81 programs.

15 Prominent Tennessee Colleges

The following table lists major colleges in Tennessee that have high enrollment, good academic reputation, and recognized by Tennessee residents. It includes 5 public institutions and 10 private institutions.

Tennessee Major Colleges by Region
Region	Prominent Institutions
Nashville Area	Vanderbilt University (Nashville), Belmont University (Nashville), Tennessee State University (Nashville)
Memphis Area	University of Memphis (Memphis), Rhodes College (Memphis), Christian Brothers University (Memphis)
East Tennessee	University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville), East Tennessee State University (Johnson City)
Middle Tennessee	Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro)

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, located in Knoxville, is generally considered the flagship institution in Tennessee. It offers wide range of programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels, including 140 graduate programs and 10 online programs. Its total enrollment is approximately 38,728 including 3,176 online students.

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville has the highest enrollment among these colleges, with a student population of 38,728 students and Southern Adventist University offers the most number of programs of 700.

Of the major colleges in Tennessee, 4 law schools and 2 medical schools are affiliated with these colleges. Vanderbilt University and Belmont University have both a law school and a medical school. You can check the law schools and medical schools in the table below.

Notable public institutions

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville: Known as a Flagship College for Tennessee, offering 140 graduate programs and 10 online programs
Middle Tennessee State University: Offering 144 programs; $31,574 tuition & fees; 69.09% acceptance rate; and 20,488 student population.
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga: Offering 92 programs; $18,512 tuition & fees; 81.09% acceptance rate; and 11,775 student population.

Prominent private institutions

Vanderbilt University: Most selective Tennessee College, with an admission rate of 5.86% and an average SAT score of 1,540
Belmont University: Offering offering 135 programs; $42,540 tuition & fees; 95.28% acceptance rate; and 8,803 student population.
Lipscomb University: Offering offering 184 programs; $40,572 tuition & fees; 67.73% acceptance rate; and 5,017 student population.

Comparison of Tennessee Major Colleges
Name	Graduate Programs	Distance Learning	Tuition & Fees	Adm. Rate	SAT Score	Enroll	Offered Programs	Law School	Medical School
Vanderbilt University Nashville	Yes	Yes	$67,498	5.86%	1540	13,575	290	Visit	Visit
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville	Yes	Yes	$33,256	41.60%	1280	38,728	306	Visit
Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro	Yes	Yes	$31,574	69.09%	1130	20,488	144
Belmont University Nashville	Yes	Yes	$42,540	95.28%	1260	8,803	135	Visit	Visit
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga	Yes	Yes	$18,512	81.09%	1100	11,775	92
Lipscomb University Nashville	Yes	Yes	$40,572	67.73%	1280	5,017	184
Austin Peay State University Clarksville	Yes	Yes	$14,766	96.41%	1005	10,439	96
Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate	Yes	Yes	$26,938	62.59%	1100	6,081	91	Visit
Union University Jackson	Yes	Yes	$37,398	60.41%	1290	2,713	156
Tennessee State University Nashville	Yes	Yes	$22,416	70.11%	960	6,310	86
Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville	Yes	Yes	$31,300	69.44%	1095	3,195	119
Southern Adventist University Collegedale	Yes	Yes	$27,300	65.50%	1140	3,229	700
Rhodes College Memphis	Yes	No	$57,110	50.35%	1385	1,861	47
Freed-Hardeman University Henderson	Yes	Yes	$25,620	59.68%	1020	2,306	90
The University of the South Sewanee	Yes	No	$56,120	56.90%	1330	1,724	47

Tennessee's 15 Leading Colleges

15 Prominent Tennessee Colleges

Notable public institutions

Prominent private institutions