State Hub

Colleges in Tennessee

CampusPin tracks 79 colleges in Tennessee, 53 universities and 26 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

79

Universities

53

Community colleges

26

Avg. in-state tuition

$19k

About college search in Tennessee

How Tennessee's higher-education landscape shapes a search

Tennessee’s public higher-education sector includes the University of Tennessee System (UT Knoxville flagship, plus campuses in Chattanooga, Martin, and the UT Health Science Center in Memphis) and six Locally Governed Institutions (Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, East Tennessee State, Tennessee State HBCU, Austin Peay, and the University of Memphis), each governed by its own board after the 2017 Tennessee FOCUS Act separated them from the Tennessee Board of Regents. The Tennessee Board of Regents now oversees 13 community colleges and 24 technical colleges (TCATs). Vanderbilt University (Nashville) is the state’s major private research anchor. Tennessee Promise covers tuition for eligible recent high school graduates at community and technical colleges, among the better-known state Promise programs in the U.S.

UT Knoxville as flagship

The University of Tennessee in Knoxville is the state’s primary public flagship and land-grant research institution.

Tennessee Promise

Tennessee Promise covers tuition and fees at Tennessee community colleges and technical colleges for eligible recent high school graduates, a national-prominence state Promise program.

Tennessee State as HBCU

Tennessee State University in Nashville is the state’s public HBCU and an 1890 land-grant institution.

Vanderbilt as private anchor

Vanderbilt University in Nashville is the state’s major private research university.

Public university system

University of Tennessee System + six Locally Governed Institutions

Tennessee’s public four-year sector includes the UT System (Knoxville flagship plus Chattanooga, Martin, and the Health Science Center) and six Locally Governed Institutions (MTSU, Tennessee Tech, ETSU, Tennessee State, Austin Peay, Memphis), each with its own board after the 2017 FOCUS Act separated them from the Tennessee Board of Regents.

Community college network

Tennessee Board of Regents, 13 community colleges + 24 TCATs

After the 2017 FOCUS Act, TBR coordinates Tennessee’s 13 community colleges and 24 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs). The Tennessee Transfer Pathways formalize credit transfer to the public four-year universities.

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

Tennessee in-state public tuition is in the lower-middle range nationally. Tennessee Promise covers community-college and TCAT tuition for eligible recent high school graduates, materially reducing the on-campus path cost.

Top metros for college search

Where Tennessee's higher-education density concentrates

  • Nashville

    Nashville hosts Vanderbilt (private), Belmont (private), Lipscomb (private), Tennessee State (HBCU), Fisk (private HBCU), and Nashville State Community College.

  • Knoxville

    Knoxville is built around the University of Tennessee, the state’s public flagship.

  • Memphis

    Memphis hosts the University of Memphis, Rhodes College (private), LeMoyne-Owen College (private HBCU), and Southwest Tennessee Community College.

  • Chattanooga

    Chattanooga is the home of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Chattanooga State Community College.

  • Murfreesboro

    Murfreesboro is the home of Middle Tennessee State University, the largest Tennessee public university by undergraduate enrollment.

What Tennessee actually costs

Median net price after grants
$12,559 for families under $30,000
$23,201 at $110,000 or more
Across 53 Tennessee colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$20,000 with 39.8% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
20% of Tennessee students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in Tennessee

Filter all Tennessee schools

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South region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in Tennessee

Across Tennessee (TN), CampusPin currently indexes 79 institutions: 24 public and 55 private, split between 53 universities and 26 community colleges. Students often compare fast-growing metros, flagship publics, regional campuses, and cost-sensitive pathways across a wide mix of institutions.

Run one search for broad public options and another for community-college or commuter-oriented pathways.
Check campus setting and support services early because regional fit can vary more than names alone suggest.
Keep cost, transfer, and online flexibility visible if location is important but not completely fixed.

Browse by major

Tennessee colleges by program

Jump straight to Tennessee colleges and universities that offer a specific major. Each page compares tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment for that program across Tennessee.

Fields with a distinct set of Tennessee colleges

87 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in Tennessee are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. Showing the 36 with the most colleges. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the Tennessee hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to Tennessee so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for Tennessee

Explore all colleges in TennesseeView community colleges in TennesseeView online programs in TennesseeRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in Tennessee

Which is the public flagship university in Tennessee?
The University of Tennessee in Knoxville is the state’s public flagship and land-grant research institution.
How does Tennessee Promise work?
Tennessee Promise covers tuition and mandatory fees at Tennessee community colleges and Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) for eligible recent Tennessee high school graduates after other aid is applied. Recipients must complete FAFSA, community service, and mentorship requirements. Verify current eligibility with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
How many HBCUs are in Tennessee?
Tennessee has seven HBCUs: Tennessee State University (public, Nashville), Fisk University (private, Nashville), Meharry Medical College (private, Nashville), American Baptist College (private, Nashville), LeMoyne-Owen College (private, Memphis), Lane College (private, Jackson), and Knoxville College (private, Knoxville, currently with limited active enrollment).
What is the largest Tennessee public university?
Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro is typically the largest Tennessee public university by undergraduate enrollment, with the University of Tennessee Knoxville and the University of Memphis close behind.
How many Tennessee colleges are flagged for lower earnings on the FAFSA?
21 schools in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 119 Tennessee schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release flagged 30: 11 came off and 2 were added. Every one is named in the Tennessee section of CampusPin's FAFSA lower earnings list. The notice is informational and does not affect financial aid, and it describes a whole school, not a program.
How many Tennessee colleges cost more than a family can borrow from the federal government?
For families earning under $30,000, 2 of the 53 Tennessee colleges reporting the complete federal net-price series charge more after grants than the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026; the median college there charges $12,559. For families earning $48,001–$75,000 it is 6 (median $16,890). Net prices are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any family, and Parent PLUS requires no adverse credit history.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a Tennessee search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in Tennessee

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with Tennessee in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes Tennessee.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore Tennessee

More ways to explore Tennessee colleges

By city

Colleges in Tennessee cities

CampusPin publishes a directory for 3 cities in Tennessee, every one where federal data reports at least five colleges.

Browse colleges by city nationwide

What this count of 79 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for Tennessee, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
53 listed as universities and 26 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
24 public and 55 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for Tennessee are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in Tennessee. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/tennessee