Nursing · Tennessee
Tennessee colleges that awarded Nursing credentials
45 colleges in Tennessee reported conferring Nursing credentials to the federal IPEDS collection in 2024-25, and every one of them also awarded in the year before. 45 awarded a degree. That is a record of credentials already awarded, not confirmation that a program is currently admitting. Graduates of the typical Tennessee bachelor's program in Nursing earned a median $76,268 four years after graduating, 14% below the $88,910 national median for the same credential (24 programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
Quick answers
- How much do Nursing graduates of Tennessee bachelor's programs earn?
- Graduates of the typical Tennessee bachelor's program in Nursing earned a median $76,268 four years after graduating, 14% below the $88,910 national median for the same credential (24 programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How much do Nursing graduates of Tennessee associate's programs earn?
- Graduates of the typical Tennessee associate's program in Nursing earned a median $73,546 four years after graduating, 9% below the $80,813 national median for the same credential (15 programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- Which Nursing programs in Tennessee have the highest graduate earnings?
- Among 24 Tennessee bachelor's programs in Nursing, Southern Adventist University graduates had the highest median, $83,525 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- ADN vs BSN: which pays more for nurses who studied in Tennessee?
- Graduates of the typical Tennessee bachelor's nursing program (BSN) earned $76,268 four years after graduating, and those of the typical associate program (ADN) $73,546, 96.4% as much (24 BSN and 15 ADN programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How do early-career earnings of Tennessee nursing graduates compare with the state's registered-nurse wage?
- Graduates of the typical Tennessee bachelor's (BSN) nursing program earned $76,268 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23), 94% of the state's $81,500 median wage for registered nurses at every experience level (BLS OEWS, May 2025), so it is context, not a measure of program quality.
Colleges and what they awarded
Largest first by credentials conferred in 2024-25. That order measures the size of the graduating class and nothing else: it is not a ranking, and the largest entry is often a certificate provider rather than the strongest degree program. The credential is labelled on every row for exactly that reason.
Which Nursing programs in Tennessee have the highest graduate earnings?
Among 24 Tennessee bachelor's programs in Nursing with federal earnings data, Southern Adventist University graduates earn the highest median, $83,525 four years after graduating, with a median federal debt of $27,000. King University follows at $83,010. The national median for bachelor's graduates in the same program is $88,910. (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard.)
In Tennessee, the typical associate-degree nursing program (ADN) pays $73,546 four years after graduating, 96.4% of the typical bachelor's program (BSN, $76,268), across 15 associate and 24 bachelor's programs (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). Associate figures describe nurses who did not go on to a higher degree, and many hospitals prefer a BSN for some roles.
Four years out, graduates of the typical Tennessee bachelor's (BSN) nursing program (24 programs) earned $76,268, 94% of the state's $81,500 median registered-nurse wage (typical state: 94%). The RN median covers nurses at every experience level, so early-career earnings below it are expected; it is context, not a measure of program quality. Every state compared.
For context, registered nurses in Tennessee are paid a median $81,500 a year across all experience levels (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025), a figure for everyone in the job, not only recent graduates. registered nurses pay in Tennessee
Compare these programs and share the results
Bachelor's programs · 24 with earnings data · national median $88,910
| College | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | 1 yr after (later class) | Debt borrowed at this college (median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Adventist University | $83,525 | $66,005 | $27,000 |
| King University | $83,010 | $68,012 | $22,250 |
| Milligan University | $82,961 | $70,523 | $26,978 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | $82,135 | $74,962 | $34,895 |
| The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | $80,055 | $70,619 | $18,000 |
| Lincoln Memorial University | $79,561 | $59,588 | $22,960 |
| Belmont University | $79,069 | $67,072 | $18,750 |
| Cumberland University | $78,954 | $67,094 | $23,000 |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | $77,838 | $65,273 | $18,740 |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | $77,118 | $65,298 | $12,500 |
The 10 highest of 24. Every program is on its college's profile and in the CSV download.
Associate's programs · 15 with earnings data · national median $80,813
| College | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | 1 yr after (later class) | Debt borrowed at this college (median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State University | $90,985 | — | — |
| Dyersburg State Community College | $86,197 | $74,386 | $7,350 |
| Southwest Tennessee Community College | $80,052 | $72,913 | — |
| Columbia State Community College | $78,499 | $65,077 | $11,500 |
| Cleveland State Community College | $77,699 | $69,229 | — |
| Nashville State Community College | $77,645 | $63,235 | $13,444 |
| Southern Adventist University | $75,891 | $61,225 | $19,500 |
| Motlow State Community College | $73,546 | $66,609 | — |
| Northeast State Community College | $73,304 | $65,160 | — |
| Chattanooga State Community College | $72,920 | $64,950 | $13,500 |
The 10 highest of 15. Every program is on its college's profile and in the CSV download.
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Ordered by median earnings four years after graduating: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. The one-year column is a later class (graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20, measured in 2020 and 2021, in 2022 dollars), so it is not the same graduates' pay a few years earlier. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed. Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Earnings reflect who enrolls and where graduates live as well as the program itself. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major.
Looking for Nursing programs in Tennessee? This page lists every college that reported awarding Nursing credentials to the federal government in 2024-25 — 45 of them — with the credential level each one awarded. That is a record of credentials conferred, not a confirmation that a college is currently admitting students, so confirm current availability with the college before it changes where you apply.
How much of this field is in Tennessee
- Credentials awarded
- 5,043
- Share of U.S. total
- 2.0%
- Colleges awarding it
- 45
- Awarding a degree
- 45
Tennessee colleges conferred 5,043 Nursing credentials in 2024-25, which is 2.0% of the 254,138 conferred across the 51 U.S. jurisdictions reporting any. Of the 45 colleges here, every one awarded a degree. These counts measure the size of graduating classes, not program quality, and not how many students are currently enrolled.
What level those credentials were
- Associate: 35%, 1,783 credentials.
- Bachelor's: 60%, 3,012 credentials.
- Graduate: 5%, 248 credentials.
Most Nursing credentials awarded in Tennessee were bachelor's degrees. The mix here is close to the national pattern for this field. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and the level a program awards is set by the program rather than by the student.
We measured how much this varies nationwide, and for most fields the credential level is set by the field rather than the state: is your major a certificate or a degree?
How concentrated it is. The single college with the largest reported graduating class in this field accounted for 14% of Tennessee’s Nursing credentials. Activity is spread across several institutions rather than sitting with one.
What these Tennessee colleges cost
Median net price across the 40 of these 45 colleges that report it, by family income. Net price is what students receiving federal aid actually paid for the WHOLE college after grants and scholarships, so it is not the price of a Nursing program specifically, and not a quote for any family.
- 0-30k
- $10,681
- 30-48k
- $12,359
- 48-75k
- $14,955
- 75-110k
- $17,760
- 110k+
- $18,723
By the kind of college
The figure above averages very different institutions together. Split by federal sector, for a family earning under $30,000:
| Kind of college | Colleges | Median net price |
|---|---|---|
| Public two-year | 11 | $5,205 |
| Public four-year | 10 | $9,519 |
| Private | 19 | $15,478 |
Sector is the federal classification (IPEDS ICLEVEL and CONTROL). Private covers both nonprofit and for-profit colleges, which CampusPin does not split here because the for-profit sample in a single state is usually too small to publish a median. Each row needs at least five colleges reporting net price, so a sector with fewer is left out rather than estimated.
A family earning under $30,000 paid a median of $10,681 at these colleges, against $18,723 for a family earning over $110,000. Individual colleges vary widely around these medians. See every Tennessee college by income band.
What this evidence does and does not prove
This lists colleges that reported conferring credentials in this field to the federal IPEDS completions collection, in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. It does not confirm that any of them is currently admitting students to the program, and a college can appear here after deciding to close it. Confirm with the institution before it affects where you apply.
How this list was built
From the U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions collection, matched to each college on its exact federal program classification. A college appears only if it conferred credentials in both 2023-24 and 2024-25, which is what separates a running program from one that has already closed.
This page exists because its list of colleges is materially different from that of every closely related field in Tennessee — the fields a reader could otherwise mistake it for, such as two engineering disciplines, or nursing and practical nursing. Where a related field resolves to the same colleges, the second page would be the first one with its title changed, and CampusPin does not publish it. Sharing colleges with an unrelated field is different, and not a reason to withhold the page: in most states the same colleges award business, psychology and biology alike, which says something about the colleges rather than about the fields. We measured exactly how often that happens, and published the result: does choosing a major narrow your college list?
What Nursing graduates go on to do
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Nursing, ordered by projected annual openings. National figures: openings and pay do not vary by where you studied, and the crosswalk describes related fields rather than a required or guaranteed path.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | $93,600 | 189,100 | Bachelor's degree |
| Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | $79,940 | 8,600 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). “Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already in the occupation, not a legal requirement, an admission rule, or a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Questions about Nursing in Tennessee
- How many colleges in Tennessee awarded Nursing credentials?
- 45 colleges in Tennessee reported conferring Nursing credentials to the federal IPEDS completions collection in 2024-25, 45 of them a degree rather than only a certificate. Together they awarded 5,043 credentials in the fields covered.
- Which Nursing programs in Tennessee have the highest graduate earnings?
- Among 24 Tennessee bachelor's programs in Nursing with federal earnings data, Southern Adventist University graduates earn the highest median, $83,525 four years after graduating, with a median federal debt of $27,000. King University follows at $83,010. The national median for bachelor's graduates in the same program is $88,910. (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard.)
- ADN vs BSN: how do associate and bachelor's nursing earnings compare in Tennessee?
- In Tennessee, the typical associate-degree nursing program (ADN) pays $73,546 four years after graduating, 96.4% of the typical bachelor's program (BSN, $76,268), across 15 associate and 24 bachelor's programs (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). Associate figures describe nurses who did not go on to a higher degree, and many hospitals prefer a BSN for some roles.
- Does this mean these colleges currently offer Nursing?
- Not necessarily. Completions record credentials already awarded, so they confirm a program ran and graduated students. They do not confirm it is still admitting. Every college here also awarded in the prior year, which makes a closed program less likely, but confirm directly with the institution before it affects where you apply.
- Is a college missing from this list?
- Possibly. A new program with no graduates yet does not appear, and CampusPin matches the federal classification exactly rather than guessing, so a college filing under a neighbouring code is absent. Absence is never evidence a program does not exist.