Tennessee has always been a leading example of accessible college education nationwide. Two programs that have led the charge are the Tennessee Promise and the TN eCampus Initiative. The Tennessee Promise marked a decade of success by providing free tuition to more than 150,000 high school seniors, helping them earn technical certificates and associate degrees. Since 2001, the TN eCampus Initiative has supported online learning across 13 community colleges and 27 Colleges of Applied Technology.
This guide, bolstered by data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), can help you find the best online colleges in Tennessee. Explore information on tuition breaks for non-residents and potential career paths for graduates.
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Overview of Online Colleges in Tennessee 2024
A Brief Overview of Higher Education in Tennessee
Tennessee hosts 82 post-secondary institutions: 24 public, 42 nonprofit, and 16 for-profit schools. Of these institutions, the 23 public schools include 11 four-year universities and 13 community colleges.In the 2023-24 academic year, CollegeBoard found that the average in-state tuition and fees for four-year public schools in Tennessee costs $10,889, and the average in-state tuition and fees for two-year public schools is $4,767. These figures rank the Volunteer State among 15 states where the average in-state tuition and fees at public universities fell more than 10% since 2018.[dataviz-stats public="24" non-profit="42" for-profit="16"]There are many financial aid opportunities for students earning their degrees in Tennessee. The state awarded $464,395,735 through need-based and non-need-based grants during the 2021-2022 school year.
Higher Education in Tennessee 2024
The State of Online Higher Education in Tennessee
Tennessee boasts a college enrollment of more than 300,000. A 2019 report from Bay View Analytics found that Tennessee enrolled 273,296 undergraduates and 49,790 graduates. At that time, nearly 66% of Tennessee schools had the capacity to deliver online learning exclusively.While colleges in Tennessee experienced an undergraduate enrollment decline of 5.7% from 2012-2019, online enrollment grew. In 2019, some 41,219 college students took online courses exclusively, and 123,356 learners took at least one online course. These figures do not take into account the massive growth of online learning amid and following the Covid-19 pandemic.Tennessee also increases college accessibility through the Tennessee Reconnect program, which reimburses eligible students pursuing diplomas, certificates, associate degrees, and more.Its website also gives students access to online learning options through TN eCampus, the University of Tennessee at Martin, the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, and the University of Tennessee.
Best Online Colleges in Tennessee 2024
The following section includes a ranked list of the best online colleges in Tennessee. Our profiles look at how schools approach accredited online education, listing their services for distance students and fully online degrees. After reviewing the best online schools in Tennessee, explore our state resources, which include a database of every college in the state and popular scholarships.
Ranking Methodology
To determine the best online colleges in each state, we examined the factors most important to prospective students: Academic quality and reputation, online program strength, and cost and student aid. At the most basic level, we use the following formula to determine the best online colleges: Academic Quality + Online Offerings + Cost and Student Aid = Final Score. Of course, there's more to these calculations than meets the eye. Visit our methodology page to discover the data points that shape our formula and to learn more about the process we use to rank schools.
College Graduate Outlook in Tennessee 2024
Even if you live outside of Tennessee, you can still pay in-state tuition in some cases. The Southern Regional Education Board helps college students get tuition discounts through the Academic Common Market (ACM). Undergraduate and graduate students from 15 other participating states can apply. Schools set deadlines to apply for the ACM. Tennesseeans are also eligible for in-state tuition in the following member states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Institutions also offer tuition breaks for non-residents. For instance, Tennessee State University offers tuition discounts to undergraduate and graduate students located within a 250-mile radius of Nashville.
Job Opportunities in Tennessee for College Graduates
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported that, as of March 2024, Tennessee's unemployment rate hit 3.2% — lower than the national rate of 3.8%.According to data from the Sycamore Institute, higher degree attainment in Tennessee often leads to better salaries. In 2021, individuals with bachelor's degrees earned a median salary of $53,000, while those with associate degrees or less made at least $39,000.The state's fastest-growing industries include healthcare, education, business, and technology. Job openings for general and operations management and registered nurses (RNs) are projected to outpace other careers that require a bachelor's degree. These careers have respective salaries of $87,975 and $60,122.