Top Schools

The Tennessee schools with the best nationwide ranking in 2010 were:

1. Vanderbilt University - located in Nashville, it was ranked 11th in the nation
2. Rhodes College - located in Memphis, it was ranked 26th in the nation
3. Sewanee-The University of the South - located in Sewanee, it was ranked 26th in the nation

Programs Offered

Nearly 43.4% of Tennessee's 1,345,325 students are enrolled in one of the 1,357 bachelor's degree programs offered in the state. Tennessee's 664 master's or Ph.D.-level programs have an enrollment of about 144,608 students, which is 21.3% of Tennessee students. The rest of Tennessee's college students are enrolled in one of Tennessee's 1,103 certificate or associate's degree programs.

The most popular courses of study in Tennessee are:

1. Healthcare - 11% of students graduated from healthcare programs
2. Business - 7% of students graduated from business programs
3. Nursing - 4% of students graduated from nursing programs

Tuition

In 2011, the average cost of in-state tuition at Tennessee schools was $7,439 per year. The highest tuition being charged at a Tennessee schools was $39,930 per year and the lowest was $3,057 per year. In 2011, the following schools charged the highest tuition rates:

1. Vanderbilt University - located in Nashville, it charged students a tuition of $39,930 per year
2. Sewanee-The University of the South - located in Sewanee, it charged students a tuition of $35,862 per year
3. Rhodes College - located in Memphis, it charged students a tuition of $34,580 per year

The Tennessee state schools with the lowest tuition were:

1. Nashville State Community College - located in Nashville, it charged students a tuition of $3,057 per year
2. Columbia State Community College - located in Columbia, it charged students a tuition of $3,073 per year
3. Cleveland State Community College - located in Cleveland, it charged students a tuition of $3,101 per year

Financial Aid

Students in Tennessee received $1,019,854,472 in financial aid in 2008. Approximately 79% of this was in the form of institutional grants or scholarships. In 2008, the following Tennessee colleges and universities provided the highest amount of institutional financial aid to students:

Tennessee Student Demographics

Tennessee schools have an average student population of 2,107 students, with 10 schools having a population of over 10,000 students each. In 2010, the following the Tennessee colleges and universities had the largest student populations:

1. The University of Tennessee - located in Knoxville, it had 29,934 students
2. Middle Tennessee State University - located in Murfreesboro, it had 25,188 students
3. University of Memphis - located in Memphis, it had 21,424 students

The following the Tennessee colleges and universities had the smallest student populations:

1. Shear Academy - located in Crossville, it had 20 students
2. Career Beauty College - located in Lawrenceburg, it had 23 students
3. Volunteer Beauty Inc - located in Nashville, it had 27 students

Graduation Rates

In Tennessee, 146,911 students graduated from colleges and universities in 2010. In 2010, the graduation rates were highest at the following Tennessee colleges and universities:

1. Volunteer Beauty Inc - located in Nashville, it had a graduation rate of 100%
2. American Baptist College - located in Nashville, it had a graduation rate of 100%
3. Tennessee Academy of Cosmetology LLC - located in Memphis, it had a graduation rate of 98%

The following Tennessee colleges and universities had the lowest graduation rates:

1. Southwest Tennessee Community College - located in Memphis, it had a graduation rate of 4%
2. Dyersburg State Community College - located in Dyersburg, it had a graduation rate of 7%
3. Chattanooga State Community College - located in Chattanooga, it had a graduation rate of 7%

Diversity

There is a lot of diversity in the student population at Tennessee schools. In 2009, 30% of Tennessee's undergraduate students were from racial or ethnic minority backgrounds. About 59% of undergraduates at Tennessee colleges and universities were female. Approximately 32% of Tennessee students were older than 24 years of age in 2009. The following Tennessee colleges and universities had the greatest percentage of minority students:

1. Regency Beauty Institute-Nashville - located in Antioch, 100% of students were from minority backgrounds
2. Memphis Institute of Barbering - located in Memphis, 100% of students were from minority backgrounds
3. Southern Institute of Cosmetology - located in Memphis, 100% of students were from minority backgrounds

Tennessee Faculty Demographics

Although the students at Tennessee schools are very diverse, the faculty at Tennessee colleges and universities is not diverse. Of the 69,326 faculty members employed by Tennessee colleges and universities in 2009, about 27% identified themselves as belonging to a racial or ethnic minority. For every 100 faculty members at Tennessee schools, 55 of them were women.

Faculty to Student Ratio

On average, for every 100 students in Tennessee colleges and universities, there were 17 faculty in 2009. The following colleges and universities in Tennessee schools had the largest number of faculty for each student:

1. Visible School-Music and Worships Arts College
2. New Concepts School of Cosmetology
3. Shear Academy