2023 Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Tennessee
23
Ranked Colleges
1,550
Degrees Awarded
$34,495
Avg Salary
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Education is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 4th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 327,871 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, education graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $46,202 and had an average of $24,437 in loans still to pay off.
Across Tennessee, there were 5,194 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,170 and $24,137 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,550 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,466 and $26,819 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great education programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the education program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Education Schools
The education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s”.
Top 23 Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Tennessee
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 141 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2020-2021.
Middle Tennessee State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list.According to our most recent data, Middle Tennessee State University supports 22,080 students, and 1,284 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 799 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,132. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Middle Tennessee State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Belmont University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.
Belmont also took the #7 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 343 of the 8,204 students enrolled at Belmont were GI Bill® students, of which 227 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,102. In addition to receiving other benefits, 146 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Belmont offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Out of the 23 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Tennessee Technological University landed the #3 spot on the list. Tennessee Tech University is a public institution located in Cookeville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 198 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Tennessee Tech University also took the #2 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 403 of the 10,177 students enrolled at Tennessee Tech University were GI Bill® students, of which 229 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,510. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Tennessee Technological University]](/colleges/tennessee-technological-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend East Tennessee State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s. ETSU is a fairly large public school situated in Johnson City, Tennessee. It awarded 88 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree vets studying education list, ETSU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Among the 13,713 students enrolled at ETSU, 6 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,115. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree vets studying education list, UT Knoxville has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Of the 30,559 students enrolled at UT Knoxville, 1,122 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 739 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,650. To help with additional expenses, 8 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
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Lipscomb University ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s list. Lipscomb is a small school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 40 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Lipscomb also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #3.Among the 4,884 students enrolled at Lipscomb University, 235 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 184 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,878. During this same period, 72 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
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The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it awarded 152 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree vets studying education list, UT Chattanooga has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.According to our most recent data, UT Chattanooga supports 11,728 students, and 431 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 270 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,374. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
The University of Tennessee - Martin landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Martin, Tennessee, this medium-sized public school handed out 83 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2020-2021.
UT Martin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list.Our most recent data shows that 234 of the 7,117 students enrolled at The University of Tennessee - Martin were GI Bill® students, of which 138 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,843. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. The University of Tennessee - Martin does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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University of Memphis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. UofM is a large public school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 146 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree vets studying education list, UofM has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Of the 22,205 students enrolled at University of Memphis, 766 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 446 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,772. During this same period, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Memphis]](/colleges/university-of-memphis/student-life/veterans/)
Austin Peay State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized school located in Clarksville, Tennessee that handed out 59 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Austin Peay State University also took the #21 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Among the 10,272 students enrolled at Austin Peay State University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Trevecca Nazarene University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s education degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
TNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list.Among the 3,968 students enrolled at TNU, 152 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,987. In addition to receiving other benefits, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. TNU offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full TNU Veteran Student Life Report
King University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Bristol, Tennessee, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
King not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list.Among the 1,746 students enrolled at King, 75 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 51 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,981. To help with additional expenses, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Southern Adventist University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Collegedale, Tennessee, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern Adventist also took the #10 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Of the 2,730 students enrolled at Southern Adventist, 39 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,631. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Southern Adventist University Veteran Student Life Report
Freed-Hardeman University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. Freed-Hardeman University is located in Henderson, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
FHU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.According to our most recent data, FHU supports 2,188 students, and 43 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 26 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,165. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. FHU offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
Lincoln Memorial University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. Lincoln Memorial University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Harrogate, Tennessee. It awarded 15 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at LMU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 121 of the 4,885 students enrolled at LMU were GI Bill® students, of which 60 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,838. On top of their other funding sources, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. LMU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Carson - Newman University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. Carson - Newman is located in Jefferson City, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
Carson - Newman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list.Among the 2,911 students enrolled at Carson - Newman, 98 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 60 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,328. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Carson - Newman offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Carson - Newman]](/colleges/carson-newman-college/student-life/veterans/)
Tennessee State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. Tennessee State University is a medium-sized school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 57 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Tennessee State University also took the #16 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 249 of the 7,615 students enrolled at Tennessee State University were GI Bill® students, of which 102 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,829. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
With a ranking of #18, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s list. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Of the 13,537 students enrolled at Vanderbilt University, 13 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,769. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Vanderbilt University]](/colleges/vanderbilt-university/student-life/veterans/)
Union University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. Union is located in Jackson, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
Union also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #14.Of the 3,071 students enrolled at Union, 78 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,190. In addition to receiving other benefits, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
Lee University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Cleveland, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 98 degrees to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2020-2021.
Lee University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list.Among the 5,204 students enrolled at Lee University, 121 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 71 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,028. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Lee University Veteran Student Life Report
Tusculum University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. Tusculum University is located in Greeneville, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s education degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tusculum, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 63 of the 1,664 students enrolled at Tusculum University were GI Bill® students, of which 31 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,491. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Tusculum University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Tusculum Veteran Student Life Report
Cumberland University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Lebanon, Tennessee, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s education students in 2020-2021.
CU also made our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #19.Our most recent data shows that 67 of the 2,704 students enrolled at CU were GI Bill® students, of which 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,347. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. CU offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Cumberland University]](/colleges/cumberland-university/student-life/veterans/)
Bethel University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Education for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in McKenzie, Tennessee, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s education degrees in 2020-2021.
Bethel did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list.Our most recent data shows that 194 of the 4,001 students enrolled at Bethel University were GI Bill® students, of which 18 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,991. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Bethel University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Bethel Veteran Student Life Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Horadrim.
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