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2024 Best Registered Nursing Schools in Tennessee

40 Colleges in Tennessee
5,020 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded
Ranked #3 in popularity, registered nursing is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 40 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Registered Nursing Schools in Tennessee ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 5,020 degrees in registered nursing during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Registered Nursing School

Best Registered Nursing Schools in Tennessee The registered nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Registered Nursing rankings. For our Best Overall Registered Nursing School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Registered Nursing Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Registered Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Registered Nursing
Master's Degrees in Registered Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Registered Nursing

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Registered Nursing Schools in Tennessee list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Registered Nursing in Tennessee

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the registered nursing degree levels they offer.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Registered Nursing

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
28th Most Popular In TN
99 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in registered nursing has to check out The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center. Located in the city of Memphis, UTHSC is a public university with a small student population.

There were about 99 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UTHSC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In TN
169 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat Southern Adventist University if you wish to pursue a degree in registered nursing. Located in the suburb of Collegedale, Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #273 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Southern Adventist is a great university overall.

There were approximately 169 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Southern Adventist in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Southern Adventist University

3
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In TN
168 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Union University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in registered nursing. Located in the small city of Jackson, Union is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #579 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Union is a great university overall.

There were roughly 168 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Union in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Union University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In TN
272 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in registered nursing. UT Knoxville is a very large public university located in the city of Knoxville. A Best Colleges rank of #173 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Knoxville is a great university overall.

There were approximately 272 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In TN
601 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

ETSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Johnson City. A Best Colleges rank of #851 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means ETSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 601 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from East Tennessee State University

6
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In TN
198 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #206 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Belmont is a great university overall.

There were about 198 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at Belmont in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Belmont University

7
King crest
King University
Bristol, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In TN
103 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Bristol, King is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 103 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at King in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from King University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TN
318 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

Located in the distant town of Harrogate, LMU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #947 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means LMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 318 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at LMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from Lincoln Memorial University

9
South College crest
South College
Knoxville, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TN
275 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

South College is a moderately-sized private for-profit college located in the city of Knoxville.

There were approximately 275 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at South College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from South College

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In TN
175 Registered Nursing Degrees Awarded

UT Chattanooga is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Chattanooga. This university ranks 16th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 175 registered nursing students who graduated with this degree at UT Chattanooga in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in registered nursing from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Best Registered Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Registered Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Florida71518,780
North Carolina7106,188
Georgia6905,702
Virginia6305,839
South Carolina5302,828
Kentucky5184,931
Mississippi5012,590
Alabama5006,786
Louisiana4893,152
Arkansas4662,673
West Virginia4101,666

View All Rankings >

One of 23 majors within the Nursing area of study, Registered Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing384
Nursing Practice237
Nurse Anesthetist118
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing93
School Nursing77
Critical Care Nursing69
Nursing Administration37
Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing34
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing33
Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing30

View All Registered Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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