With all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take when you want to pursue a college degree. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Associate Degree Colleges in Tennessee ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
We analyzed 19 colleges and universities across Tennessee to determine which ones have the best associate degree programs. Instead of depending on subjective information to rank the best schools, we focus on objective factors in our analysis. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
Early-Career Salaries Are Higher
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving a associate degree from the school. While associate degree recipients from schools in Tennessee earn an average starting salary of $38,393, those from the top 17 school on this list made an average of $40,470.
Starting Salary ( 27573 to 47599 )
Average Student Debt
In addition to average starting salaries, we also consider the average amount of student loans that students take on while pursuing their associate degree.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients from schools in Tennessee have accumulated an average of $11,067 in student debt.
The average amount taken out in student loans for graduates at a particular school may be crippling for those who earn less than average wages after graduation.
Other Ranking Factors in Our Methodology
We also analyze a number of other factors in addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt when coming up with our yearly Best Associate Degree Schools ranking.
Several other factors - such as how much the school spends on educational resources, the demand of the school, the availability of online learning options, and the student body caliber - go into our rankings.
If you'd rather work on your associate degree in a specific area of the country, you might be interested in our rankings by place. In addition, we've put together a number of other college rankings that may help you in your search.
Southern Adventist University tops this year’s ranking as the best school for associate degrees in Tennessee for overall quality. Southern Adventist University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Collegedale, Tennessee that handed out 136 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $61,225 during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lincoln Memorial University. The school came in at #2 in Tennessee on this year’s best associate degree schools ranking. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Harrogate, Tennessee, and it awarded 146 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Graduates with a associate degree from LMU make an average of $54,468 per year during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $8,511 in student loans.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Austin Peay State University. The school came in at #3 in Tennessee on this year’s best associate degree schools ranking. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized public school located in Clarksville, Tennessee that handed out 387 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Those who receive a associate degree from Austin Peay State University go into careers with an average salary of $30,708 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $15,000 in student loans.
A rank of #4 on our Best Associate Degree in Tennessee list means Jackson State Community College is a great place for students working on their degree. This small public school is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and it awarded 532 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Those who receive a associate degree from JSCC go into careers with an average salary of $44,991 during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwest Tennessee Community College. The school came in at #5 in Tennessee on this year’s best associate degree schools ranking. Southwest is a public institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 926 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Southwest make an average of $42,678 a year. Associate students leave the school with an average of $11,110 in student loans.
Chattanooga State Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Chattanooga State Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It awarded 1,163 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Chattanooga State Community College is $42,239 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $8,912 in student loans.
Cumberland University did quite well in the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #7. CU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Tennessee. It awarded 237 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from CU make an average of $22,849 a year.
Lee University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Lee University is located in Cleveland, Tennessee and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 13 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Pellissippi State Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. This medium-sized public school is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it awarded 1,415 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $33,298 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $9,257 in student loans.
With a ranking of #10, Volunteer State Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in Gallatin, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,201 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Graduates with a associate degree from VSCC make an average of $33,781 per year during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $10,960 in student loans.
Nashville State Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Nashville State Community College is a public institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 951 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Those who receive a associate degree from Nashville State Community College go into careers with an average salary of $35,480 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $11,940 in student loans.
Columbia State Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in Columbia, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school handed out 934 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Graduates with a associate degree from Columbia State Community College make an average of $41,096 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by associate students is $7,250.
Bethel University landed the #13 spot on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. McKenzie, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 115 students in 2021-2022.
With a ranking of #14, Motlow State Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school handed out 967 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Motlow is $37,586 during the early years of their career. Associate students leave the school with an average of $6,034 in student loans.
Dyersburg State Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the small public school awarded 407 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Graduates with a associate degree from DSCC make an average of $58,458 per year during the early years of their career.
Roane State Community College did quite well in the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #16. Roane State Community College is a small public school located in Harriman, Tennessee that handed out 850 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Those who receive a associate degree from Roane State Community College go into careers with an average salary of $35,098 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #17, Cleveland State Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. This small public school is located in Cleveland, Tennessee, and it awarded 449 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Cleveland State Community College make an average of $43,258 a year.
With a ranking of #18, Walters State Community College did quite well on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Located in Morristown, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school awarded 932 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from WSCC is $36,291 during the early years of their career.
Northeast State Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Located in Blountville, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school handed out 868 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
During the early years of their career, associate degree graduates from Northeast State Technical Community College make an average of $34,490 a year.
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).
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%.
