2024 Rankings: The 40 Best Nursing Schools in Tennessee

The UTHSC College of Nursing offers students a breadth of options at both the baccalaureate and doctoral levels. Undergraduates can pursue either a 12-month accelerated second degree or an RN-to-BSN completion pathway. Over the past decade, the accelerated BSN program has scored a phenomenal 98% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX licensure examination. Doctoral candidates have several options. UTHSC’s DNP program has nurse practitioner concentrations in adult-gerontology acute care, family nursing, neonatal nursing, pediatric acute care, pediatric primary care, and psychiatric-mental health nursing. PhD and dual DNP/PhD programs are also available.

LMU’s Caylor School of Nursing offers programs across seven physical sites and a robust online platform. The school’s main campus in Harrogate offers ASN, BSN, and MSN programs. Three satellite locations offer ASN programs only: Alcoa, TN; Corbin, KY; and Physicians Regional Medical Center in Knoxville, TN. The Cedar Bluff site in Knoxville offers LMU’s BSN and MSN programs, while the Kingsport Center for Higher Education offers just the MSN program. A partnership with Florida Hospital provides accelerated ASN and BSN programs in Tampa, while the online platform delivers the school’s RN-to-BSN and DNP programs. LMU students from all campuses perform well on their licensure exams. For example, Tennessee graduates from the ASN program have scored a 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past decade, while graduates from the BSN program have scored at a 95% first-time rate over the same timeframe.

The Union University School of Nursing offers well more than 15 different nursing programs. Undergraduates can pursue five pathways to a BSN degree: traditional, accelerated, LPN-to-BSN, RN-to-BSN, and a unique First Step to BSN program which helps adult students with few college credits earn their degree. The school graduates 130-170 prelicensure BSN students annually. These graduates have passed the NCLEX exam at a 94% rate over the past decade, well above the state and national averages. Union’s graduate nursing students can pursue one of six MSN tracks, six DNP tracks, or seven graduate certificates in nursing.

Tennessee Tech University is home to the Whitson-Hester School of Nursing. Undergraduate offerings include a traditional four-year BSN, an accelerated second bachelor’s degree, and an RN-to-BSN degree completion pathway. TTU graduates approximately 100 prelicensure BSN students annually, and they have passed the NCLEX exam at a stellar rate of 97% over the past decade. In fact, the 2018 and 2020 graduating BSN classes achieved a 99% NCLEX pass rate. TTU offers several MSN specializations online including family nurse practitioner, nursing administration, and nursing education. The school’s DNP program is conducted in consortium with East Tennessee State University. The two institutions jointly deliver concentrations in executive leadership and five nurse practitioner fields.

Baptist University prepares students for careers of service and leadership by providing a comprehensive health sciences education in an environment of Christian principles. The school partners with Baptist Memorial Health Care to extend the learning environment beyond the classroom, with clinical experiences in a broad range of common healthcare settings. Nursing students can pursue a traditional prelicensure BSN, an RN-to-BSN completion pathway, or a DNP degree designed for aspiring adult-gerontology nurse practitioners. The DNP program offers both post-baccalaureate and post-master’s pathways, with concentrations of study in acute care and primary care. The traditional BSN program graduates approximately 150 students annually, with an impressive 90% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past decade.

Serving more than 5,000 students, Lee University is one of the largest Christ-centered institutions in Tennessee and the largest member of the Appalachian College Association. The university’s School of Nursing opened its doors in 2014 with the launch of a traditional four-year bachelor of science degree in nursing. BSN students are admitted from three groups: first-time freshmen, transfer students, and existing students who wish to change their major. Prelicensure BSN students have enjoyed a stellar 98% NCLEX pass rate since the program’s launch. More recently, the School of Nursing initiated Lee University’s first doctoral program, a doctor of nursing practice degree. This program offers two pathways (post-BSN and post-MSN) for aspiring family nurse practitioners, as well as a traditional post-master’s doctorate for APRNs. The DNP program began teaching its first class of admitted students in January 2019.

The University of Memphis’s Loewenberg College of Nursing is home to more than 1,000 students enrolled on two physical campuses – the flagship Memphis campus and the Lambuth campus in Jackson, TN – as well as online. At the undergraduate level, the college offers three pathways to a BSN degree. Traditional undergraduates can complete the nursing curriculum in five semesters, while students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree can prepare for licensure in just four semesters. Finally, existing nurses can complete a flexible online 31-credit RN-to-BSN curriculum. The prelicensure pathways graduate approximately 250 students annually, with an excellent 90% NCLEX pass rate over the past decade. At the graduate level, UofM offers an MSN degree, post-master’s certificates, and a post-master’s PhD in nursing. MSN students can select from concentrations in executive leadership, family nurse practitioner, and nursing education. The nursing PhD program just enrolled its first cohort. The curriculum is conducted fully online with a primary focus on health equity research in education, practice, and policy.

Carson-Newman University is a Christian institution that serves approximately 2,400 students across fifty undergraduate majors and eleven graduate degrees. The university offers several nursing pathways. The Department of Undergraduate Studies in Nursing conducts a BSN program with both traditional and accelerated formats. The traditional track takes four years to complete, while the accelerated program condenses the curriculum into eight continuous semesters. Across both tracks, the university graduates approximately forty students annually. Over the past decade, these BSN graduates have scored a 94% NCLEX pass rate, including a perfect 100% pass rate for the graduating classes of 2017 and 2018. Carson-Newman also conducts an online RN-to-BSN pathway that working professionals can complete in as little as 14 months. Finally, the Department of Graduate Studies in Nursing offers an MSN degree with tracks for aspiring family nurse practitioners and nurse educators.

Milligan University is a Christian liberal arts institution that serves 1,200 students hailing from thirty-five states and twenty-five countries. Among the school’s more than 100 programs of study is a nursing curriculum that offers both prelicensure and RN-to-BSN tracks. Students have the opportunity to work in numerous healthcare settings including major medical centers, smaller urban hospitals, community health centers, rural hospitals, primary care clinics, home health programs, and parish nursing programs. Graduates of the traditional BSN program have enjoyed an 86% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX licensure exam over the past decade. In fact, two of the past three graduating classes have scored a perfect 100% NCLEX pass rate. Nearly every prelicensure student is employed or accepted to graduate school at the time of graduation. Milligan’s RN-to-BSN program began offering coursework entirely online in January 2019. A new cohort begins each January, and students may complete their studies in as little as five semesters.

The Jeanette C. Rudy School of Nursing and Health Professions is one of three major academic schools at Cumberland University. The school offers both baccalaureate and master’s degree programs in nursing. Undergraduates can pursue three BSN pathways: a traditional program with fulltime and part-time enrollment options, an accelerated second degree, and an RN-to-BSN completion track. Collectively, the prelicensure pathways graduate 90-120 students annually. Over the past decade, these prelicensure BSN graduates have averaged an 85% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX licensure examination. At the graduate level, Cumberland University conducts an online MSN degree program with specialization tracks in both nursing education and nurse executive leadership / administration.

Austin Peay State University is a public, doctoral-level institution that serves approximately 11,000 students. Austin Peay is Tennessee’s fastest-growing state university, with enrollment expected to reach 15,000 students by 2025. The School of Nursing offers two pathways to a bachelor of science in nursing, an MSN degree with two concentrations, and a post-master’s certificate option. Baccalaureate students can pursue either the traditional prelicensure track or the RN-to-BSN completion track. The traditional pathway graduates approximately 85-100 students annually. These BSN graduates have achieved a phenomenal 95% NCLEX pass rate over the past decade. At the graduate level, MSN students can pursue specialization as either a family nurse practitioner or a nurse educator, with post-master’s certificates also available in both fields. Classes for both the RN-to-BSN and graduate programs are primarily delivered in an online format, with both fulltime and extended plans of study. Students have opportunities for enhanced learning and networking through occasional campus visits.

Trevecca Nazarene University conducts a four-year prelicensure BSN program through a unique partnership with nearby Belmont University. The two universities recently refined their consortium agreement to offer a streamlined “2-2” format. Students complete their first two years of pre-nursing and general education coursework at Trevecca. During the spring semester of year two, they apply to Belmont’s School of Nursing. If accepted, students then complete two years of nursing coursework and practicums at Belmont. The program offers enhanced learning through state-of-the-art simulation facilities, as well as hands-on practice through extensive clinical experiences in local hospitals and community clinics. At the completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN national licensure examination.

Christian Brothers University is the oldest collegiate degree-granting institution in the city of Memphis. The university has one of the most diverse student bodies in the South: half of all students are Caucasian, one-third are African-American, and roughly 5% are Asian-American. Christian Brothers University offers an RN-to-BSN degree completion pathway for ADN- or diploma-prepared registered nurses. Established in 2011, the program blends face-to-face classroom instruction with online coursework along a convenient schedule. Students participate in the Memphis Immersion Experience, a four-day session of active learning about the city’s most vulnerable populations. They also have the opportunity to explore global community healthcare through an international mission trip. In the fall of 2020, Christian Brothers University launched a traditional BSN program that prepares undergraduate students for initial registered nursing licensure.

South College offers the full range of degree and certificate programs across its five campus locations. The School of Nursing provides a plethora of pathways to enter and advance within the profession. Undergraduates can pursue a practical nursing diploma or one of four BSN options: traditional, accelerated second degree, LPN bridge, and RN-to-BSN degree completion. At the graduate level, the school’s MSN program offers four nurse practitioner concentrations (family, psychiatric-mental health, pediatric primary care, adult-gerontology acute care) as well as a nurse executive focus. All MSN tracks are also available as postgraduate certificates. Finally, the school’s terminal DNP program offers family nurse practitioner, nurse anesthesia, and nurse executive concentrations. South College’s BSN and MSN programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, while its DNP and postgraduate certificate programs are currently applying for CCNE accreditation.

Galen College of Nursing was established by Humana Health Institutes in 1989. The college now operates a dozen campuses across the United States, as well as a thriving online division. The school’s Nashville campus offers two associate degree in nursing pathways (generic, LPN bridge) as well as an accelerated three-year bachelor of science in nursing. Students with a second degree or heavy transfer credits may complete the BSN program in just two years of fulltime study. The ADN and BSN prelicensure programs emphasize advanced coursework, hands-on learning, and clinical rotations at major hospitals across Nashville. Galen College of Nursing also offers online post-licensure programs for registered nurses, including an RN-to-BSN degree completion pathway and two MSN specializations (nursing and healthcare leadership, nurse educator).

Tusculum University is the oldest institution of higher education in Tennessee, the twenty-eighth oldest in the nation, and the oldest coeducational institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Indeed, the school’s campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The university’s School of Nursing offers a BSN program with two pathways (traditional undergraduate, RN-to-BSN completion) and an MSN program for aspiring family nurse practitioners. The traditional BSN program is noted for its small classes and clinical groups, with typically just 15-25 students in each graduating cohort. The BSN class of 2018 scored a strong 85% first-time pass rate on the NCLEX licensure examination. Tusculum University’s RN-to-BSN pathway is open to all registered nurses who hold a current, unencumbered license and an associate degree in nursing from a state-approved prelicensure program. The MSN curriculum offers several tracks including traditional (for BSN-prepared nurses), RN-to-MSN (for ADN-prepared nurses), and a streamlined FNP post-master’s certificate.

The Tennessee Valley Regional Practical Nursing Program is a consortium offering conducted by Tennessee College of Applied Technology’s Shelbyville and McMinnville campuses. The program requires 1,296 total hours of study, including 450 hours in maternity, medical-surgical, mental health, and pediatric clinical experiences. After completing their clinical hours, LPN students will be able to assess patient needs, evaluate and interpret lab results, and determine appropriate nursing measures for medical problems. Coursework covers important topics like professional vocational relations, nursing fundamentals, and work ethic. The Tennessee Valley Regional Practical Nursing Program prepares approximately 70 students annually to sit for the NCLEX-PN licensure examination. Over the past decade, these LPN graduates have achieved an excellent 94% first-time NCLEX pass rate.

The Appalachian Regional Practical Nursing Program is a consortium offering conducted by Tennessee College of Applied Technology’s Oneida/Huntsville and Jacksboro campuses. This LPN program consists of 1,296 clock hours and requires one year of fulltime study to complete. The curriculum combines coursework with clinical experiences at local healthcare centers. Coursework covers important areas like anatomy, physiology, disease processes, nursing principles, and pediatrics. The program graduates approximately 50 students annually who are well prepared for the NCLEX-PN licensure examination. Over the past decade, graduates of the Appalachian Regional Practical Nursing Program have averaged an excellent 93% first-time NCLEX pass rate.

TCAT Elizabethton has a practical nursing program that prepares more than 100 students annually for the NCLEX-PN licensure examination. Over the past decade, these LPN graduates have averaged a 91% first-time NCLEX pass rate. The program combines classroom instruction and simulation lab experiences with clinical rotations at area hospitals, assisted living facilities, and clinics. Coursework covers nutrition, body systems, growth and development, pharmacology, administering medication, personal and community health, medical-surgical nursing, and fundamental nursing skills. Upon completion of 120 hours of study, including 30 hours of clinical experience in long-term care, students receive a nursing assistant certificate and qualify for the nurse aide certification exam. Upon completion of the entire program, which requires 1,296 total hours of study, graduates receive a practical nursing diploma.

TCAT Morristown is a career training institute that provides certificate and diploma programs in a variety of in-demand fields, including computer information technology, HVAC, industrial maintenance, and practical nursing. The college boasts an impressive 87% employment rate and 99% licensure rate across all programs. The practical nursing program graduates 60-80 students annually, with a strong 92% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate over the past decade. This fulltime program consists of 1,296 clock hours completed over twelve months. Students are immersed in coursework on crucial topics like medication administration, intravenous therapy, maternity health, and medical-surgical nursing. Upon completion of the LPN program, graduates receive a diploma.