Best Community Colleges in Tennessee 2024
The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Tennessee offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.
10 Best Community Colleges in Tennessee
- Volunteer State Community College
- Pellissippi State Community College
- Chattanooga State Community College
- Walters State Community College
- Motlow State Community College
- Southwest Tennessee Community College
- Columbia State Community College
- Roane State Community College
- Cleveland State Community College
- Nashville State Community College
- Chattanooga State Community College
- Walters State Community College
- Pellissippi State Community College
- Motlow State Community College
- Southwest Tennessee Community College
- Columbia State Community College
- Roane State Community College
- Volunteer State Community College
- Nashville State Community College
- Cleveland State Community College
- Volunteer State Community College 24 to 1
- Motlow State Community College 23 to 1
- Dyersburg State Community College 23 to 1
- Northeast State Community College 20 to 1
- Nashville State Community College 20 to 1
- Cleveland State Community College 20 to 1
- Jackson State Community College 19 to 1
- Columbia State Community College 19 to 1
- Pellissippi State Community College 18 to 1
- Walters State Community College 17 to 1
- Roane State Community College $4,414
- Columbia State Community College $4,140
- Southwest Tennessee Community College $4,104
- Walters State Community College $4,104
- Jackson State Community College $4,104
- Motlow State Community College $4,104
- Northeast State Community College $4,104
- Pellissippi State Community College $4,104
- Volunteer State Community College $4,104
- Nashville State Community College $4,104
- Jackson State Community College
- Dyersburg State Community College
- Northeast State Community College
- Nashville State Community College
- Cleveland State Community College
- Roane State Community College
- Columbia State Community College
- Southwest Tennessee Community College
- Motlow State Community College
- Walters State Community College
- Dyersburg State Community College
- Jackson State Community College
- Northeast State Community College
- Cleveland State Community College
- Nashville State Community College
- Volunteer State Community College
- Roane State Community College
- Columbia State Community College
- Southwest Tennessee Community College
- Motlow State Community College
- Chattanooga State Community College 13 to 1
- Southwest Tennessee Community College 16 to 1
- Walters State Community College 17 to 1
- Roane State Community College 17 to 1
- Pellissippi State Community College 18 to 1
- Jackson State Community College 19 to 1
- Columbia State Community College 19 to 1
- Northeast State Community College 20 to 1
- Nashville State Community College 20 to 1
- Cleveland State Community College 20 to 1
- Southwest Tennessee Community College $4,104
- Walters State Community College $4,104
- Jackson State Community College $4,104
- Motlow State Community College $4,104
- Northeast State Community College $4,104
- Pellissippi State Community College $4,104
- Volunteer State Community College $4,104
- Nashville State Community College $4,104
- Chattanooga State Community College $4,104
- Dyersburg State Community College $4,104
Colleges and Universities in Tennessee
About one third of the higher learning institutes in Tennessee are public schools. Students who attend these schools can expect to pay anywhere between $4,000 to $13,000 in tuition and have the option to pursue degrees in fields such as economics, history, nursing, literature, education, and criminal justice. Tennessee’s largest public school, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, boasts some impressive alumni, including Oprah Winfrey, Kurt Vonnegut, and Cormac McCarthy. The private school alumni are equally as notable. For example, author James Patterson and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus both attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
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Tennessee also offers nearly 30 religiously affiliated schools, the largest being Belmont University in Nashville, located just blocks from the famous Music Row. Here, students can study a wide range of fields including Christian leadership, audio engineering technology, and biophysics. Additionally, Tennessee offers students several loan forgiveness programs. Math and science teachers, minority teachers, and registered nurses interested in becoming teachers or administrators who meet certain requirements may be eligible.
Tennessee is home to mouthwatering barbecues, electrified blues, and the sweeping majesty of the Smoky Mountains National Park. And with access to countless historic sites, unique museums, and lush green spaces, students attending one of the more than 60 colleges and universities in The Volunteer State will have plenty to do and see in their downtime.
Discover more about the top programs and higher education learning opportunities available in Tennessee.
What are Tennessee’s Colleges & Universities?
- 14 Research Universities
- 21 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 14 Graduate Schools
- 9 Public Colleges & Universities
- 26 Private Colleges & Universities
- 21 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 24 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 15 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 13 Community Colleges
- 21 Online Colleges
Tennessee’s Best Overall
We’ve identified 13 community colleges in Tennessee. The following list shows the best community colleges and primarily associate degree granting colleges in Tennessee.
Best Community Colleges in Tennessee
- #6 Best Online Associate Degrees in Tennessee 2024 #6 Best Online Associate in Sociology #7 Best Online Associate in Finance #7 Best Online Associate in Fire Science Degree Programs
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
23%
Student body
10K
Career Outlook for degree at Volunteer State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,404Starting Salary: $34,800What is Volunteer State Community College known for?
Volunteer State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
27%
Student body
12K
Career Outlook for degree at Pellissippi State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,456Starting Salary: $33,300What is Pellissippi State Community College known for?
Pellissippi State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
22%
Student body
9K
Career Outlook for degree at Chattanooga State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,430Starting Salary: $33,200What is Chattanooga State Community College known for?
Chattanooga State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
32%
Student body
7K
Career Outlook for degree at Walters State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,399Starting Salary: $30,900What is Walters State Community College known for?
Walters State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
32%
Student body
7K
Career Outlook for degree at Motlow State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,416Starting Salary: $31,400What is Motlow State Community College known for?
Motlow State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
15%
Student body
10K
Career Outlook for degree at Southwest Tennessee Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,430Starting Salary: $29,100What is Southwest Tennessee Community College known for?
Southwest Tennessee Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
27%
Student body
7K
Career Outlook for degree at Columbia State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,480Starting Salary: $34,600What is Columbia State Community College known for?
Columbia State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
33%
Student body
6K
Career Outlook for degree at Roane State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,724Starting Salary: $32,600What is Roane State Community College known for?
Roane State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- #6 Best Online Associate in Health Information Technology & Informatics #7 Best Online Associate in Political Science #13 Best Online Associate Degrees in Tennessee 2024 #15 Best Online Associate in Finance
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
29%
Student body
4K
Career Outlook for degree at Cleveland State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,400Starting Salary: $32,100What is Cleveland State Community College known for?
Cleveland State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
16%
Student body
9K
Career Outlook for degree at Nashville State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,372Starting Salary: $33,600What is Nashville State Community College known for?
Nashville State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
28%
Student body
7K
Career Outlook for degree at Northeast State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,422Starting Salary: $29,900What is Northeast State Community College known for?
Northeast State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
26%
Student body
4K
Career Outlook for degree at Dyersburg State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,410Starting Salary: $29,800What is Dyersburg State Community College known for?
Dyersburg State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
23%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for degree at Jackson State Community College
Cost of Degree: $4,396Starting Salary: $31,500What is Jackson State Community College known for?
Jackson State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
- Chattanooga State Community College
- Cleveland State Community College
- Volunteer State Community College
- Northeast State Community College
- Southwest Tennessee Community College
- Walters State Community College
- Pellissippi State Community College
- Roane State Community College
- Nashville State Community College
- Dyersburg State Community College
- Columbia State Community College
- Motlow State Community College
- Jackson State Community College