For prospective college students looking for schools that align with their Christian faith and demonstrate academic excellence, here are the best Christian 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.
The following list of the best Christian schools consists entirely of colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degrees. We’ve identified 21 Christian colleges in Tennessee. In order to be included in this ranking list of best Christian colleges and universities, a school must self-identify as Christian, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor degree programs.
Tuition + fees
$51K
Acceptance
57%
Graduation
85%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1310/29
Rhodes College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$49K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
80%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1250/27
Sewanee: The University of the South’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
68%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/26
Belmont University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
74%
Graduation
71%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1195/25
Lipscomb University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Graduation
58%
Student body
1K
Bryan College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
58%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1085/24
Lee University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
53%
Graduation
68%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1200/26
Union University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
46%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1055/22
King University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
59%
Student body
2K
Christian Brothers University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
57%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1040/22
Carson–Newman University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
56%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1020/24
Maryville College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
74%
Graduation
48%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1110/23
Southern Adventist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$27K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
52%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
955/22
Tennessee Wesleyan University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$27K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
49%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1146/22
Trevecca Nazarene University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Graduation
24%
Student body
1K
Lane College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$20K
Graduation
62%
Student body
<1K
Welch College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
50%
Graduation
38%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
987/18
Bethel University ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
98%
Graduation
18%
Student body
<1K
LeMoyne–Owen College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
34%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1017/20
University of Tennessee Southern’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
88%
Graduation
65%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1140/24
Freed–Hardeman University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$27K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
41%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1002/21
Tusculum University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 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.
Rhodes College Sewanee: The University of the South Bryan College Southern Adventist University Maryville College Carson–Newman University King University Tusculum University Lipscomb University Lee University Union University Christian Brothers University Trevecca Nazarene University Freed–Hardeman University Tennessee Wesleyan University Belmont University