Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges 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.
Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.
Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.
This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 26 private universities in Tennessee. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Tennessee, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
12%
Graduation
93%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1510/34
Vanderbilt University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
51%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1040/21
Fisk University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$51K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
82%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1325/29
Rhodes College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$49K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
80%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1245/27
Sewanee: The University of the South’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
71%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1225/26
Belmont University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$24K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
53%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1100/22
Lincoln Memorial University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
62%
Graduation
69%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1185/26
Lipscomb University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
47%
Student body
1K
Bryan College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
63%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1070/24
Lee University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
66%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1170/26
Union University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
50%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1097/22
King University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
54%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/20
Cumberland University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
50%
Graduation
57%
Student body
2K
Christian Brothers University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
79%
Graduation
52%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/24
Carson–Newman University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
62%
Graduation
45%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1141/24
Maryville College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
74%
Graduation
53%
Student body
3K
Southern Adventist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$27K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
48%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/22
Tennessee Wesleyan University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$27K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
56%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1179/23
Trevecca Nazarene University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Graduation
23%
Student body
1K
Lane College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$20K
Graduation
72%
Student body
<1K
Welch College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
35%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1024/18
Bethel University ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
15%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
825/16
LeMoyne–Owen College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
98%
Graduation
32%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/19
University of Tennessee Southern’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
66%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1130/24
Freed–Hardeman University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$27K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
36%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/20
Tusculum University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$22K
Graduation
50%
Student body
<1K
Daymar Institute’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 utiulized 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.
Check out our directory of private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.
