Best Online Colleges in Tennessee 2023

Published: Jan 4, 2022
Updated: Sep 8, 2023

Find the best online colleges in Tennessee ranked by the academic success of faculty and alumni associated with the colleges and universities and their online degree programs.

Top 10 Online Colleges in Tennessee

University of Memphis
Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University
Cumberland University
Lipscomb University
University of Tennessee at Martin
Lincoln Memorial University
Austin Peay State University
King University
Union University

Christian Brothers University 97%
University of Memphis 95%
Austin Peay State University 93%
East Tennessee State University 87%
Johnson University 81%
Tennessee Tech 79%
Carson–Newman University 79%
Trevecca Nazarene University 78%
Tusculum University 77%
University of Tennessee at Martin 75%

Tennessee Tech 18 to 1
Tusculum University 18 to 1
Cumberland University 17 to 1
East Tennessee State University 16 to 1
University of Tennessee at Martin 16 to 1
University of Memphis 16 to 1
Austin Peay State University 16 to 1
Bethel University 15 to 1
Lipscomb University 14 to 1
Carson–Newman University 14 to 1

Lipscomb University $35,752
Union University $35,510
Christian Brothers University $34,820
King University $32,838
Carson–Newman University $31,320
Trevecca Nazarene University $26,898
Tennessee Wesleyan University $26,590
Tusculum University $26,510
Cumberland University $25,412
Lincoln Memorial University $24,210

Tennessee Wesleyan University $20,870
Lincoln Memorial University $19,654
Lipscomb University $17,100
King University $14,207
Christian Brothers University $12,928
Bethel University $11,723
Union University $11,618
Trevecca Nazarene University $11,235
Tennessee Tech $10,480
Bryan College $9,630

Baptist Health Sciences University
Bethel University
Tusculum University
Welch College
Johnson University
Bryan College
Carson–Newman University
Christian Brothers University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Tennessee Tech

Baptist Health Sciences University 35%
Bethel University 50%
Union University 53%
Cumberland University 58%
Tennessee Wesleyan University 60%
King University 66%
Lincoln Memorial University 70%
Lipscomb University 74%
University of Tennessee at Martin 75%
Tusculum University 77%

Johnson University 8 to 1
Baptist Health Sciences University 9 to 1
Welch College 9 to 1
Union University 10 to 1
Christian Brothers University 11 to 1
King University 11 to 1
Tennessee Wesleyan University 11 to 1
Bryan College 12 to 1
Tennessee State University 12 to 1
Trevecca Nazarene University 13 to 1

Austin Peay State University $6,816
Tennessee State University $7,128
East Tennessee State University $7,486
University of Memphis $8,352
University of Tennessee at Martin $8,378
Tennessee Tech $8,520
Baptist Health Sciences University $12,572
Bryan College $17,360
Bethel University $17,482
Johnson University $19,274

Tusculum University $7,200
Cumberland University $7,500
Welch College $8,100
Austin Peay State University $8,226
East Tennessee State University $8,784
University of Tennessee at Martin $9,278
Johnson University $9,285
University of Memphis $9,378
Carson–Newman University $9,432
Tennessee State University $9,524

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

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.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

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?

Tennessee’s Best Overall

Online education has grown dramatically in quality, credibility, and popularity over the last two decades. Today, more than a quarter of all college students are taking at least one online course. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are more than 5 million college students who are pursuing their undergraduate degree fully online. And the number of online college and graduate students continues to grow as online technology and instructional methods improve.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to remote learning has proven an essential part of the educational ecosystem. Schools that offer primarily online degree programs saw an increase of 7% enrollment just between Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. The number of traditional institutions offering online courses and degrees is growing as well. This all paints a promising picture for the future of online education. But it also produces a dizzying array of options.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Online Colleges 2022

Asynchronous learning means classes don’t meet at set times. This is the most flexible online learning experience, making when you cover your course material up to you. Most asynchronous online courses will still have deadlines throughout the semester for various assignments and tests. Some asynchronous classes may still ask for an occasional meeting, such as initial meet-and-greets, and in some cases there may be scheduled test times. The idea of asynchronous learning is to allow the student to manage their schedules as needed.

Synchronous learning means you will have scheduled meeting times for your online classes. Synchronous learning gives online students the flexibility of location while also giving students a chance to engage with each other and their professors. For many online students, the structured class schedules and ability to see and hear from peers in real-time helps create the learning experience they want.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities—educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

How do we determine the best online colleges for undergrads?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Median Salaries of Top Careers in Tennessee

The following graph depicts the average salaries of top occupations in different industries in Tennessee.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

96710Personal Financial Advisors

114520Database Architects

126080Nuclear Engineers

131520Physicists

176650Chief Executives

Best Online Colleges in Tennessee 2023

Top 10 Online Colleges in Tennessee

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in Tennessee

What are Tennessee’s Colleges & Universities?

Median Salaries of Top Careers in Tennessee

Best Online Colleges in Tennessee 2022

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