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Tennessee offers a broad range of educational opportunities for its students. School aged children
may attend one of the state’s 1,677 public schools, approximately 575 private schools, or may be
home-schooled. Higher education in the Volunteer State is represented in public universities,
private universities and colleges, and community colleges.
Tennessee boasts a wealth of public universities and higher education institutions. Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, founded in 1927, enrolls over 9,000
students and offers 57 majors and 91 different concentrations. East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in Johnson City, founded in 1910, enrolls
over 11,000 students and offers over 100 undergraduate, 60 master’s, and 11 doctoral programs in
Northeast Tennessee’s only four-year, comprehensive university. ETSU is also classified as a
Doctoral/Research University by the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Middle
Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, founded in 1911, is the oldest and largest
public university in Middle Tennessee, enrolling over 22,000 students and offering eight bachelor
degrees, master’s degrees in 10 areas, a Specialist in Education degree, a Doctor of Arts degree, and
the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Tennessee State
University (TSU) in Nashville, founded in 1912, resides on two campuses and enrolls over 9,000
students. TSU offers a comprehensive, urban, coeducational land-grant university education with 45
bachelor’s degrees, 24 master’s degrees, and doctoral programs in several fields. Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville is Tennessee’s technological
university, and enrolls over 9,700 students in programs such as engineering, the sciences, and
related areas. The University of Memphis
(U of M) in Memphis, founded in 1912, enrolls over 20,000 students and offers bachelor’s degrees
in over 50 majors and 70 concentrations, master’s degrees in over 50 subjects, and doctoral degrees
in 21 disciplines. The University of Tennessee
(UT) System is a statewide institution comprised of UT Knoxville, UT Health Science Center in
Memphis, UT Chattanooga, UT Martin, UT Space Institute in Tullahoma, UT Institute of Agriculture, and
UT Institute for Public Service. The University of
Tennessee-Knoxville in Knoxville, founded in 1794, is the state’s flagship comprehensive research
institution, and enrolls over 26,000 students in over 300 degree programs. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in Chattanooga is a metropolitan university
offering over 70 degree programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels to over 9,000 students.
The University of Tennessee-Martin in Martin is the
only public four-year university in West Tennessee outside of Memphis, and enrolls over 6,500
students. The University of Tennessee-Memphis in
Memphis is the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, founded in 1911, and consists of five
medical schools, as well as schools of dentistry and pharmacy, and enrolls approximately 2,000
students in various allied health disciplines. The University
of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) in Tullahoma is a graduate education and research institution
adjacent to the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering
Development Center, and was founded in 1964 for graduate study and research in engineering,
physics, mathematics, and aviation systems.
Several distinguished private universities and colleges reside in Tennessee. Belmont University in Nashville, founded in 1890, enrolls approximately 4,700
students and focuses on teaching, with over 60 areas of study, eight master’s degrees, and two
doctoral degrees offered in a Christian environment. Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, established in 1851, is a private,
Christian liberal arts institution offering both undergraduate and graduate programs in 53 majors to
over 1,800 students. Cumberland University
in Lebanon, founded in 1842, is a private, independent, coeducational, liberal arts institution with
five undergraduate divisions, four graduate degree programs, and opportunities for working adults;
over 1,300 students are enrolled in over 40 majors. Lambuth
University in Jackson, founded in 1843, is an independent undergraduate, church-related
institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Lee University in Cleveland, founded in 1918, enrolls over 4,000 students.
Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, founded
in 1897 as a living memorial to Abraham Lincoln, offers over 30 academic majors in a wide variety of
disciplines, and enrolls nearly 3,000 students. Maryville College in Maryville is a private, four-year college established in
1819, and is the 12th oldest higher education institution in the southern U.S. Over 1,100 students
take advantage of 50 fields of study at Maryville College, which offers health-related professional
education in addition to business and theological programs. Meharry
Medical College in Nashville, founded in 1876, enrolls over 720 students in education and training
in the health sciences, with programs designed to improve the health and health care of minority and
underserved communities. The Memphis College of Art
in Memphis is a professional school for art and design education, and is accredited by the
National Association of Schools of
Art and Design (NASAD). The O'more College
of Design in is a four-year, accredited post-secondary institution offering bachelor of fine arts
degrees in Interior Design; Fashion Design & Merchandising; and Visual Communications. Rhodes College in Memphis, founded in 1848, enrolls nearly 1,700 students and
offers 24 departmental and 9 interdisciplinary majors. South College in Knoxville, founded in 1882, is a private, co-educational,
non-sectarian institution offering programs of study with emphases in pharmaceutical science,
elementary education, and business administration, among other programs. Tusculum College in Greeneville, founded in 1794, is Tennessee’s oldest college,
and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church; approximately 20 majors are offered. The University of the South (also called Sewanee) in Sewanee offers a liberal arts
college and a seminary, with an Episcopal heritage; over 1,500 students are enrolled. Vanderbilt University in Nashville, founded in 1873, is one of the nation’s top
research universities. Vanderbilt offers opportunities in many undergraduate programs, as well as
graduate and professional degrees; over 11,600 students are enrolled. Watkins College of Art & Design in Nashville offers a studio-based curriculum for
art and design students.
Notable community colleges in Tennessee include Chattanooga State Technical Community College in Chattanooga; Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland; Columbia State Community College in Columbia; Dyersburg State Community College in Dyersburg; Jackson State Community College in Jackson; Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma; Nashville State Technical Community College in Nashville; National College of Business & Technology in Nashville; Northeast State Technical Community College in Blountville; Pellissippi State Technical Community College in Knoxville; Roane State Community College in Harriman; Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis; Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin; and Walters State Community College in Morristown.
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