Colleges in Nashville: Universities, Trade and Technical Schools

Nashville, Music City USA, is a lively hub for music, government, and healthcare. Students attending colleges in Nashville can enjoy the city, even on a tight budget.

The Metro Nashville Public School systems has two special initiatives to prepare students for college. They partner with Nashville State Community College to offer the Early College High School Program, giving students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree at no cost. The Academies of Nashville exposes students to real-life careers so they can focus their future education goals while earning early college credit and nationally recognized industry certifications.

Fun Facts about Trade and Technical Schools in Nashville

It's fitting that Music City is home to a campus of the SAE Institute of Technology, where students can earn a certificate or associate degree in recording arts technology, or arts, entertainment, and media management. Other Nashville colleges include the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, where students earn certificates in fields like business, engineering, construction, and medical/dental assisting. The Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting offers certificate and associate degree programs in surgical assisting; it also has a new equine science program.

Fun Facts about Nashville Colleges and Universities

Of the dozens of universities in Nashville, here are a few of the most interesting:

  • Fisk University, a historically black university, was founded in 1866, making it the oldest college in Nashville. Fisk participates in the "Google in Residence" program as a way to support student growth in technical fields.
  • At Tennessee State University students can major in liberal arts, business, engineering, education, agriculture, and more. In the non-academic areas, students can choose to participate in one or more of the dozens of student groups, Greek life and an NCAA football team to root for.
  • Vanderbilt University is an internationally recognized and top-rated school. In 2018 the Princeton Review ranked Vanderbilt No. for Happiest Students, and in the top ten for best quality of life, financial aid, and most beautiful campus.

Graduate Schools in Nashville

All three of the universities in Nashville mentioned above offer graduate programs. Vanderbilt University is known for its world-class medical school, nursing school, law school, and graduate programs in business, engineering, and education. Belmont University, one of the Christian colleges in Nashville, offers more than a dozen master's and doctoral programs in the health professions, education, and law.

If you'd like information about more postsecondary education options in the state, visit Tennessee Colleges.

Sources:

  • Nashville, Music City, https://www.visitmusiccity.com/, accessed September 2018
  • National Center for Education Statistics' College Navigator http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/, accessed September 2018
  • SAE Institute of Technology, https://usa.sae.edu/campuses/nashville/, accessed September 2018
  • Tennessee College of Applied Technology, http://www.tcatnashville.edu, accessed September 2018
  • Tennessee State University, http://www.tnstate.edu/Meridian Institute of Surgical Assisting, http://www.meridian-institute.edu, accessed September 2018
  • Vanderbilt University, https://www.vanderbilt.edu/, accessed September 2018
  • Fisk University, https://www.fisk.edu/, accessed September 2018
  • Belmont University, http://www.belmont.edu/, accessed September 2018
Education Institutes in Nashville
Total Number of Educational Institutes
26
Total Enrollment in all institutes
52,352
Number of Public Educational Institutes
4
Number of Private For-Profit Institutes
12
Number of Private Non-Profit Institutes
10
Graduation Rate
18.43%
Total Graduates With Bachelors Degree
3,414
On Campus and Online Programs in Nashville
Number of Institutes Offering on-campus programs
N/A
Number of Institutes Offering on-line programs
1
Number of Institutes Offering both
25

Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2018-19, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
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