Online and On-Campus Colleges in TENNESSEE

Sitting on 910 acres near the Tennessee River in Knoxville, the University of Tennessee's flagship campus is home to the largest student body in the state. More than 22,000 undergraduates and 6,000 graduate and professional students were enrolled here in 2017.

UT consists of 11 accredited colleges that offer a massive variety of degree programs, particularly for advanced students. Of the more than 900 degrees and concentrations available to Volunteers, as UT students are called, upwards of 530 are administered by the institution's graduate school.

Academics aren't the only noteworthy aspect of this old-guard southern institution, which was founded as Blount College in the late 18th century. Volunteers athletic teams have enjoyed considerable success in the last few decades, capturing more than 20 NCAA championships since 1987.

Lipscomb University is a small, faith-based institution with total full-time enrollment of just over 4,200 students. Undergraduate degree plans here far outnumber their advanced counterparts. More than 170 bachelor's programs are available at Lipscomb, but master's degree and graduate certificate options are restricted to fewer than 25 apiece.

The Nashville school does, however, offer a few select terminal degrees. Six Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree concentrations are available through the school's college of education, and doctoral programs in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and ministry (D.Min.) can be found as well.

What's more, Lipscomb might be one of the best schools in Tennessee for students who have school-age children. The Lipscomb University campus also contains middle school and high school facilities, and an affiliated elementary school is located on a separate campus a few blocks away.

Named for Cornelius Vanderbilt, the 19th-century railroad magnate who provided its original endowment, Vanderbilt University has been educating students for more than 140 years. Total enrollment at Vanderbilt is close to 12,000, with around 6,800 of its students working toward undergraduate degrees.

Research is a significant part of the mission at Vanderbilt, for undergraduates as well as graduate students and faculty. Aspects of research are integrated into many academic courses, and research projects serve as the capstone experience in many of the university's majors.

Interdisciplinary work is encouraged here, particularly for research purposes. Regardless of the academic department where their major originates, students can form mentoring relationships with professors in just about any discipline to help their study reach across boundaries and generate ideas that may not have arisen from a single perspective alone.

Union University is a close-knit religious institution with a total student body around 3,400, so Christian students who prefer a fairly intimate learning environment might find the type of college experience they're looking for. The student-faculty ratio here is 10:1, also, which suggests that personalized assistance from professors won't be in short supply if you need it.

The university is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and describes its mission and philosophy as Christ-centered. Christian faith is integrated into all of its programs of study, from nursing and politics to accounting and computer science.

Students on the main campus in Jackson have more than 100 programs of study to choose from. The catalog includes conventional study plans in subjects like psychology, education and the sciences, as well as decidedly faith-based degrees like family ministry, Biblical languages and church music.

The University of Memphis was founded over 100 years ago, but its approach to education is angled more toward the present and the future than the past. U of M has established itself as one of the top colleges and universities in Tennessee for online courses, thanks in part to the academic diversity of its distance education programs.

Online undergraduates at the University of Memphis have more than 20 degree programs to choose from. Graduate students can select their online degree from a catalog of nearly three dozen options, which includes some rare and interesting degrees.

A master's degree in sport commerce is available, for students looking to learn the business of athletics. If you're got your eye on public sector service as a vocation, look into the a graduate certificate in local government management.

Multi-disciplinary projects, student-faculty partnerships and a campus-wide intellectual community are just three of the high points at Tennessee Technological University, known as Tennessee Tech for short. The mission at this Cookeville campus of around 10,000 students is to deliver practical, cutting-edge, career-relevant education that prepares its graduates to excel.

As the only technological university among Tennessee colleges, Tennessee Tech features some degree programs that might be hard to find elsewhere. It offers four concentrations in the Earth sciences, degrees in cybersecurity and high-performance computing and a range of programs in agronomy, agriscience and human ecology.

Students looking to pursue professional degrees in graduate school are likely to find the undergraduate work they need here, as well. Tennessee Tech offers programs for pre-dentistry, pre-medicine, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-optometry and more.

East Tennessee State University has changed its name four times since its founding in 1911, but its commitment to quality education has persisted. This mid-sized school at the northeastern tip of the state offers more than 150 undergraduate study plans, including nearly a dozen pre-professional programs.

If you're not sure what you want to study, the university advisement center at ETSU has a method to guide you through the decision process. Using open-ended questions and carefully chosen general education courses, they can help you refine your interests into a concrete academic plan.

ETSU may also be one of the top online schools in Tennessee, if its array of distance education degree plans is any indication. Nearly 90 degrees and concentrations are available as fully or mostly online courses, with graduate degrees and certificates making up about three-fourths of the catalog.

As another small, private Christian institution among accredited Tennessee universities, Carson-Newman aims to create a tight-knit, faith-based education community where students and professors develop the kind of relationships that lead to lifelong learning. The student body is relatively small -- under 2,500 at last count -- and the student-faculty ratio is a comfortable 11:1.

Undergraduate education is the focus at C-N. The academic catalog lists more than 100 bachelor's degree programs, including a wide range of music specialties and more than 20 areas of licensure for aspiring teachers.

C-N is also a Tennessee Promise school, which might mean additional financial aid during a student's first two years. Any tuition and mandatory fee expenses not covered by other financial aid will be paid for through Tennessee Promise, provided the student maintains a GPA over 2.0 and completes a community service requirement.

Johnson University in Knoxville is a multi-state institution that operates in Florida, Indiana and Arizona as well as Tennessee. Its dedication to the Christian tradition is one of the sternest among Tennessee colleges -- the stated mission here is to educate students "for Christian ministries . . . in order to extend the kingdom of God among all nations."

Degrees at Johnson University all contain some component of ecclesiastical training. Many of the more than 50 campus-based degrees and certificates cover subjects such as strategic ministry, youth ministry, biblical interpretation, preaching and church leadership.

To accommodate students who can't fit a traditional education into their schedules, Johnson University makes all of its study plans available in the virtual classroom. Individual courses are also available as online courses, for students not yet ready to commit to a full-fledged degree.

Enrollment at Belmont University is just over 8,000 students, with around 6,500 in undergrad programs and 1,500 pursuing graduate degrees. The stated purpose of this ecumenical Christian institution in Nashville is to help students discover their talents and learn how to use them to help meet the world's needs.

Undergraduates at Belmont have a catalog of more than 90 degree programs to choose from, including a few rarities like a songwriting degree and a dance education partnership with the Nashville Ballet. Graduate and post-graduate students have close to 20 master's programs and five doctorates available.

Belmont welcomes students of any faith, but the general education curriculum does contain a religion requirement that entails an academic encounter with the Christian Bible. Military veterans on campus can take advantage of the Bruin Vets Center, a student lounge that holds veteran-focused events and other programming.