Compare tuition, NCLEX pass rates, and outcomes for every accredited Chattanooga-area nursing program.
Public universities and private colleges across Tennessee train nurses at very different price points: in-state BSN tuition can be as low as $10,000, while private programs often exceed $40,000. For Chattanooga residents, that gap shapes not just debt but access to the city’s expanding healthcare employers like Erlanger Health System and CHI Memorial.
In a market that increasingly prefers the BSN credential, choosing among traditional, accelerated, RN-to-BSN, and LPN-to-BSN paths requires weighing upfront cost against career mobility. Most hospitals in the region set the BSN as the preferred or required degree for new hires, making program selection a lasting financial and professional decision.
Our ranking of nursing schools near Chattanooga considers factors such as graduation rates, affordability, and direct program relevance to the Chattanooga area. While many strong programs across Tennessee serve the region, several stand out for their proximity and regional engagement.
| Rank | School | Location | Net price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Lee University | Cleveland, TN | $19,000/yr | Chattanooga-area clinical placements | |
Lee University, located in Cleveland just 30 minutes from downtown Chattanooga, is the most regionally connected nursing program on this list. Its BSN track places students directly in clinical rotations at hospitals and clinics throughout the Chattanooga metro, including CHI Memorial and Erlanger Health. The program admits freshmen without prerequisites and welcomes transfer students each fall, offering a hands-on learning environment that emphasizes preparation for the NCLEX and immediate employment in southeast Tennessee. As a private Tennessee institution, it participates fully in state financial aid programs such as HOPE, making it a practical choice for commuting students from Hamilton County.
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| #2 | East Tennessee State University | Johnson City, TN | ~$16,000/yr (est.) | Rural and Appalachian health focus | |
East Tennessee State University brings a strong rural health mission to its BSN program, preparing nurses to serve communities across East Tennessee and Appalachia. The campus-based program emphasizes critical thinking and clinical reasoning, supported by state-of-the-art simulation facilities and partnerships with regional healthcare providers. With a 93% NCLEX pass rate, ETSU graduates are workforce-ready, and the university’s online RN-to-BSN and graduate tracks offer clear advancement pathways for Chattanooga-area nurses. Its public in-state tuition and participation in Tennessee workforce initiatives add to its appeal for students from the Chattanooga region.
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| #3 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN | $13,000/yr | I-24 corridor affordability | |
Middle Tennessee State University offers an affordable public BSN along the I-24 corridor, making it geographically accessible for Chattanooga-area students. The program combines rigorous coursework with over 500 clinical hours across diverse healthcare settings, emphasizing leadership and compassionate care. MTSU’s strong transfer pipelines with Tennessee community colleges create seamless 2+2 or pre-nursing to BSN pathways, and its CCNE accreditation ensures quality. In-state tuition and robust use of Tennessee HOPE and other state aid keep costs low for Hamilton County residents, while graduates are well positioned for employment in Chattanooga and other Tennessee metro areas.
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| #4 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | ~$19,000/yr (est.) | ||
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, the state’s flagship university, offers a BSN noted for its high graduation rate and strong student outcomes. Direct freshman admission is available, and the program features state-of-the-art simulation labs and extensive clinical experiences. Part of the UT system, which includes UT Chattanooga, it provides familiar transfer pathways for Chattanooga students and leverages statewide clinical partnerships. The BSN Scholars Program provides tuition assistance, and graduates consistently exceed national NCLEX pass rates.
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| #5 | Lipscomb University | Nashville, TN | $25,000/yr | ||
Lipscomb University’s BSN, rooted in a Christian community, offers both a traditional four-year campus track and a 16-month accelerated hybrid option for degree holders. The program boasts a 100% NCLEX pass rate and job placement, supported by one-on-one faculty mentorship and a Health Simulation Laboratory. As a private Tennessee institution, Lipscomb attracts students from across the state, including Chattanooga, and graduates often begin their careers in the region’s urban and rural health systems.
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| #6 | Freed-Hardeman University | Henderson, TN | $22,000/yr (net price) | ||
Freed-Hardeman University’s BSN emphasizes small student-to-faculty ratios and extensive clinical hours within a Christian academic environment. Students complete 650 hours of clinical experience, including critical-care rotations, and benefit from additional certification opportunities. Located in Henderson and drawing students from West and Middle Tennessee as well as the Chattanooga region, it remains an accredited, values-driven option with state financial aid eligibility for Tennessee residents.
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| #7 | Tennessee Tech | Cookeville, TN | $10,000 – $15,000/yr | ||
Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville provides an affordable public BSN with a strong record of NCLEX success, exceeding a 95% first-time pass rate. The Whitson-Hester School of Nursing places students in clinical rotations across Middle and East Tennessee, including settings relevant to rural and regional practice. Its central location and in-state tuition make it a solid option for Chattanooga-area students seeking a residential program with a focus on practical skills and community health.
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| #8 | Union University | Jackson, TN | ~$27,000/yr (est.) | ||
Union University offers nursing students a distinctive Christian liberal arts framework with multiple pathways: a traditional campus BSN, a 15-month accelerated BSN for career changers, and a fully online RN-BSN for working nurses. Multi-campus locations in Jackson, Germantown, and Hendersonville provide geographic flexibility, and graduates enter Tennessee hospital systems including those in the Chattanooga area. Strong retention and graduation rates complement a low student-faculty ratio and generous state financial aid availability.
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| #9 | Belmont University | Nashville, TN | $33,000/yr | ||
Belmont University in Nashville offers direct admission to its BSN, allowing students to begin nursing coursework in the first semester and benefit from small clinical groups. The program reports a 100% NCLEX first-time pass rate and a 98% employment rate within six months of graduation. A Community College Bridge Program provides a seamless transfer option for associate-degree holders. While located in Nashville, Belmont draws students from across Tennessee, including Chattanooga, and graduates join statewide healthcare employers with strong Chattanooga presences.
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| #10 | The University of Tennessee-Martin | Martin, TN | $11,000/yr (net price) | ||
The University of Tennessee-Martin rounds out the list as a public university within the UT system, offering a low net price and high NCLEX pass rates. Its pre-licensure BSN program emphasizes patient-centered care and evidence-based practice, with clinical experiences at top healthcare facilities. For Chattanooga residents seeking an affordable, residential public BSN in a smaller community, UTM provides Tennessee HOPE eligibility and a direct path to RN licensure, with graduates employed in healthcare settings statewide.
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With many ranking lists competing for attention, understanding the methodology behind them has never been more important. Our rankings prioritize metrics that directly affect your education and career: affordability, student success, and program outcomes. We pull data from federal sources, including IPEDS for net price and completion rates and the College Scorecard for employment and earnings figures, because they are standardized, verifiable, and updated annually.
We start with net price after financial aid, which is the average amount a typical undergraduate pays after grants and scholarships. This isn't a personalized quote; your cost may differ based on your financial circumstances. Graduation rates are institution-wide, reflecting how well a school supports all students to completion. We also consider the range of nursing pathways offered, from traditional BSN to accelerated and LPN-to-BSN tracks, because flexibility matters. Finally, we incorporate Scorecard outcomes like post-graduation employment rates and median earnings.
NCLEX pass rates are not part of this dataset; they come directly from the Tennessee Board of Nursing and are discussed in a separate section. By sticking to objective federal metrics and explaining them transparently, we aim to provide a ranking you can trust, very different from sites that publish unexplained best-of lists.
The following table compares annual tuition and net price for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs available to Chattanooga-area students. Net price is the average amount students pay after grants and scholarships, based on institution-wide data from the U.S. Department of Education. Your actual cost will depend on your financial aid package.
| School | In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Net Price (After Aid) | Program Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay State University | $9,006 | $14,766 | $9,735 | Campus |
| Middle Tennessee State University | $10,266 | $31,574 | $13,359 | Campus |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin | $10,560 | $16,600 | $10,701 | Campus |
| University of Memphis | $10,728 | $15,384 | $12,397 | Campus |
| The University of Tennessee Southern | $10,924 | $10,924 | $12,798 | Campus |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | $13,796 | $13,796 | $11,212 | Campus |
| Christian Brothers University | $38,420 | $38,420 | $9,854 | Campus |
The most reliable source for program-level NCLEX-RN pass rates is the Tennessee Board of Nursing's annual nursing education reports, available on their website (tn.gov/health/nursing). These reports list first-time pass rates for each approved prelicensure nursing program in the state, including ADN and BSN programs in the Chattanooga area. The data is typically released once per year and reflects the cohort that sat for the exam during the previous academic cycle. Because the Board requires programs to report outcomes, the figures are considered the gold standard for prospective students.
For specific numbers from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's School of Nursing, visit their program website or accreditation page. Many schools post recent pass rates in a consumer information section or annual report. Accreditors like the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) also require programs to make outcomes available to the public. If you cannot locate the rate online, contacting the nursing department directly is a reasonable step. Under Title IV regulations, programs must disclose this metric to prospective students.
When evaluating a program's NCLEX score, compare it to the Tennessee state average and the national average published by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in their quarterly pass rate summaries. A program that consistently falls below the state or national benchmark may raise concerns about curriculum quality or student preparedness. Conversely, a school whose rate surpasses state and national figures demonstrates strong clinical training and test preparation. Keep in mind that pass rates can fluctuate year to year, so reviewing multiple years of data gives a clearer picture of program stability.
If a school's NCLEX pass rate is not posted on its website or in Board reports, treat that as a red flag. Reach out to the nursing department admissions office for the most recent figures. Programs that are candid about their outcomes are generally more invested in student success. Transparency about licensure exam performance is an important indicator of a program's commitment to supporting its graduates through the final step toward becoming a registered nurse.
Chattanooga-area nursing programs offer multiple routes to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing to fit different academic backgrounds. Traditional four-year BSNs are available at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), Southern Adventist University, and Chattanooga College, while UTC also provides an accelerated second-degree BSN for career changers. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) can transition through the hybrid LPN-to-BSN pathway at Chattanooga College, and registered nurses seeking advancement can pursue RN-to-BSN completion programs at UTC and Southern Adventist.
| Traditional BSN | Accelerated BSN | RN-to-BSN | LPN-to-BSN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 years | 12-18 months | 1-2 years | 2-3 years (2.5 years at Chattanooga College) |
| High school diploma or equivalent | Bachelor's degree in another field; specific science prerequisites may apply | Active RN license (associate degree or diploma in nursing) | Active LPN license; some programs require a minimum GPA or work experience |
| UTC, Southern Adventist University, Chattanooga College | UTC | UTC (online), Southern Adventist University | Chattanooga College (hybrid BSN with LPN-to-BSN track) |
Graduates of Chattanooga nursing programs enter a region where registered nurses earn competitive wages, but program-specific earnings outcomes remain largely unpublished. While broad profession-wide data offers a reliable salary benchmark, students looking to compare actual earnings by school may need to lean on other quality signals until more granular data becomes available.
According to the most recent figures for the Chattanooga, TN-GA metropolitan area, registered nurses earn a median annual wage of $76,870. The middle half of RNs in the region fall between $66,290 (25th percentile) and $81,540 (75th percentile), with the top 10% earning above $99,420. These numbers represent what working nurses across all experience levels and settings take home in the local economy, not what a particular program’s graduates earn right after completion.
At the time of writing, the U.S. Department of Education has not yet published nursing-program-level earnings on its College Scorecard for the institutions in this ranking. That means median earnings one, two, or four years after graduation are not available to compare across schools like the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Southern Adventist University, or others listed. Until that information is released, prospective students should interpret school-wide earnings figures cautiously, they reflect all graduates, not just nursing completers.
In the absence of program-specific earnings, NCLEX pass rates, clinical placement strength, and net price remain the strongest available proxies for return on investment. The BLS metro median serves as a realistic target for what a typical RN can expect once established in the field, though new graduates often start below the median and see wages grow with experience and specialization.
Navigating nursing school applications can raise many questions. Below are answers to frequent inquiries about programs in Chattanooga, along with tips on where to locate the most reliable, up-to-date information.
