Resources For Students & Parents Top Tennessee Colleges Learn About 11 of the Top-Ranked Colleges and Universities in Tennessee Share Flipboard Email Print For Students & Parents College Admissions College Rankings College Admissions Process College Profiles Choosing a College Application Tips Essay Samples & Tips College Testing Testing Graphs Financial Aid Extracurricular Activities Advanced Placement Homework Help Private Schools Test Prep College Life Graduate School Business School Law School Distance Learning View More by Allen Grove Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. Updated December 27, 2017 Tennessee has excellent higher education options for both public and private institutions. From a large public university like the University of Tennessee to tiny Fisk University, Tennessee has schools to match a wide range of student personalities and interests. Many of the stronger colleges in the state have religious affiliations. The 11 top Tennessee colleges listed below represent such diverse school types and missions that I have simply listed them alphabetically rather than force them into any sort of artificial ranking. That said, Vanderbilt University is the most selective and prestigious institution on the list. The schools were chosen based on factors such as academic reputation, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, six-year graduation rates, selectivity, financial aid and student engagement. Keep in mind, however, that these selection criteria may have little to do with the features that will make a college the perfect match for your personality and professional goals. Compare Top Tennessee Colleges: ACT Scores | SAT Scores Will You Get In? See if you have the grades and test scores you need to get into any of the top Tennessee colleges with this free tool from Cappex: Calculate Your Chances for Top Tennessee Colleges Belmont University The Johnson Center at Belmont University. Getty Images for NMAAM / Getty Images Location: Nashville, TennesseeEnrollment: 7,723 (6,293 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private Christian universityDistinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; highly ranked master's-level university in the South; strong programs in music and music business; located next door to Vanderbilt University; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun ConferenceFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Belmont University profile Fisk University Jubilee Hall at Fisk University. Maureen / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 Location: Nashville, TennesseeEnrollment: 761 (723 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private historically black universityDistinctions: rich history dating to 1866; highly ranked historically black university; many notable alumni including W.E.B. Du Bois; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society for strengths in the liberal arts and sciencesFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Fisk University profile Lipscomb University Lipscomb University. EVula / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 Location: Nashville, TennesseeEnrollment: 4,632 (2,986 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private university affiliated with the Churches of ChristDistinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; strong grant aid; strong Christian identity and belief in the interconnectedness of faith and learning; 130 programs of study; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun ConferenceFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Lipscomb University profile Maryville College Carnegie Hall at Maryville College. Notneb82 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Location: Maryville, TennesseeEnrollment: 1,196 (all undergraduate)Type of Institution: private college affiliated with the Presbyterian ChurchDistinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 17; located less than 30 minutes from Knoxville; rich history going back to 1819; generous financial aidFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Maryville College profile Milligan College Seeger Chapel at Milligan College. SteampunkGypsy / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Location: Milligan College, TennesseeEnrollment: 1,195 (880 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private Christian liberal arts collegeDistinctions: 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; strong Christian identity; attractive campus in the Appalachian Mountains; good graduation rate in relation to student profile; generous grant aidFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Milligan College profile Rhodes College Barret Library at Rhodes College. Ed Utham / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 Location: Memphis, TennesseeEnrollment: 2,029 (1,999 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private college affiliated with the Presbyterian ChurchExplore campus in the Rhodes College photo tourDistinctions: attractive 100-acre park-like campus; 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 13; students from 46 states and 15 countries; chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciencesFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Rhodes College Profile Sewanee: The University of the South All Saints' Chapel at Sewanee, The University of the South. Amanda / Flickr / CC BY 2.0 Location: Sewanee, TennesseeEnrollment: 1,815 (1,731 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Episcopal ChurchDistinctions: 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 18 the first year, 13 in later years; 13,000-acre campus on the Cumberland Plateau; strong English program and home of The Sewanee ReviewFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Sewanee profile Tennessee Tech Tennessee Technological University. Brian Stansberry / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 Location: Cookeville, TennesseeEnrollment: 10,493 (9,438 undergraduates)Type of Institution: public university with technological focusDistinctions: strong professional fields in nursing, business and engineering; good grant aid and overall value; competes in the NCAA Division I Ohio Valley ConferenceFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Tennessee Tech profile Union University The Bell Tower at Union University. ask / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0 Location: Jackson, TennesseeEnrollment: 3,466 (2,286 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private university affiliated with the Southern Baptist ChurchDistinctions: 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; Christ-centered identity; students from 45 states and 30 countries; mostly new residence halls built in 2008 after tornado damageFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Union University profile University of Tennessee at Knoxville University of Tennessee Knoxville. Ethan Gruber / Flickr Location: Knoxville, TennesseeEnrollment: 28,052 (22,139 undergraduates)Type of Institution: public research universityDistinctions: flagship campus of Tennessee's state university system; strong business programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Southeastern ConferenceFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Tennessee profile Vanderbilt University Tolman Hall at Vanderbilt University. Photo Credit: Amy Jacobson Location: Nashville, TennesseeEnrollment: 12,587 (6,871 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private research universityDistinctions: most selective and prestigious university in Tennessee; 8 to 1 student / faculty ratio; many high ranking programs including education, law, medicine and business; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; member of the NCAA Division I Southeastern ConferenceExplore the Campus: Vanderbilt University Photo TourFor acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Vanderbilt University profile Calculate Your Chances Calculate Your Chances of Being Admitted. See if you have the grades and test scores you need to get into one of these top Tennessee schools with this free tool from Cappex: Calculate Your Chances of Getting In Explore Other Top Colleges Near Tennessee Top South Central CollegesTop Middle Atlantic CollegesTop Southeastern CollegesTop Kentucky CollegesTop Virginia CollegesTop North Carolina CollegesTop South Carolina CollegesTop Georgia CollegesTop Alabama CollegesTop Mississippi CollegesTop Louisiana CollegeTop Kansas Colleges Explore Top-Ranked National Colleges and Universities Top Ranked U.S. Colleges: Universities | Public Universities | Liberal Arts Colleges | Engineering | Business | Women's | Most Selective Continue Reading