2024 Tennessee Colleges Graduation Rate Comparison
For the academic year 2022-2023, the average graduation rate at Tennessee colleges is 54.9%. The graduation rate is calculated by number of completers by dividing number of candidates. The completers have completed their degree/certificate within 150% of normal time, for example within 6 years for 4-years BS degree program. The average transfer-out rate is 20.0% and the average retention rate is 72.8% (full-time students).
Tennessee College Graduation, Transfer-out, Retention Rate Statistics
The next list shows the colleges with the highest and lowest graduation rate and more relative statistics. For that, we include only 4-year colleges and having more than 500 enrolled students.
- Strayer University-Tennessee has the highest graduation rate of 100% and Lane College has the lowest graduation rate of 17% and .
- Tennessee Wesleyan University has the highest transfer-out rate of 38% and Tusculum University has the lowest transfer-out rate of 2% and .
- Strayer University-Tennessee has the highest retention rate of 100% and Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga has the lowest retention rate of 17% and .
Graduation Rate Comparison Between Tennessee Colleges
The following table lists Tennessee colleges with graduation, transfer-out, and retention rate. The graduation rate is based on the number of completers who completed their program within 150% normal time (i.e. within 6 years for 4 years B.S. degrees).
You can sort the table by column by clicking/touching column titles and narrow down the college list by using the buttons below.
| College Name | Graduation Rate | Transfer-out Rate | Retention Rate (full-time) | Retention Rate (part-time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Baptist College Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 25% | 33% | 83% | - |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Athens Athens, TN Public, 2-4 years | 69% | - | 58% | - |
| Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 43% | - | 66% | 22 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University Memphis, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 58% | 24% | 63% | 60 |
| Belmont University Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 72% | - | 84% | 43 |
| Bethel University McKenzie, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 44% | - | 56% | 27 |
| Bryan College-Dayton Dayton, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 51% | - | 68% | 50 |
| Carson-Newman University Jefferson City, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 56% | 30% | 68% | 100 |
| Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN Public, 2-4 years | 21% | 23% | 53% | 27 |
| Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 59% | 19% | 71% | - |
| Cleveland State Community College Cleveland, TN Public, 2-4 years | 29% | 10% | 57% | 35 |
| Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN Public, 2-4 years | 27% | 14% | 48% | 35 |
| Concorde Career College-Memphis Memphis, TN Private, 2-4 years | 46% | - | 59% | - |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Covington Covington, TN Public, 2-4 years | 64% | - | 61% | 100 |
| Cumberland University Lebanon, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 48% | 28% | 59% | 67 |
| Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 69% | - | 84% | 67 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Dickson Dickson, TN Public, 2-4 years | 75% | - | 81% | 91 |
| Hussian College-Daymar College Nashville Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 73% | 21% | - | - |
| Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg, TN Public, 2-4 years | 26% | 10% | 54% | 60 |
| East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 55% | 23% | 72% | 67 |
| Chattanooga College Medical Dental and Technical Careers Chattanooga, TN Private, 2-4 years | 98% | - | 25% | - |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton Elizabethton, TN Public, 2-4 years | 86% | - | 86% | 67 |
| Fisk University Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 56% | - | 79% | 33 |
| Welch College Gallatin, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 59% | - | 70% | 57 |
| Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 69% | - | 92% | 50 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Harriman Harriman, TN Public, 2-4 years | 59% | - | 71% | - |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Hartsville Hartsville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 81% | - | 90% | 80 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Hohenwald Hohenwald, TN Public, 2-4 years | 68% | - | 70% | 81 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jacksboro Jacksboro, TN Public, 2-4 years | 73% | - | 85% | - |
| Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN Public, 2-4 years | 23% | 11% | 44% | 38 |
| John A Gupton College Nashville, TN Private, 2-4 years | 45% | - | 69% | 20 |
| Johnson University Knoxville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 65% | 17% | 77% | 25 |
| King University Bristol, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 46% | 33% | 68% | 67 |
| South College Knoxville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 38% | 20% | 59% | 33 |
| Lane College Jackson, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 17% | 30% | 61% | 33 |
| Le Moyne-Owen College Memphis, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 18% | - | 63% | 10 |
| Lee University Cleveland, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 62% | 22% | 79% | - |
| Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 50% | - | 77% | 20 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Livingston Livingston, TN Public, 2-4 years | 70% | - | 76% | 82 |
| The University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 30% | 37% | 66% | - |
| Maryville College Maryville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 53% | 32% | 66% | - |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-McKenzie McKenzie, TN Public, 2-4 years | 83% | - | 63% | 100 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis Memphis, TN Public, 2-4 years | 41% | - | 63% | 48 |
| University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 48% | 15% | 75% | 43 |
| Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 54% | 8% | 76% | 53 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Morristown Morristown, TN Public, 2-4 years | 71% | - | 83% | 79 |
| Motlow State Community College Tullahoma, TN Public, 2-4 years | 32% | 8% | 52% | 39 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro Murfreesboro, TN Public, 2-4 years | 100% | - | 82% | 42 |
| Lincoln College of Technology-Nashville Nashville, TN Private, 2-4 years | 54% | - | 76% | - |
| Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 16% | 10% | 42% | 40 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest Newbern, TN Public, 2-4 years | 81% | - | 82% | 83 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Henry/Carroll Paris, TN Public, 2-4 years | 76% | - | 79% | 100 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Pulaski Pulaski, TN Public, 2-4 years | 62% | - | 75% | 62 |
| Rhodes College Memphis, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 85% | 13% | 91% | - |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Ripley Ripley, TN Public, 2-4 years | 54% | - | 74% | 67 |
| Roane State Community College Harriman, TN Public, 2-4 years | 32% | 10% | 56% | 43 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Crump Crump, TN Public, 2-4 years | 63% | - | 70% | 62 |
| Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN Public, 2-4 years | 14% | 9% | 48% | 22 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville Shelbyville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 83% | - | 89% | 50 |
| The University of the South Sewanee, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 81% | 15% | 89% | - |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Oneida-Huntsville Huntsville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 83% | - | 78% | 67 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Crossville Crossville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 82% | - | 87% | 50 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-McMinnville McMinnville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 74% | - | 78% | 88 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson Jackson, TN Public, 2-4 years | 75% | - | 77% | 33 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 65% | - | 74% | 50 |
| Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 26% | 16% | 50% | 47 |
| Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 51% | 4% | 85% | 50 |
| Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 50% | 38% | 75% | - |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 52% | - | 73% | 35 |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 72% | 20% | 89% | 41 |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin Martin, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 52% | 21% | 71% | 86 |
| Tennessee State University Nashville, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 32% | 29% | 62% | 18 |
| Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN Public, 4 years four-years | 60% | 19% | 78% | 38 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 61% | - | 74% | - |
| Northeast State Community College Blountville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 28% | 6% | 56% | 45 |
| Tusculum University Greeneville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 33% | 2% | 55% | 100 |
| Union University Jackson, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 66% | 11% | 84% | 85 |
| Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 92% | - | 96% | 100 |
| Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN Public, 2-4 years | 22% | 9% | 49% | 39 |
| Walters State Community College Morristown, TN Public, 2-4 years | 32% | 10% | 53% | 38 |
| William R Moore College of Technology Memphis, TN Private, 2-4 years | 74% | - | 65% | 51 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville Nashville, TN Public, 2-4 years | 74% | - | 77% | 55 |
| Hussian College-Daymar College Clarksville Clarksville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 59% | 2% | 100% | - |
| Nossi College of Art Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 58% | 39% | 84% | - |
| Remington College-Memphis Campus Memphis, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 30% | - | - | - |
| North Central Institute Clarksville, TN Private, 2-4 years | 72% | - | 81% | 100 |
| Williamson Christian College Franklin, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 33% | 66% | 100% | - |
| Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 52% | - | 17% | - |
| Strayer University-Tennessee Memphis, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 100% | - | 100% | 25 |
| Hussian College-Daymar College Murfreesboro Murfreesboro, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 65% | 23% | - | - |
| Remington College-Nashville Campus Nashville, TN Private, 2-4 years | 60% | - | 58% | - |
| SAE Institute of Technology-Nashville Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 42% | - | - | - |
| Visible Music College Memphis, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 24% | 12% | 83% | 100 |
| Fortis Institute-Nashville Nashville, TN Private, 2-4 years | 49% | - | 61% | - |
| DeVry University-Tennessee Nashville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 20% | 40% | - | - |
| Milligan University Milligan, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 63% | 26% | 72% | - |
| Huntington University of Health Sciences Knoxville, TN Private, 4 years four-years | 50% | - | - | - |
| Fortis Institute-Cookeville Cookeville, TN Private, 2-4 years | 46% | - | 48% | - |
| Average | 55% | 20% | 73% | 59 |
Most Compared Tennessee Colleges
The following Tennessee college pairs are frequently compared by users. You can compare the schools by their most important academic factors such as acceptance rate and tuition.