A Guide to Online Colleges in Tennessee

With the Mississippi River to the West and the Appalachian Mountains to the East, Tennessee is a State filled with endless exploration opportunities. "See Rock City" is painted across barns throughout Tennessee directing travelers to Lookout Mountain where you can see the legendary view of these seven states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia all from one point in Tennessee. In between the rivers and the mountains and the 20 state parks lie some of America's most historically musical cities: such as Nashville, the state capital known as "Music City, USA" home to the Grand Ole Opry and host to 365 days of live music. Or what about Memphis home to very distinct rhythm and blues. Though perhaps some of the best attractions in Tennessee are its people — hospitable and kind, this is the kind of place that once called "home", it stays home. While one of the largest perks of online education is being able to complete your schooling from anywhere, there are a number of reasons why students prefer (and rightfully so) to obtain online degrees from colleges in their own state.

In-state tuition is often applied to public schools offering online programs. Many online programs require some face-to-face time, or more numerous support services at their brick and mortar locations. Intensive study experiences–often on the weekends or in several week long bouts–enable many online students to accelerate their time until graduation. And students looking at online education can drastically expand their educational options if they also look to hybrid degrees (degrees where degrees can be taken partially, or mostly online). Finally, one of the most common stipulations in scholarships is that students be from a certain state or region, often more funds are available to students seeking degrees in-state.

Public School Offerings

Many of the top public schools in Tennessee offer online programs of study at the associates through doctoral level. East Tennessee State University offers 24 programs completely online including an impressive 8 doctoral degrees. Austin Peay State Universy, a top 79 regional ranked college according to US News, offers 23 online programs in a broad range of fields from the associate's to the master's level. And for those looking to save money or transfer into a state university, there are a number of online community colleges that offer associate's degrees at an affordable price and in many instances completely free through the Tennessee Promise program.

Private School Offerings

There are also a number of private schools offering degrees online. Some of the private degree programs with the largest selection include schools like Lee University which offers 16 degrees online or Freed-Hardeman University that offers 10 degrees online in areas like business administration, or a master of education in curriculum and instruction. Bethel University — a small university with Christian origins offers associate's and masters degrees in education, accounting, and information technology. Vanderbilt University, one of the highest ranking school in the country, offers one fully online degree-a master of science in nursing with an emphasis on Healthcare Leadership.

Featured Online Schools

In 2015-16 the average published tuition prices for Tennessee four-year universities was $5,822 for in-state tuition that's over $3,500 below the national average for public schools. University of Memphis costs $8,619 per year still less than the national average — approximately $9,400 a year. A non-Tennesseean would pay $20,331 more than twice as much as those who are studying in-state. In addition, The University of Memphis offers 32 degrees fully online. Lee University, our top pick private university, costs $15,000 per year compared to $32,405 that is for average private institution's tuitions and fees. Not to mention,saving on room and board means adding another $40,000 to your pocket. There's something to be said of staying in-state.

The Grand Ole Opry, Honky Tonk Highway, and the Country Music Hall of Fame are just a few of reasons Nashville is known as "Music City, USA." There's a new wave of rap and rock music present in this vibrant city as well. This bustling city is thriving and growing with new restaurants and art galleries opening all the time. The food in Nashville is as vibrant as its music with world renowned Barbecue, as well as flavors from all over the world like top-notch ramen and tacos. Nashville is a city of overt excitement and hidden gems. Vanderbilt University, according to U.S. News is the15th best school in the nation and located in Nashville along with Lipscomb, Nashville State Community College and others. There's no need to leave this vibrant city when pursuing your degree online.

Named after the ancient capital of Egypt, Memphis developed its trade and transportation via the Mississippi River and was the world's largest cotton market and lumber market thanks to the Mississippi. Though Memphis underwent its fair share of turmoil and economic decline it is now reemerging as a culturally rich area holding on to some of its unique musical heritage — namely its blues and rock. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters, Carl Perkins, B.B. King, and Aretha Franklin all made their mark on the music scene in Memphis. The number one school for online education is the University of Memphis — offering 32 degrees ranging from bachelor's to doctoral.

What do the Renaissance period and Knoxville, Tennessee have in common? Well, if you answered a strong uprisal of arts, unique culture and opportunity for many you're right! With remnants of the 1982 World's Fair n the background and new city parks hosting artists, students and families in the foreground it's safe to say that Knoxville is carving out its identity once again. This hilly downtown is home to the main campus of the University of Tennessee and the former home of some of America's top creatives like Cormac McCarthy, James Agee, and Quentin Tarantino. Knoxville is the kind of city that accommodate all people of all ages and stages in life.

Chattanooga is now regularly recognized as one of the best towns for the out doors according to Outside magazine, and Blue Ridge Outdoors among others. This comes as no surprise as it is located between the ridge-and-valley portion of the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. Whether whit water rafting or taking a hike you can do it all in Chattanooga. The downtown is newly rebuilt and stunning to see from the pedestrian river bridge (crossing over the Tennessee River). There are a number of restaurants, cafes and parks for those ready for city amenities. The University of Tennessee — Chattanooga offers degrees at the bachelor's, master', and doctoral levels!

Monitoring the accreditation of a university you are interested in attending is incredibly important. Accreditation ensures your credits can transfer that you can receive Federal financial aid, and most importantly that certain standards of educational quality are during your schooling. The highest accreditation standard for most programs in the United States is provided by regional accreditation agencies. The regional accrediting agency for Tennessee is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, one of six regional accrediting agencies responsible for accrediting schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

Making sure that a University you're hoping to attend is regionally accredited — or accredited by a real and respected accrediting agency — is one of the most important choices you can make in ensuring the quality of your education.

Three Steps for Securing Financial Aid

• Submit your FAFSA.

• Check to see if additional forms are needed at your university of choice.

• Search and apply for private scholarships.

Through the previous three steps most students find themselves offered some sort of federal grant, work study, private grant, scholarship, or stipend.

Great Tennessee Higher Education Resources

• Having a hard time making your final decision? Niche helps with that including a quick look at several university quality metrics and personal quotes from current students. Check through the top schools in Tennessee here

• For more in-depth information about the University of Tennessee system head here.

• One of the most important factors into your acceptance in a university is the personal essay. Glimpse some valuable information from the top ranked school in Tennessee.

• The Tennessee Student Assistant Corporation connects you with funds and programs like the Tennessee Hope Scholarship to help you pay for your education. For assistance in securing financial aid go here.

• Tennessee Promise focuses on mentoring and providing financial aid to those attending one of the 13 community colleges, or 27 applied technology to eligible high school seniors. To check if your school is an eligible institution go here.

• Roan State provides an online "t.v. channel" providing video tutorials for those looking to gain financial aide not only at Roan State but other schools throughout Tennessee. For a walk-through as a first time FAFSA filer, check out this informational video.

• A number of scholarship databases have Tennessee-specific scholarships. Make sure to check at one of thefollowing during your Tennessee financial aid process.

• Outdoor Chattanooga is a fantastic resource for outdoor enthusiasts living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. For a comprehensive list of outdoor events go here.

• Are you a Tennessee Vols fan? Head here for the inside scoop.

• The Tennessee National Guard is a way in for military-personnel seeking work connections with military-friendly companies. You can find out more about who is hiring here.

• If you're hiking the Appalachian Trail, take a look at the trails history and gain insight into the 7-day Smoky Mountain portion here.

• From an historical standpoint, Tennessee is fascinating. Learn through doing when selecting an historic vacation spot from this site.

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