2023 Most Popular Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools and bootcamps that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Most Popular Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 45 schools in Tennessee to see which ones were the most popular master's degree programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.
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Most Popular Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee
Learn more about these popular schools below:
Our analysis found The University of Tennessee - Knoxville to be the most popular school for students who want to pursue a master’s degree in Tennessee. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 1,570 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 56% of those degree recipients were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UT Knoxville. During the 2019-2020 year, about 36% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent master’s degree programs at Vanderbilt University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular schools in Tennessee. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 1,554 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 59% were women.
Online graduate courses are available at Vanderbilt, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 67% took at least some of their classes online.
Out of the 45 schools in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Memphis landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the large public school handed out 1,062 master’s degree awards in 2020-2021.
Around 64% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UofM. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Tennessee State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Johnson City, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 684 students in 2020-2021.
Around 71% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at ETSU. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 49% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. This large public school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 678 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 61% were women.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Middle Tennessee State University. In 2019-2020 about 57% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Lipscomb University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Lipscomb is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 545 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Of those students who received their degree, 68% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Lipscomb does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 31% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #7, Trevecca Nazarene University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. TNU is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 506 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Of those students who received their degree, 69% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since TNU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 66% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #8, Austin Peay State University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. Located in Clarksville, Tennessee, the medium-sized public school awarded 493 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
Austin Peay State University does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 85% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #9, Lincoln Memorial University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. LMU is located in Harrogate, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 468 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Of those students who received their degree, 69% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since LMU does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 13% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. UT Chattanooga is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 394 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Around 58% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UT Chattanooga does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 60% took at least some of their classes online.
Read full report on The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga
With a ranking of #11, Tennessee Technological University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. Cookeville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 391 students in 2020-2021.
Around 59% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that Tennessee Tech University does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 80% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Union University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list. Union University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Jackson, Tennessee that handed out 323 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 73% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Union. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 70% took at least some of their classes online.
Tennessee State University landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree programs. This medium-sized public school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 303 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 71% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Tennessee State University. In 2019-2020 about 41% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Belmont University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. Belmont is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 280 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Around 60% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Belmont. During the 2019-2020 year, about 37% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Carson - Newman University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #15 on the list. Carson - Newman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jefferson City, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 252 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 68% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Carson - Newman does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.
The University of Tennessee - Health Science Center landed the #16 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree programs. This small public school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 235 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 78% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UTHSC does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 73% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
The University of Tennessee - Martin came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Martin, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 231 students in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 69% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UT Martin does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #18, Bethel University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. Bethel is a private not-for-profit institution located in McKenzie, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 216 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 64% of those degree recipients were women.
Bethel does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 82% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Tusculum University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Greeneville, Tennessee, and it awarded 213 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 65% were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Tusculum does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 71% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #20, Lee University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for students working on their master’s degree. Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 184 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Of those students who received their degree, 60% were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Lee University. In fact, around 25% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
King University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. King is located in Bristol, Tennessee and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 189 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Around 69% of those degree recipients were women.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at King. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 84% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
South College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree programs. South College is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 173 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 70% of those degree recipients were women.
South College does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2019-2020 about 30% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Christian Brothers University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 170 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Around 57% of those degree recipients were women.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Christian Brothers. In 2019-2020 about 55% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Cumberland University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Popular Master’s Degree Schools in Tennessee list. CU is located in Lebanon, Tennessee and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 157 master’s degrees to qualified students.
Around 57% of those degree recipients were women.
One thing to take note of is that CU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 15% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Southern Adventist University landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular master’s degree programs. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Collegedale, Tennessee, and it awarded 150 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Around 75% of those degree recipients were women.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Southern Adventist does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 71% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Most Popular Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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