Top 50 Best Associate Degree Programs in Tennessee by ROI

Every Associate Degree program in Tennessee ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all majors. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs in Tennessee

156

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$138,884

Across all Tennessee programs

Average Annual Cost

$19,342

Cost of attendance

#	College	Major	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Grad rate: 53.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$664,008	$78,114	$29,136	N/A	Full ROI →
2	Chattanooga State Community College Grad rate: 21.7%	Engineering, General.	+$512,857	$70,078	$13,214	$16,500	Full ROI →
3	Concorde Career College-Memphis Grad rate: 49.2%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$443,910	$69,188	$26,384	$34,875	Full ROI →
4	Tennessee State University Grad rate: 32.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$322,664	$60,516	$23,828	N/A	Full ROI →
5	Southwest Tennessee Community College Grad rate: 16.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$321,461	$60,458	$12,649	$16,593	Full ROI →
6	Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$297,694	$62,412	$31,743	$34,859	Full ROI →
7	Motlow State Community College Grad rate: 30.5%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$271,229	$57,867	$18,272	$7,086	Full ROI →
8	Dyersburg State Community College Grad rate: 26.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$270,279	$57,728	$13,028	$13,500	Full ROI →
9	Southern Adventist University Grad rate: 51.6%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$257,680	$60,359	$37,875	$25,000	Full ROI →
10	Columbia State Community College Grad rate: 29.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$254,368	$57,257	$12,668	$18,841	Full ROI →
11	Walters State Community College Grad rate: 33.9%	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians.	+$243,786	$55,472	$12,827	N/A	Full ROI →
12	Chattanooga State Community College Grad rate: 21.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$240,930	$56,465	$13,214	$16,253	Full ROI →
13	Jackson State Community College Grad rate: 21.8%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$225,944	$55,398	$15,304	$8,450	Full ROI →
14	Strayer University-Tennessee	Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management.	+$218,569	$57,214	$23,838	$28,174	Full ROI →
15	Nashville State Community College Grad rate: 16.7%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$217,147	$55,900	$13,214	$25,500	Full ROI →
16	Tennessee State University Grad rate: 32.7%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$207,199	$55,951	$23,828	$17,900	Full ROI →
17	Northeast State Community College Grad rate: 30.0%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$192,212	$53,463	$14,129	$6,511	Full ROI →
18	Fortis Institute-Nashville Grad rate: 50.3%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$173,475	$56,655	$36,210	$34,966	Full ROI →
19	Nashville State Community College Grad rate: 16.7%	Engineering Technology, General.	+$153,532	$50,998	$13,214	N/A	Full ROI →
20	Cleveland State Community College Grad rate: 29.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$152,054	$51,003	$14,003	N/A	Full ROI →
21	Chattanooga State Community College Grad rate: 21.7%	Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$140,972	$50,370	$13,214	N/A	Full ROI →
22	Roane State Community College Grad rate: 32.4%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$140,398	$50,122	$11,021	N/A	Full ROI →
23	Chattanooga State Community College Grad rate: 21.7%	Engineering Technology, General.	+$139,534	$51,234	$13,214	$13,865	Full ROI →
24	Chattanooga State Community College Grad rate: 21.7%	Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General.	+$137,972	$50,220	$13,214	N/A	Full ROI →
25	Chattanooga State Community College Grad rate: 21.7%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$122,999	$50,547	$13,214	$15,935	Full ROI →
26	Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Grad rate: 53.9%	Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$111,388	$50,483	$29,136	N/A	Full ROI →
27	Walters State Community College Grad rate: 33.9%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$110,426	$49,373	$12,827	$8,429	Full ROI →
28	Lincoln Memorial University Grad rate: 52.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$106,398	$52,647	$39,096	$21,000	Full ROI →
29	Southwest Tennessee Community College Grad rate: 16.5%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$98,802	$48,205	$12,649	N/A	Full ROI →
30	Roane State Community College Grad rate: 32.4%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$97,328	$48,746	$11,021	$11,518	Full ROI →
31	Pellissippi State Community College Grad rate: 27.1%	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.	+$91,380	$48,977	$13,280	$16,000	Full ROI →
32	Nashville State Community College Grad rate: 16.7%	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians.	+$58,492	$46,246	$13,214	N/A	Full ROI →
33	Concorde Career College-Memphis Grad rate: 49.2%	Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.	+$55,430	$49,348	$26,384	$28,712	Full ROI →
34	Columbia State Community College Grad rate: 29.0%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	+$46,654	$46,477	$12,668	$13,000	Full ROI →
35	Remington College-Nashville Campus Grad rate: 59.5%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	+$45,450	$49,562	$33,320	$29,000	Full ROI →
36	Jackson State Community College Grad rate: 21.8%	Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.	+$27,003	$45,671	$15,304	$11,710	Full ROI →
37	Nashville State Community College Grad rate: 16.7%	Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians.	+$23,852	$44,514	$13,214	N/A	Full ROI →
38	Nashville State Community College Grad rate: 16.7%	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	+$22,992	$44,471	$13,214	N/A	Full ROI →
39	Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Grad rate: 53.9%	Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications.	+$3,948	$45,111	$29,136	N/A	Full ROI →
40	Roane State Community College Grad rate: 32.4%	Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.	-$1,417	$43,875	$11,021	$12,500	Full ROI →
41	Walters State Community College Grad rate: 33.9%	Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.	-$5,634	$43,001	$12,827	N/A	Full ROI →
42	Lincoln College of Technology-Nashville Grad rate: 58.9%	Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies.	-$10,498	$44,711	$32,359	N/A	Full ROI →
43	Strayer University-Tennessee	Business/Commerce, General.	-$19,709	$45,613	$23,838	$32,810	Full ROI →
44	Strayer University-Tennessee	Accounting and Related Services.	-$30,956	$42,836	$23,838	N/A	Full ROI →
45	Concorde Career College-Memphis Grad rate: 49.2%	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.	-$34,331	$44,878	$26,384	$28,980	Full ROI →
46	Volunteer State Community College Grad rate: 23.4%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	-$36,564	$42,522	$16,077	$11,000	Full ROI →
47	Roane State Community College Grad rate: 32.4%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	-$37,291	$41,955	$11,021	$10,629	Full ROI →
48	Concorde Career College-Memphis Grad rate: 49.2%	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.	-$40,914	$44,882	$26,384	$33,916	Full ROI →
49	Pellissippi State Community College Grad rate: 27.1%	Engineering Technology, General.	-$47,948	$41,407	$13,280	$7,058	Full ROI →
50	John A Gupton College Grad rate: 33.3%	Funeral Service and Mortuary Science.	-$51,766	$43,547	$29,705	$17,257	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.