Colleges + Universities

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) was founded in 1886, making it a key institute in Chattanooga’s education sector. With more than 150 degree programs and concentrations at both the undergraduate and graduate level, opportunities abound for students to explore a variety of interests. UTC, which saw record enrollment in 2025, is continuing to expand its offerings to students. In March of 2025, the university broke ground on an 81,000-square-foot expansion to the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, as well as a new 794-bed residence hall in July. UTC also received several national recognitions in 2025. The College of Distinction recognized UTC in 10 award categories, including a designation for undergraduate education. In addition, U.S. Veterans Magazine recognized UTC as a “2025 Top Veteran-Friendly School.”   

Chattanooga State Community College is home to another of Tennessee’s top nursing programs and boasts the only fully embedded technical college on a community college campus in the state. In November of 2025, Chattanooga State announced the largest endowed nursing scholarship in the school’s history, which will cover full tuition costs for selected nursing students. The school also opened a new on-campus student health clinic, which offers free healthcare services to students regardless of insurance, and the school has plans to open two additional satellite clinics. 

Dalton State College, located in Dalton, Georgia, was ranked among the top 10% of affordable colleges in the nation for the fourth year in 2025. The affordable tuition rates also apply to Tennessee residents, who can attend Dalton State with the same in-state tuition and fees as Georgia residents. The college offers a variety of degree and certificate programs in arts, sciences, and business, and is Georgia’s first Hispanic-serving institution.

The Chattanooga area also has a number of options for private, faith-based education. Cleveland’s Lee University, a liberal arts college, ranked No. 31 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 list of “Best Regional Universities in the South.” Covenant College, located on Lookout Mountain, is another Christian liberal arts school. Known for its small classroom size, Covenant College boasts a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a close-knit community with 85% of students living on campus. Dayton’s Bryan College offers more than 50 unique fields of study and 14 post-graduate degrees. Southern Adventist University in Collegedale ranked No. 42 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 list of “Best Regional Universities in the South,” with a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio, 75 baccalaureate majors, 20 associate majors, and a variety of minors and certificate programs. 

Tennessee prioritizes higher education with a variety of initiatives. Programs like Advise TN provide services to high school juniors and seniors to help them enroll in the postsecondary institutions where they are most likely to succeed, and State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) works to close opportunity gaps and support students from kindergarten to career. Since these programs began, many of Tennessee’s higher education institutions have seen an increase in applications to schools, enrollment, and students returning after their first year.