Colleges in TN (Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga: 2015, homes, best schools)

[gypsyjudy]

We're looking to move back to TN after being away for many years. I am wondering about the reputation of some of the colleges, specifically UTK, U of Memphis, MTSU, UTC, Christian Brothers in Memphis, Aquinas in Nashville. My husband and I attended UTK (he graduated, I graduated UM)- a long time ago. 3 kids want to go to school near home, so that determines location. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[JMT]

Originally Posted by gypsyjudy

We're looking to move back to TN after being away for many years. I am wondering about the reputation of some of the colleges, specifically UTK, U of Memphis, MTSU, UTC, Christian Brothers in Memphis, Aquinas in Nashville. My husband and I attended UTK (he graduated, I graduated UM)- a long time ago. 3 kids want to go to school near home, so that determines location. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

What are your kids planning on studying? Where are you planning on living?

I used to be on the faculty at UTK and am a big fan of the school. It's undoubtedly the highest rated public university in the state, certainly the largest and the best funded.

The Washington Post says that Money Magazine has gotten it right with its rankings of universities in the country, doing away with such criteria as the percentage of alumni who contribute to their schools (which U.S. News uses as part of its formula). Its rankings are based on 21 factors in three categories: educational quality, affordability, and alumni earnings.

Only 11 Tennessee universities made it in the top 736 colleges in the country. They are:

24. Vanderbilt (Nashville)
209. Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville)
295. (tied) University of Tennessee (Knoxville)
295. (tied) Fisk University (Nashville)
345. Rhodes College (Memphis)
437. University of the South (Sewanee)
458. Union University (Jackson)
546. Lane College (Jackson)
577. Lipscomb University (Nashville)
685. Le Moyne-Owen College (Memphis)
702. Belmont University (Nashville)

According to payscale.com, the 10 best universities in Tennessee in terms of value and earning potential are:

1. Vanderbilt
2. Rhodes
3. Tennessee Tech
4. UTK
5. CBU
6. Lipscomb
7. UTC
8. Union
9. UM
10. ETSU

SmartAsset has ranked its top 10 universities in Tennessee:

1. Vanderbilt
2. Tennessee Tech
3. Tennessee State
4. CBU
5. Phoenix-Chattanooga
6. UTK
7. Union
8. Rhodes
9. UM
10. ETSU

Washington Monthly's top 10 "best bang for the buck" colleges in Tennessee:

1. Lane
2. Tennessee State
3. MTSU
4. Tennessee Tech
5. Martin Methodist
6. Fisk
7. Vanderbilt
8. Sewanee
9. CBU
10. Lincoln Memorial

Here are the only universities in Tennessee ranked by U.S. News and World Report:

• Aquinas College (Nashville) - 19th, Regional Colleges
• Austin Peay State University (Clarksville) - 68th, Regional Universities
• Belmont (Nashville) - 5th, Regional Universities
• Bryan College (Dayton) - 30th, Regional Colleges
• Carson-Newman (Jefferson City) - 16th, Regional Colleges
• CBU (Memphis) - 27th, Regional Universities
• Fisk (Nashville) - 171st, National Liberal Arts Colleges
• Freed-Hardeman (Henderson) - 46th, Regional Universities
• King (Bristol) - 71st, Regional Universities
• Lee (Cleveland) - 46th, Regional Universities
• Lincoln Memorial (Harrogate) - 50th, Regional Universities
• Lipscomb (Nashville) - 18th, Regional Universities
• Milligan (Johnson City) - 6th, Regional Colleges
• Rhodes (Memphis) - 51st, National Liberal Arts Colleges
• Sewanee - 48th, National Liberal Arts Colleges
• Southern Adventist (Collegedale) - 25th, Regional Colleges
• *Tennessee Tech (Cookeville) - 35th, Regional Universities
• Tennessee Wesleyan (Athens) - 33rd, Regional Colleges
• Union (Jackson) - 14th, Regional Universities
• University of Tennessee (Knoxville) - 103rd, National Universities
• UTC (Chattanooga) - 58th, Regional Universities
• UTM (Martin) - 50th, Regional Universities
• Vanderbilt (Nashville) - 15th, National Universities
• Welch (Nashville) - 63rd, Regional Colleges

*Tennessee Tech is being upgraded from a regional university to a national university this year.

[JoeCartpath]

Originally Posted by JMT

SmartAsset has ranked its top 10 universities in Tennessee:

1. Vanderbilt
2. Tennessee Tech
3. Tennessee State
4. CBU
5. Phoenix-Chattanooga
6. UTK
7. Union
8. Rhodes
9. UM
10. ETSU

The University of Phoenix rated above UTK and Rhodes (among others)!!!

[gypsyjudy]

Gosh, guess I wasn't too clear in my post. So sorry! My husband works remotely, so location is not a huge issue (looking all over US). TN is cheap, so prime opportunity to finally get ahead. Truth be told, Nashville is not at the top of the list because I really can't stand country music - sorry. I grew up in Knoxville, so that is kind of been there done that, though so beautiful. My husband grew up in Germantown (for 7 years), and I graduated from UM (3 yrs at UTK, one at UM).

Kids are 16 (boy), 13, and 10 (girls). Son is very interested in some kind of computer science/IT field. Girls have no ideas but are very partial to a Catholic education (10 year old wants to be a nun). All are homeschooled. Would love a Catholic education, but being the Bible belt I'm not sure that is feasible.

Some of the rankings above I don't find terribly encouraging, especially that the University of Phoenix ranks higher than some of my listings. UGH! Maybe we should be poor and move back to Madison?

Thanks for the info.

[jabogitlu]

Catholic education is probably most accessible in Memphis or Nashville. It's interesting that, being from Tennessee, you don't seem to understand that Nashville is a whole lot more than country music.

I went to ETSU (undergrad) and UM (grad) and received a good education. TN Tech, UTK and Vandy are undoubtedly the best schools in the state.

Also, depends on your kids' interests. For engineering, TN Tech and UTK are hard to beat. Some programs only have one entity in Tennessee (for example, earthquake research, city planning, or Egyptian studies - University of Memphis).

I would discount those ranking lists. My experience in higher education is - you get what you give. However, there are certainly benefits to going to one of the top schools (Tech, UTK, Vandy). All the others basically even out in the wash.

[gypsyjudy]

I haven't lived in TN for 25 years and actually haven't been there in 15. I know Nashville isn't just country music, but it IS one of the biggest industries in the city. I REALLY dislike country music, and I am not found of bright orange at all. With that being said, I know a college education is what you make it, so thanks for reminding me-I tend to forget that sometimes. After you get some work experience it becomes less important, too. Neither Nashville nor Memphis seem like a mecca for Catholic education (at least REAL Catholic education), but that is really anywhere-even here in St. Louis. Maybe I have been in St. Louis too long. Here it IS all about where you went to school, especially high school! Thanks for all of the information you have provided!

[jabogitlu]

Here it IS all about where you went to school, especially high school!

Memphis can be bad about that, too. All of my friends who went to high school in town constantly were asking "oh, where'd he go to school?" -- and they meant high school, not college. It was a pretty surreal experience.

Here's a few ...

Memphis Catholic Middle & High School - Education That Works
CBHS Homepage
CDOM :: Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee - if you select the schools drop-down, there's a whole bunch there.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by gypsyjudy

I haven't lived in TN for 25 years and actually haven't been there in 15. I know Nashville isn't just country music, but it IS one of the biggest industries in the city. I REALLY dislike country music, and I am not found of bright orange at all. With that being said, I know a college education is what you make it, so thanks for reminding me-I tend to forget that sometimes. After you get some work experience it becomes less important, too. Neither Nashville nor Memphis seem like a mecca for Catholic education (at least REAL Catholic education), but that is really anywhere-even here in St. Louis. Maybe I have been in St. Louis too long. Here it IS all about where you went to school, especially high school! Thanks for all of the information you have provided!

There are quite a few Catholic schools in Nashville, too, although I don't think any city in Tennessee has as many Catholic schools as St Louis.

School Finder

Knoxville has Knoxville Catholic High School, and Chattanooga has Notre Dame High School.

[gypsyjudy]

Oh no! I cannot bear hearing the "Where did you go to high school?" question any more! It's is really a socioeconomic question here, especially as the question relates to Catholic schools (public schools also, but not as much). People In St. Louis are not welcoming to outsiders at all, so I cannot deal with that if we move south. Please say it is not like that there, also. I've lived in 7 cities, and I have never experienced any place being like St. Louis (and I have lived here 3 times). I don't recall the South being THAT bad about that kind of thing, but I could have a short memory.

I'm not really interested in K-12 Catholic schools because they are no better, from my experience, than public schools. The only TN Catholic universities I am aware of in the state are Aquinas and CBU. Might have to get over the Catholic education (kids know their faith well) and focus on public universities. I was raised Protestant and in Knoxville, and my family is extraordinarily prejudiced against Catholics (haven't seen them in many years due to this), so I was hoping to get them in a place with more like minded people. Public universities have more programs and are cheaper, so I will go with that if necessary.

We're just trying to figure out if TN should be an option because the cost of living is so enticing, so thanks for the help!

[jabogitlu]

As far as religious discrimination (Catholic vs. Protestant), I don't think this is a social issue in the South anymore. There may be isolated instances (like your family), but I've never heard of any situation like that, even in tiny little Greeneville, TN where I grew up.

Public schools in the City of Memphis boundaries are very hit or miss. There are some decent options (a few Midtown elementary schools are decent, and there's some optional programs in East Memphis), but by and large if you live in the city, you might be looking at private schools. (All the suburbs have their own systems, which drives a lot of population growth out there.)

I'm not sure of all your options, but Tennessee is a great state to live, especially within the big 4 cities. I'm partial to Memphis, but Chattanooga is another solid option, and is close to Atlanta for its cultural offerings and airport deals. Memphis and Nashville are the only truly urban communities in Tennessee, if that matters to you.

Still, finding a university that has programs that appeal to multiple kids could be challenging. That's the biggest conundrum I see to your question, and it's hardly TN-specific. University of Tennessee or Vandy probably have the broadest appeal, from a course/major offering perspective.