Best Online Nursing Programs in Knoxville, TN (2026)

Knoxville, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Knoxville has a population of about 193,721. Median household income is $50,994 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Knoxville, TN metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $213,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Knoxville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nursing programs near Knoxville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Knoxville city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Knoxville. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 1.2 miles from Knoxville BOC Score 47.1
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,235
Avg net price $20,012/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 1.3 miles from Knoxville BOC Score 74.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $18,976/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

South College

Knoxville, TN 4.4 miles from Knoxville BOC Score 45.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,642
Avg net price $17,858/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Tennessee schools on the Tennessee nursing page.


Nursing Wages Near Knoxville

Knoxville is part of the Knoxville, TN metro area (BLS area code 28940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$77,240Knoxville, TN$83,413
Licensed Practical Nurse$57,960Knoxville, TN$62,592
Nurse Anesthetist$213,900Knoxville, TN$230,994
Nurse Midwife$116,980TN statewide$126,328
Nurse Practitioner$109,740Knoxville, TN$118,510
Nursing Assistant$38,000Knoxville, TN$41,037

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Knoxville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population193,721Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$50,994Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+33.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Knox County17,808 workers, 146 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Knoxville-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Knoxville, TN?

Accredited schools offering nursing programs near Knoxville are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Knoxville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Knoxville are: Nurse Anesthetist ($213,900), Nurse Midwife ($116,980), Nurse Practitioner ($109,740). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Farragut instead of Knoxville?

Farragut, TN is 14.6 miles from Knoxville and has its own set of local nursing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Knoxville an affordable place to study nursing?

Knoxville’s median household income of $50,994 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Knoxville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Nursing Programs

Other Programs Available in Knoxville

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Knoxville:

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.