Best colleges for Business Administration in Tennessee
Ranked by graduate earnings
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Tennessee Wesleyan University and Rhodes College are the top bachelor's Business Administration programs in Tennessee by graduate earnings. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $59,147, College Scorecard. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Middle Tennessee State University and University of Memphis award the most Business Administration degrees in Tennessee: 664, 392 and 338 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 54 Tennessee colleges offer Business Administration and award 5,896 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Business Administration program, officially titled Business Administration, Management and Operations, equips students with essential skills for managing and leading organizations. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to…
Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville Public · Bachelor's degree | $59,147 | 664 | 74% | — | $20,500 |
| 2 | Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $58,859 | 41 | 48% | $14,614 | $29,750 |
| 3 | Rhodes College Memphis Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $58,550 | 56 | 85% | $19,854 | $22,240 |
| 4 | Union University Jackson Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $58,201 | 102 | 66% | $25,882 | $33,333 |
| 5 | Bryan College - Dayton Dayton Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $52,528 | 102 | 50% | $16,130 | $27,000 |
| 6 | Lipscomb University Nashville Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $51,379 | 97 | 72% | $24,309 | $27,250 |
| 7 | Bethel University McKenzie Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $49,106 | 162 | 35% | $21,324 | $40,408 |
| 8 | University of Memphis Memphis Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,611 | 338 | 51% | — | $25,500 |
| 9 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $47,547 | 230 | 53% | $14,286 | $24,798 |
| 10 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga Public · Bachelor's degree | $45,308 | 254 | 50% | — | $23,000 |
Top 10 certificate and associate programs
Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland State Community College Cleveland Public · Certificate | $38,864 | 108 | 37% | — | $8,750 |
| 2 | Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville Public · Associate degree | $32,529 | 157 | 31% | — | $8,540 |
| 3 | Columbia State Community College Columbia Public · Associate degree | $31,640 | 34 | 30% | — | — |
| 4 | Roane State Community College Harriman Public · Associate degree | $29,823 | 57 | 36% | — | $6,000 |
| 5 | Walters State Community College Morristown Public · Associate degree | $25,882 | 52 | 33% | — | — |
| 6 | Northeast State Community College Blountville Public · Associate degree | $18,572 | 56 | 33% | — | — |
| 7 | Volunteer State Community College Gallatin Public · Associate degree | $40,513 | 79 | 28% | — | $10,718 |
| 8 | Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga Public · Associate degree | $36,486 | 75 | 26% | — | $15,162 |
| 9 | Nashville State Community College Nashville Public · Associate degree | $34,306 | 50 | 18% | — | $15,687 |
| 10 | Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis Public · Associate degree | $32,879 | 34 | 19% | — | — |
Colleges awarding the most Business Administration degrees in Tennessee
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville Public | 664 | $59,147 |
| 2 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro Public | 392 | $44,608 |
| 3 | University of Memphis Memphis Public | 338 | $47,611 |
| 4 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga Public | 254 | $45,308 |
| 5 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City Public | 252 | $37,041 |
| 6 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville Private not-for-profit | 230 | $47,547 |
| 7 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville Public | 192 | $38,994 |
| 8 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville Public | 190 | $38,750 |
| 9 | Tennessee State University Nashville Public | 170 | $40,077 |
| 10 | Bethel University McKenzie Private not-for-profit | 162 | $49,106 |
ShowHide the other 44 Tennessee colleges offering Business Administration
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miller-Motte College - Chattanooga (Online) | Chattanooga | Private for-profit | 429 |
| Pellissippi State Community College | Knoxville | Public | 157 |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin | Martin | Public | 144 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 138 |
| Lincoln Memorial University | Harrogate | Private not-for-profit | 134 |
| Carson-Newman University | Jefferson City | Private not-for-profit | 113 |
| Tusculum University | Greeneville | Private not-for-profit | 110 |
| Cleveland State Community College | Cleveland | Public | 108 |
| Bryan College - Dayton | Dayton | Private not-for-profit | 102 |
| Union University | Jackson | Private not-for-profit | 102 |
| Lipscomb University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 97 |
| South College | Knoxville | Private for-profit | 92 |
| Cumberland University | Lebanon | Private not-for-profit | 82 |
| Volunteer State Community College | Gallatin | Public | 79 |
| Chattanooga State Community College | Chattanooga | Public | 75 |
| Christian Brothers University | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 75 |
| Lee University | Cleveland | Private not-for-profit | 71 |
| King University | Bristol | Private not-for-profit | 65 |
| The University of Tennessee Southern | Pulaski | Public | 64 |
| Roane State Community College | Harriman | Public | 57 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 56 |
| Northeast State Community College | Blountville | Public | 56 |
| Johnson University | Knoxville | Private not-for-profit | 53 |
| Milligan University | Milligan | Private not-for-profit | 53 |
| Walters State Community College | Morristown | Public | 52 |
| Nashville State Community College | Nashville | Public | 50 |
| Freed-Hardeman University | Henderson | Private not-for-profit | 47 |
| Lane College | Jackson | Private not-for-profit | 42 |
| Tennessee Wesleyan University | Athens | Private not-for-profit | 41 |
| Le Moyne-Owen College | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 39 |
| Columbia State Community College | Columbia | Public | 34 |
| Southwest Tennessee Community College | Memphis | Public | 34 |
| Maryville College | Maryville | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| Motlow State Community College | Tullahoma | Public | 28 |
| Southern Adventist University | Collegedale | Private not-for-profit | 28 |
| Belmont University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 27 |
| Jackson State Community College | Jackson | Public | 24 |
| Strayer University - Tennessee (Online) | Nashville | Private for-profit | 24 |
| Dyersburg State Community College | Dyersburg | Public | 13 |
| Williamson Christian College | Franklin | Private not-for-profit | 9 |
| Welch College | Gallatin | Private not-for-profit | 7 |
| Remington College - Nashville Campus | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| Visible Music College | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| Omega Graduate School (Graduate only) | Dayton | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021).
Top skills
What General and Operations Managers earn in Tennessee
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Business Administration programs in Tennessee.
Which Tennessee colleges award the most Business Administration degrees?+
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (664 graduates a year), Middle Tennessee State University (392 graduates a year) and University of Memphis (338 graduates a year) award the most Business Administration degrees in Tennessee, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 54 Tennessee colleges offer Business Administration.
What is the best college for Business Administration in Tennessee?+
By graduate earnings, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville leads among bachelor's Business Administration programs in Tennessee, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $59,147, College Scorecard. Tennessee Wesleyan University and Rhodes College follow. By degrees awarded, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is the largest, with 664 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Business Administration program in Tennessee has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville tops the list at $59,147. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do General and Operations Managers earn in Tennessee?+
The average annual wage for General and Operations Managers in Tennessee is $132,520 (median $106,970), across about 63,720 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Business Administration program?+
The Business Administration program, officially titled Business Administration, Management and Operations, equips students with essential skills for managing and leading organizations. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, monitoring, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for General and Operations Managers?+
The national job outlook is about +4.4% growth with around 308,700 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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