Best Chief Executive programs in Tennessee, ranked by enrollment
Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body.
54 schools in Tennessee run programs that feed this job, graduating 6,760 people a year. The job pays a median of $198,830 in Tennessee across about 4,700 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Tennessee that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
9 programs in Tennessee that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Tennessee (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Tennessee page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 52.0201In Tennessee → | 4,552 | 67.3% | 51 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 52.0801In Tennessee → | 902 | 13.3% | 19 | $53,572 | $23,672 |
| 3 | CIP 52.0101In Tennessee → | 539 | 8.0% | 11 | $44,700 | $24,000 |
| 4 | CIP 52.1301In Tennessee → | 333 | 4.9% | 8 | $62,069 | $23,500 |
| 5 | CIP 52.0701In Tennessee → | 180 | 2.7% | 11 | $43,803 | $23,374 |
| 6 | CIP 44.0401In Tennessee → | 177 | 2.6% | 11 | $45,374 | $26,000 |
| 7 | CIP 52.0206In Tennessee → | 45 | 0.7% | 7 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
| 8 | CIP 52.1101In Tennessee → | 30 | 0.4% | 5 | $51,261 | $23,361 |
| 9 | CIP 52.0704In Tennessee → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,803 | $23,374 |
Top 25 schools in Tennessee
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 42 of the 54 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 4 feeder programs | 819 | Finance, General | $53,826 | 74% | — | 42% |
| 2 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public · 4 feeder programs | 480 | Business Administration and Management, General | $44,608 | 54% | — | 69% |
| 3 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 7 feeder programs | 471 | Business Administration and Management, General | $47,611 | 51% | — | 72% |
| 4 | Miller - Motte College - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 314 | Business Administration and Management, General | $23,907 | 60% | $26,425 | — |
| 5 | The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Public · 5 feeder programs | 303 | Business Administration and Management, General | $45,308 | 50% | — | 81% |
| 6 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 255 | Business Administration and Management, General | $37,041 | 53% | — | 86% |
| 7 | Strayer University - Tennessee Nashville, TN Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 234 | Business/Commerce, General | $55,431 | 0% | $18,466 | — |
| 8 | Tennessee State University Nashville, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 218 | Business Administration and Management, General | $40,077 | 34% | — | 70% |
| 9 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 214 | Business Administration and Management, General | $38,994 | 58% | — | 76% |
| 10 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 204 | Business Administration and Management, General | $47,547 | 53% | $14,286 | 69% |
| 11 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 193 | Business Administration and Management, General | $38,750 | 40% | — | 96% |
| 12 | Belmont University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 184 | Business/Commerce, General | $39,325 | 71% | $29,246 | 95% |
| 13 | The University of Tennessee - Martin Martin, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 184 | Business Administration and Management, General | $41,279 | 53% | — | 88% |
| 14 | Cumberland University Lebanon, TN Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 154 | Business/Commerce, General | — | 46% | $19,206 | 67% |
| 15 | Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 145 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | 50% | $18,981 | 63% |
| 16 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 138 | Business Administration and Management, General | $51,379 | 72% | $24,309 | 68% |
| 17 | Bethel University McKenzie, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 137 | Business Administration and Management, General | $49,106 | 35% | $21,324 | 60% |
| 18 | Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 129 | Business Administration and Management, General | $40,513 | 28% | — | — |
| 19 | Carson - Newman University Jefferson City, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 121 | Business Administration and Management, General | $42,904 | 53% | $19,537 | 90% |
| 20 | Tusculum University Greeneville, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 110 | Business Administration and Management, General | $48,874 | 25% | $22,577 | 72% |
| 21 | Cleveland State Community College Cleveland, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 108 | Business Administration and Management, General | $38,864 | 37% | — | — |
| 22 | South College Knoxville, TN Private for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 105 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | 42% | $20,346 | — |
| 23 | Bryan College - Dayton Dayton, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 99 | Business Administration and Management, General | $52,528 | 50% | $16,130 | — |
| 24 | Lee University Cleveland, TN Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 97 | Business Administration and Management, General | $40,193 | 63% | $18,918 | 71% |
| 25 | Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 94 | Business Administration and Management, General | $37,599 | 55% | $11,063 | 87% |
All 54 schools in Tennessee
Every school in Tennessee with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville | Public | 819 | 4 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Public | 480 | 4 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis | Public | 471 | 7 |
| Miller - Motte College - Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Private for-profit | 314 | 1 |
| The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Public | 303 | 5 |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City | Public | 255 | 3 |
| Strayer University - Tennessee | Nashville | Private for-profit | 234 | 3 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville | Public | 218 | 3 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville | Public | 214 | 2 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 204 | 4 |
| Austin Peay State University | Clarksville | Public | 193 | 3 |
| Belmont University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 184 | 7 |
| The University of Tennessee - Martin | Martin | Public | 184 | 2 |
| Cumberland University | Lebanon | Private not-for-profit | 154 | 4 |
| Lincoln Memorial University | Harrogate | Private not-for-profit | 145 | 2 |
What chief executives earn in Tennessee
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $213,990. Tennessee pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Tennessee
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Chief Executives page.
How to become a Chief Executive
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- 5 years or more
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Tennessee
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 9 majors mapped to Chief Executives9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 44.0401Public Administration
- 52.0101Business/Commerce, General
- 52.0201Business Administration and Management, General
- 52.0206Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management
- 52.0701Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
- 52.0704Social Entrepreneurship
- 52.0801Finance, General
- 52.1101International Business/Trade/Commerce
- 52.1301Management Science
Common questions
Answers for people weighing chief executives programs in Tennessee.
What degree do you need to become a Chief Executive?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Business Administration and Management, General, which awarded 4,552 degrees in Tennessee in 2024-25, 67.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Chief Executive?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 9 programs to this occupation. The largest are Business Administration, Finance and Financial Management Services, Business/Commerce, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 6,760 people a year in Tennessee.
How much do chief executives earn in Tennessee?+
The median is $198,830 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 7.1% below the U.S. median of $213,990. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for chief executives growing?+
BLS projects a +4.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 22,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Tennessee?+
54 institutions in Tennessee reported graduates from at least one of the 9 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do chief executives work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records President, Sustainability Manager, Sustainability Director, Sustainable Design Director, CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Chief Financial Officer (CFO) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-1011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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