Best Computer Programmer programs in Tennessee, ranked by enrollment
Create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run. Work from specifications drawn up by software and web developers or other individuals.
26 schools in Tennessee run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,604 people a year. The job pays a median of — in Tennessee across about 920 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.
6 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 11.0701In Tennessee → | 1,320 | 82.3% | 24 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | CIP 52.1201In Tennessee → | 223 | 13.9% | 9 | $59,352 | $24,618 |
| 3 | CIP 30.3001In Tennessee → | 45 | 2.8% | 2 | $50,745 | $27,000 |
| 4 | CIP 11.0803In Tennessee → | 10 | 0.6% | 1 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 5 | CIP 30.7101In Tennessee → | 4 | 0.2% | 2 | — | — |
| 6 | Computer Programming/Programmer, Generalmain feeder CIP 11.0201In Tennessee → | 2 | 0.1% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
Top 25 schools in Tennessee
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 8 of the 26 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 319 | Computer Science | $122,244 | 94% | $14,854 | 6% |
| 2 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 272 | Computer Science | $57,233 | 51% | — | 72% |
| 3 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 238 | Computer Science | $70,193 | 74% | — | 42% |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 217 | Computer Science | $57,653 | 54% | — | 69% |
| 5 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 209 | Computer Science | $63,180 | 58% | — | 76% |
| 6 | The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 103 | Computer Science | $59,567 | 50% | — | 81% |
| 7 | Rhodes College Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 40 | Computer Science | $60,225 | 85% | $19,854 | 50% |
| 8 | Tennessee State University Nashville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 33 | Computer Science | $50,628 | 34% | — | 70% |
| 9 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Computer Science | — | 40% | — | 96% |
| 10 | The University of Tennessee - Martin Martin, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 20 | Management Information Systems, General | — | 53% | — | 88% |
| 11 | South College Knoxville, TN Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Computer Science | — | 42% | $20,346 | — |
| 12 | Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 17 | Computer Science | — | 49% | $24,187 | 65% |
| 13 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Computer Graphics | — | 53% | $14,286 | 69% |
| 14 | Carson - Newman University Jefferson City, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 15 | Computer Science | — | 53% | $19,537 | 90% |
| 15 | The University of the South Sewanee, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Computer Science | — | 80% | $21,573 | 57% |
| 16 | Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Computer Science | — | 55% | $11,063 | 87% |
| 17 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Computer Science | — | 72% | $24,309 | 68% |
| 18 | Lee University Cleveland, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Computer Science | — | 63% | $18,918 | 71% |
| 19 | Bethel University McKenzie, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Management Information Systems, General | — | 35% | $21,324 | 60% |
| 20 | Freed - Hardeman University Henderson, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Computer Science | — | 71% | $19,418 | 60% |
| 21 | Lane College Jackson, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Science | — | 18% | $14,494 | — |
| 22 | Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Computer Science | — | 50% | $18,981 | 63% |
| 23 | The University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Management Information Systems, General | — | 37% | — | 87% |
| 24 | Le Moyne - Owen College Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Computer Science | — | 27% | $9,032 | 99% |
| 25 | Milligan University Milligan, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Computer Science | — | 63% | $19,143 | 72% |
All 26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 319 | 2 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis | Public | 272 | 2 |
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville | Public | 238 | 2 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Public | 217 | 2 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville | Public | 209 | 3 |
| The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Public | 103 | 2 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 40 | 1 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville | Public | 33 | 1 |
| Austin Peay State University | Clarksville | Public | 20 | 1 |
| The University of Tennessee - Martin | Martin | Public | 20 | 2 |
| South College | Knoxville | Private for-profit | 19 | 2 |
| Southern Adventist University | Collegedale | Private not-for-profit | 17 | 3 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 2 |
| Carson - Newman University | Jefferson City | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 2 |
| The University of the South | Sewanee | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
What computer programmers earn in Tennessee
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
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 Computer Programmers page.
How to become a Computer Programmer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational 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 17 majors mapped to Computer Programmers17 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0201Computer Programming/Programmer, General
- 11.0202Computer Programming, Specific Applications
- 11.0203Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification
- 11.0204Computer Game Programming
- 11.0205Computer Programming, Specific Platforms
- 11.0299Computer Programming, Other
- 11.0701Computer Science
- 11.0803Computer Graphics
- 11.0804Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
- 11.0902Cloud Computing
- 15.1204Computer Software Technology/Technician
- 30.3001Computational Science
- 30.7101Data Analytics, General
- 30.7103Data Visualization
- 30.7199Data Analytics, Other
- 51.0709Medical Office Computer Specialist/Assistant
- 52.1201Management Information Systems, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing computer programmers programs in Tennessee.
What degree do you need to become a Computer Programmer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Science, which awarded 1,320 degrees in Tennessee in 2024-25, 82.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer Programmer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer Science, Management Information Systems and Services, Computational Science, Computer Software and Media Applications, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 1,604 people a year in Tennessee.
Is demand for computer programmers growing?+
BLS projects a -6.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 5,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Tennessee?+
26 institutions in Tennessee reported graduates from at least one of the 6 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 computer programmers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Programmer, Analyst Programmer, Programmer Analyst, Computer Programmer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1251.
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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