Best Trade Programs in Tennessee (2026)
Top 100 of 367 programs in Tennessee · Updated 2026
The best trade school programs in Tennessee, ranked by overall value. We scored 367 programs across Tennessee trade schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $47,228/yr in graduate earnings.
Programs in TN
367
Avg Earnings (Top 100)
$47,228/yr
Avg TSW Score
69/100
#1 Program
Ground Transportation
Chattanooga State Community College
Top Trade Programs in Tennessee
Top 100 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | TSW Score | Earnings | AI-Proof | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ground Transportation
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga, TN |
87
86–87 |
$48,579/yr | AI-Proof | 107.6x |
| 2 |
Business Administration
Cleveland State Community College · Cleveland, TN |
81
76–83 |
$50,301/yr | Moderate | 47.6x |
| 3 |
Nursing
Dyersburg State Community College · Dyersburg, TN |
85
80–85 |
$74,386/yr | Moderate | 75.9x |
| 4 |
Nursing
Southwest Tennessee Community College · Memphis, TN |
85
79–85 |
$72,913/yr | Moderate | 77.9x |
| 5 |
Nursing
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga, TN |
82
77–83 |
$64,950/yr | Moderate | 76.9x |
| 6 |
Nursing
Cleveland State Community College · Cleveland, TN |
84
78–84 |
$69,229/yr | Moderate | 71.0x |
| 7 |
Nursing
Columbia State Community College · Columbia, TN |
81
76–81 |
$65,077/yr | Moderate | 66.9x |
| 8 |
Nursing
Jackson State Community College · Jackson, TN |
83
78–83 |
$66,385/yr | Moderate | 68.8x |
| 9 |
Nursing
Motlow State Community College · Tullahoma, TN |
83
78–83 |
$66,609/yr | Moderate | 75.7x |
| 10 |
Nursing
Northeast State Community College · Blountville, TN |
82
77–83 |
$65,160/yr | Moderate | 70.2x |
| 11 |
Ground Transportation
Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN |
72
71–73 |
$46,909/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 12 |
Practical Nursing
Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers · Chattanooga, TN |
72
72–73 |
$50,437/yr | AI-Proof | 46.2x |
| 13 |
Nursing
Nashville State Community College · Nashville, TN |
83
76–83 |
$63,235/yr | Moderate | 81.9x |
| 14 |
Criminal Justice
Walters State Community College · Morristown, TN |
83
79–84 |
$44,624/yr | Resilient | 107.7x |
| 15 |
Criminal Justice
Cleveland State Community College · Cleveland, TN |
81
77–83 |
$41,488/yr | Resilient | 109.3x |
| 16 |
Nursing
Roane State Community College · Harriman, TN |
80
73–81 |
$56,446/yr | Moderate | 70.5x |
| 17 |
Nursing
Pellissippi State Community College · Knoxville, TN |
80
73–80 |
$55,217/yr | Moderate | 70.0x |
| 18 |
Nursing
Walters State Community College · Morristown, TN |
79
74–80 |
$57,329/yr | Moderate | 67.2x |
| 19 |
Business Administration
Cleveland State Community College · Cleveland, TN |
81
76–83 |
$38,864/yr | Moderate | 86.0x |
| 20 |
Business Administration
Volunteer State Community College · Gallatin, TN |
76
70–78 |
$40,513/yr | Moderate | 49.5x |
| 21 |
Nursing
Concorde Career College-Memphis · Memphis, TN |
74
67–74 |
$76,276/yr | Moderate | — |
| 22 |
Health Administration
Nashville State Community College · Nashville, TN |
72
66–74 |
$40,023/yr | Moderate | 49.1x |
| 23 |
Practical Nursing
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville · Nashville, TN |
68
66–69 |
$51,085/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 24 |
Electrical Installation
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga, TN |
77
72–78 |
$41,936/yr | AI-Proof | 127.9x |
| 25 |
Medical Assisting
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga, TN |
69
66–70 |
$45,112/yr | Resilient | 52.5x |
| 26 |
Practical Nursing
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga, TN |
75
71–76 |
$36,350/yr | AI-Proof | 108.5x |
| 27 |
Business Administration
Nashville State Community College · Nashville, TN |
72
65–74 |
$34,306/yr | Moderate | 48.3x |
| 28 |
Medical Assisting
Southwest Tennessee Community College · Memphis, TN |
69
66–69 |
$44,955/yr | Resilient | 48.4x |
| 29 |
Medical Assisting
Volunteer State Community College · Gallatin, TN |
70
67–70 |
$45,598/yr | Resilient | 53.0x |
| 30 |
Practical Nursing
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Athens · Athens, TN |
67
64–67 |
$46,871/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 31 |
Heavy Equipment Technology
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga, TN |
73
71–73 |
$54,588/yr | AI-Proof | 146.8x |
| 32 |
Precision Metalworking
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga, TN |
66
65–67 |
$39,664/yr | AI-Proof | 98.8x |
| 33 |
Practical Nursing
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Hartsville · Hartsville, TN |
67
64–67 |
$46,390/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 34 |
Practical Nursing
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Crossville · Crossville, TN |
66
64–67 |
$44,915/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 35 |
Computer Science
Pellissippi State Community College · Knoxville, TN |
74
64–76 |
$44,224/yr | Exposed | 58.1x |
| 36 |
Practical Nursing
Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN |
66
64–67 |
$45,301/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 37 |
Nursing
Fortis Institute-Nashville · Nashville, TN |
71
65–71 |
$66,276/yr | Moderate | 24.6x |
| 38 |
Nursing
Galen Health Institutes-Nashville Campus · Nashville, TN |
71
65–71 |
$68,114/yr | Moderate | 22.9x |
| 39 |
Computer Science
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga, TN |
73
63–76 |
$41,400/yr | Exposed | 58.9x |
| 40 |
Practical Nursing
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Dickson · Dickson, TN |
65
63–66 |
$42,651/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 41 |
Practical Nursing
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Hohenwald · Hohenwald, TN |
65
63–66 |
$42,694/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 42 |
Practical Nursing
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis · Memphis, TN |
66
64–67 |
$44,669/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 43 |
Practical Nursing
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro · Murfreesboro, TN |
66
63–66 |
$44,555/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 44 |
Medical Assisting
Nashville State Community College · Nashville, TN |
68
63–68 |
$40,411/yr | Resilient | 54.2x |
| 45 |
Practical Nursing
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Crump · Crump, TN |
66
63–66 |
$44,134/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 46 |
Ground Transportation
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson · Jackson, TN |
64
62–65 |
$31,124/yr | AI-Proof | — |
| 47 |
Ground Transportation
Fortis Institute-Cookeville · Cookeville, TN |
64
60–65 |
$30,416/yr | AI-Proof | 32.1x |
| 48 |
Business Administration
Chattanooga State Community College · Chattanooga, TN |
71
67–73 |
$36,486/yr | Moderate | 35.1x |
| 49 |
Allied Health Professions
Columbia State Community College · Columbia, TN |
68
65–68 |
$58,188/yr | Resilient | 57.3x |
| 50 |
Business Administration
Columbia State Community College · Columbia, TN |
69
62–71 |
$31,640/yr | Moderate | 44.0x |
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 100 trade programs at Tennessee schools, drawn from 367 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI.
Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best trade program in Tennessee?
By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Ground Transportation at Chattanooga State Community College ranks #1 in Tennessee with a score of 87/100 and graduate earnings of $48,579/yr.
How many trade programs are in Tennessee?
Our database includes 367 trade programs across Tennessee schools with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.