Tennessee’s community colleges awarded record number of degrees and technical certificates during 2025-26 academic year

Tennessee’s community colleges awarded 16,240 associate degrees and technical certificates to graduates in the 2025-26 academic year, the highest number ever conferred – a 9 percent increase over the previous year and 19 percent growth from a decade ago.

In addition, preliminary enrollment at the 13 community colleges for the current fall semester totals 82,127 students – up 3 percent over the same time last year. The strongest growth is among first-time freshmen, a 4 percent increase over last year. It is the fourth consecutive year of enrollment growth at the community colleges.

Preliminary enrollment at the 22 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs), which start their fall trimester later than the community colleges, is up 14 percent compared to the same time last year. The strongest enrollment growth at the TCATs is among high school students who are dual enrolled in TCAT courses, an increase of 38 percent. Final fall enrollment numbers will be presented at the board’s December meeting.

The degree and certificate awards and enrollment numbers are among the highlights presented to the Tennessee Board of Regents during its quarterly meeting Thursday and Friday. The board, which governs the state’s public community and technical colleges, met at TCAT Shelbyville’s new campus. The meeting was hosted by TCAT Shelbyville, TCAT McMinnville and Motlow State Community College.

In other action, the board:

• Approved search criteria for the next president of Pellissippi State Community College, where President L. Anthony Wise Jr. has announced his intention to retire next May after completing 30 years of service to the state of Tennessee and 16 years as the college’s president. Dr. Wise began his Pellissippi State career teaching history and later held a series of faculty and administrative positions before his appointment by the board as president in 2011. A search advisory committee will be appointed later, with representatives of the Board of Regents, the college’s faculty, staff, students and alumni, and the local civic and business community.
• Approved a new Associate of Applied Science degree program in Entertainment Production at Southwest Tennessee Community College, to serve students interested in careers in the region’s entertainment industry. Southwest will announce more details of the program soon.
• Received the annual report on non-credit workforce training hours provided to employees and potential employees of Tennessee business and industry for academic year 2025-26, showing a total of 2,104,472 contact hours of training provided – an increase of 3.5 percent over the previous year. The training served 46,430 students in conjunction with 554 companies. The direct employee training, in addition to the colleges’ for-credit academic, career and technical education degree and certificate programs, is a major component of the colleges’ workforce development missions for Tennesseans, the state, and their communities. 
• Received more detailed reporting on the college system’s legislative proposals and capital projects requests for next year. The capital projects, approved by the board at its June meeting, total $726.5 million for 11 major campus building proposals across the system. They now advance to the next stage in the state’s budget process – consideration by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission – and will not be finally approved unless funded as part of the overall state budget by the state legislature next year.
• Received a report on community college athletics and student-athlete success during the last academic year.   Of 1,214 student athletes on rosters, 635 were Tennessee Community College Athletic Association All-Academic Team awardees (grade-point averages of 3.0 and higher), a 15 percent increase over the previous year. Seventy-three had perfect 4.0 GPAs.
• Approved honorary faculty emeritus designations for four retired faculty members nominated by their college presidents for distinguished service: Robert Carter, professor of biology at Volunteer State Community College; Joseph Douglas, professor of history, Volunteer State Community College; Patsy Rose Fancher, professor of graphic arts, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Gabriele Meyer, associate professor of biology at Chattanooga State Community College.
• Approved revisions in institutional mission profiles.
• Received a report on a new articulation agreement with Belmont University, enabling aspiring teachers to complete their associate degrees at community colleges and apply for admission to Belmont's bachelor's degree program in education.
• Received a report on the presentation of the Regents Award for Excellence in Philanthropy to Ripley Power and Light, nominated by Dyersburg State Community College for its steadfast commitment to student success, including scholarships and other support for the college.
• Approved resolutions of appreciation for Governor Bill Lee for his support for career and technical education, and for retired TCAT Oneida/Huntsville President Dwight Murphy.

The board’s committee meetings on Thursday and the full board meeting Friday were livestreamed and are archived for viewing on the TBR website at: https://www.tbr.edu/board/september-2026-quarterly-board-meeting.  The full agendas and an executive summary are posted at the same meeting link.