USA Today cites Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology among "Best Vocational Schools in the U.S."
Seventeen Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology across the state are included in USA Today’s list of America’s Top 250 Vocational Schools for 2025.
The 17 TCATs are the only Tennessee institutions cited on the list. Tennessee had the fourth-highest number of schools among the 32 states with institutions listed in the Top 250, behind only the much larger states of California (35 institutions), Florida (25), and Texas (22).
The Tennessee institutions cited by USA Today are TCATs Athens, Crump, Dickson, Elizabethton, Harriman, Hartsville, Jacksboro, Jackson, Livingston, McKenzie (now a campus of TCAT Henry/Carroll), McMinnville, Memphis, Morristown, Nashville, Northwest, Shelbyville, and Upper Cumberland (listed in the article under its former name of TCAT Crossville).
The USA Today article, What are the best vocational schools in the US?, noted that the list was created to help students navigate career and technical education options. The nationwide newspaper partnered with the market research firm Statista to create its first annual ranking of "America’s Top Vocational Schools." The rankings, developed by Statista in collaboration with USA TODAY, were judged on five primary metrics: graduation rate, graduates' salary, years it takes to pay off net cost, social mobility and diversity.
Tennessee’s Colleges of Applied Technology are public career and technical postsecondary institutions known for their high quality of instruction, high graduation and job placement rates, high licensure rates in fields requiring licensure, affordability, and broad array of program offerings.
Through Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, eligible new high school graduates and adults without college credentials may attend free of tuition and mandatory fees – increasing affordability beyond the colleges’ low tuition rates. Information about both programs and other federal and state financial aid is available at collegefortn.org
Along with Tennessee’s public community colleges, the TCATs are part of The College System of Tennessee, governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). Through the work of Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, the state has invested more than $1.5 billion in new buildings, training equipment, and other campus improvements at TCATs across the state in the last three years.
“The USA Today research confirms what we have known for years: the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology are among the best institutions for high-quality career and technical education in the country,” said TBR Chancellor Dr. Flora W. Tydings. “They are accredited, state institutions and the best, most affordable option for anyone seeking to enter well-paying, in-demand careers.”
Students can choose from a wide range of career programs, including automotive technology; aviation maintenance; building construction technology; collision repair technology; information technology; computer operating systems, networking and cybersecurity; cosmetology, aesthetics; dental assisting; dental laboratory technology; diesel powered equipment technology; heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration technology (HVAC); industrial maintenance and mechatronics; residential, commercial and industrial electricity technology, machine tool technology; practical nursing; welding technology, and many more.
More information on each TCAT’s program offerings is available on the Tennessee Board of Regents website at https://www.tbr.edu/institutions/colleges-applied-technology and by visiting any TCAT campus across the state.
USA Today noted that data on school performance was collected by Statista through publicly available federal databases. The schools were ranked on a star system and excluded if they were unaccredited, failed specific financial responsibility metrics or had a high percentage of graduates defaulting on their student loans.
All TCATs are accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE), the national accrediting agency for career and technical education institutions.
The USA Today listing of top vocational schools and the complete article:
The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 24 colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving approximately 140,000 students. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.