education
A city of poets, scientists, inventors, scholars and developers. Nashville highly values education and offers abundant options for learners in all stages of life.
Nashville has one of the fastest-growing and best-educated populations in the country. Known as the Athens of the South, the Nashville region is home to some of the nation’s top-ranking universities and high-performing K-12 education systems.
top 7 high schools in Tennessee are located in the Nashville region
U.S. News & World Report
k-12 EDUCATION
Middle Tennessee has more than 300,000 K-12 students with nearly 20,000 graduates each year. The Nashville region offers more than 450 public schools in 13 systems including more than 32 charter schools. Program highlights include: STEAM Middle and Elementary Schools, nationally recognized career academies, International Baccalaureate degree opportunities, foreign language programs including Chinese and Korean, Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses, robotics and coding classes, career and technical education pathways, and more.
Other independent schools in the region include:
Catholic schools
Montessori schools
Schools for students with learning differences
K-6 Jewish Day School
Spanish language immersion school
Japanese Saturday school
Early learning centers
COLLEGE LIFE
With 20+ colleges and universities, the Nashville region is home to more than 120,000 college students and many top-ranking universities including Vanderbilt University, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University, Lipscomb University, Belmont University, Austin Peay University, Tennessee Tech, Fisk University, and Meharry Medical College. Each year, 25,000 students graduate and 60% remain in the region.
Nashville is full of young, creative talent with a median age of 36. Nashville consistently ranks in the top metros across the country for attracting young professionals.
Nashville ranks sixth in the country in net migration among Gen Z. (Today’s Homeowner, 2023)
View the full list of Nashville area colleges and universities.
FREE COLLEGE FOR ALL
Tennessee is leading the nation in helping its resident access free college. Any graduating Tennessee high school student (tnpromise.gov) or adult without a degree (tnreconnect.gov) can attend two years, tuition-free at any of Tennessee’s community colleges or Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology.
92.6% AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE IN THE NASHVILLE MSA
2022-2023, TN Dept of Education: District Graduation Cohort Data, (Averaged total Counties in MSA)