2024 Best Colleges for Religious Studies in Tennessee

• Knoxville, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  305 reviews

Senior: I transferred to Johnson back in 2021. For the past two years (sophomore and junior), my time here has been transformative. Initially, it was hard transitioning from a bigger school to the culture of a small school. Now, I have grown to love it here! I love the professors because they are passionate, fun, and understanding. The faculty here genuinely care about the student body. Johnson offers that rare opportunity to be friends with your professors and faculty here which brings a deeper feeling of connection. Some things I would change are the level of communication between students and faculty, curfew, and dining hours. Many times students don't know what's going on and are left blindsided. Curfew is not necessary, especially for upperclassmen. Lastly, dining hours should be extended for at least another hour to accommodate athletes and other schedules.... Read 305 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 81%

• Net price $19,985

• SAT range 980-1190

• Jackson, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  680 reviews

Freshman: I absolutely love my school! At Union, the students are surrounded by loving professors, caring peers, and strong academic challenges! Union's core values are Future Directed, People Focused, Excellence Driven, and Christ Centered and this university truly embodies those values! I love how connected the professors are with the students. They make every individual feel like a part of their own family! One thing I wish would change would be accessibility to scholarships.... Read 680 reviews

• grade A minus

• Acceptance rate 53%

• Net price $27,660

• SAT range 1120-1330

• Cleveland, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.82 out of 5  1,568 reviews

Freshman: I have had a great experience at Lee University so far! The culture here is awesome, and the professors and students are very intentional in the ways they have looked to form relationships with me in this first semester. I play on the Women's soccer team here, so I have been able to get involved with not only that team, but also several other athletic teams here. The professors are always super helpful and willing to work with my schedule, which makes classes much more manageable and enjoyable.... Read 1,568 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 83%

• Net price $19,159

• SAT range 1000-1230

• Milligan, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.76 out of 5  325 reviews

Sophomore: My first year of Milligan University was more than I could have ever hoped for. Having lived in one place for my entire life, I was scared to move to a completely new place where I knew no one. The students and staff at Milligan made me feel instantly welcome and included. The staff is some of the best that I've encountered. They care for each and every student and strive to make everyone the best versions of themselves. The courses are enriching and allow me to expand my knowledge on the world around me. The RA's are some of the sweetest people I've met, and they always make sure that their residents are comfortable. Not to mention the beautiful campus in the middle of a gorgeous mountain range. I love my view to class every morning! I can feel the spirit moving on the campus. We are truly a family, there for each other in the good times and bad! Chapel has been such a blessing with the incredible speakers and students on the worship team. I am grateful for the community at Milligan!... Read 325 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 60%

• Net price $20,448

• SAT range 1080-1180

• Nashville, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  843 reviews

Junior: The professors are very kind, and they try their best to make you feel comfortable in the classroom. There will be times where your professors will sit down with you to have coffee, others will invite the entire class for lunch at their house! It gives you a chance to bond and really connect with the professor. A lot of the courses are challenging, but Lipscomb has a lot of great programs that help with those challenging courses. The labs are very interactive, and truly the best experience at Lipscomb. It teaches you material that you'll need later on in your career. Overall, Lipscomb is very worth it!... Read 843 reviews

• grade A minus

• Acceptance rate 74%

• Net price $26,614

• SAT range 1100-1270

• Gallatin, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.45 out of 5  138 reviews

Freshman: One of the things I love most at Welch college is the community of fellowship and friendship that surrounds you everywhere. Almost everything around you is geared towards helping you deepen your relationship to Christ, while also providing you with with quality education. What I like about the curriculum is that it's set up in a way to prepare you for real life which other institutions often fail at achieving. Even the upperclassmen and especially the professors genuinely care about you and future. They all strive in helping you in the pursuit of achieving your goals and making it through the college years intact. All in all, I believe deciding to attend this college will be one of the best decisions you will ever make. It certainly was mine!... Read 138 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $18,917

• SAT range —

• Nashville, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  440 reviews

Junior: The atmosphere and the people are good. The school does a good job of developing leadership through many incentives for people to become student leaders and use those skills in their futures. As for classes, some professors are very good at explaining, and some aren't, and unfortunately, it seems that the majority falls in the latter category. It's not as intense as I make it sound, but the difference is noticeable especially when you're not good at the subject being explained and you depend a lot on the clarity of the lesson given by the professor. I'd surely like to see a change in some aspects concerning breaks (thanksgiving break, fall break, spring break), especially when discussing open hours. During breaks, the dormitories and apartments are closed to people of the other sex, and that makes it next to impossible to organize any type of get-together for those who remain on campus during a break. Buildings are closed and the experience is the complete contrary of a break.... Read 440 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 78%

• Net price $15,795

• SAT range 1040-1290

• Memphis, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  669 reviews

Alum: To begin, the size of Rhodes College is ideal for getting to know many other students, especially of other graduation years. The campus has beautiful buildings (though some are better on the outside), and the location next to a large forest is especially beautiful in fall. Memphis has a lot of culture and history to provide too. The weather is pretty nice during the school year, and strong greek life means there are a lot of opportunities to go out. An added benefit is that even though greek life is strongly present, it didn't feel weird to not be a part of it and yet still go to the parties because it's about half- half. I'm thankful for my time there, for my small class sizes, and for some of the best educators I've experienced. The science departments offer plenty of research opportunities and study abroad is encouraged! Go Lynx!... Read 669 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 57%

• Net price $30,525

• SAT range 1330-1490

• Collegedale, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  824 reviews

Sophomore: The school shines in its outdoor activities allowing for a lot of new and exciting opportunities such as rock climbing, white water kayaking, caving, etc. Many of the professors have a passion and gift for teaching, encouraging students to take responsibility for their education. However, the food tends to be expensive without many options and has a subpar taste. Additionally, events such as Vespers or Convocation count towards mandatory worship credits. If these worship credits are not met the students can face heavy fees. The housing department of the school is abysmal and can take weeks to respond or not follow up at all. Finally, the administration makes decisions that put its wealthy donors first, making policies that negatively impact the happiness of the students.... Read 824 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 75%

• Net price $24,127

• SAT range 970-1250

• Jefferson City, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  531 reviews

Freshman: If you love personal, one-on-one learning, then Carson-Newman is the place for you! Every professor I have had so far has remembered my name and will even talk to me outside of class in passing. So overall, the staff is tremendous! Another thing that I love is since it is a smaller university, you can make deeper connections will your peers because chances are you will see them on campus or have classes with them constantly. Also, one of the main reasons I chose to attend C-N is due to their Bonner Scholar program, which is service-based. Through the program, I have truly learned and grown as a person and have discovered new passions while serving others and the community. In addition, the scholarship pays for my stay here, which is a nice bonus. Overall, I 10/10 recommend coming here if you want high-quality professors, friendly staff and administrators, great programs and clubs, and, most notably, an incredible opportunity to make lasting friendships!... Read 531 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 79%

• Net price $18,147

• SAT range 960-1150

• Henderson, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  464 reviews

Alum: I absolutely loved my time at Freed. I spent 5 years working on my BBA in Public Accounting as I intended to become a CPA and needed 150+ hours. Five years later, my work paid for me to get an MBA and when I research this, Freed had just started an online MBA program and two years later I had an MBA in Leadership. Work paid for it and then I got a raise for getting it too! I'm still great friends with my roommate and we traveled 12 hours to spend a week with her and her family. I will forever love my time at Freed.... Read 464 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 88%

• Net price $17,074

• SAT range 1020-1230

• Nashville, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  1,785 reviews

Freshman: Belmont has been a great experience so far. All of the people have been nothing short of inviting and welcoming. Initially what drew me to Belmont was the music atmosphere and the location, but upon my first time visiting I completely fell in love with the campus. The campus and the University's grounds are absolutely captivating, and I especially love the campus because it makes it feel more like home and less like school. This school is notably known for its music programs, but it has some other amazing programs as well, and the school is constantly working towards improving their programs every year. No matter what you are majoring in, there are great networking opportunities here in Nashville, and there is always something fun to do! A last bonus about this school is the beautiful music that students play in the gazebos at night, it is so incredibly peaceful, and it's proof that so much talent exists here!... Read 1,785 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 88%

• Net price $35,268

• SAT range 1150-1340

• Dayton, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  238 reviews

Works Here: Faculty care for all students and take the time to individually get to know you! Beautiful and secluded campus in Dayton, TN.... Read 238 reviews

• grade C+

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $15,901

• SAT range —

• Knoxville, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  3,936 reviews

Sophomore: I think that many are drawn to UTK because it is a large public campus and campus/football life is exciting for them. I, however, was never interested much in campus/football life and I actually discovered when I came here that I would have preferred a smaller campus with more intimate classroom settings and more general desire to learn and grow (vs. party and football). Freshman year was "ehh" for me because I was in HUGE lecture hall classes and the course content was relatively easy and my classmates didn't seem to care about learning. Luckily, my sophomore year and even a couple classes second semester freshman year were much smaller since I was getting into the more niche subject areas. The French Department here is filled with fun professors! I would like to maybe see even more care of students by the nursing college though. I feel like these first two years we are somewhat disconnected from the nursing faculty since we are not in the upper division courses yet.... Read 3,936 reviews

• grade A minus

• Acceptance rate 75%

• Net price $21,512

• SAT range 1170-1340

• Murfreesboro, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.66 out of 5  3,481 reviews

Freshman: The MTSU experience has been phenomenal so far, and I love the dining hall! The food is always good quality and the staff is always friendly and nice, my professors care about education and they care about my personal educational journey. One thing I would change about the college however is expanding the on campus therapy available to students. The amount of other utilities that the campus provides in the rec center, pharmacy, and clinic are immense and the amount of food options and entertainment are enormous, but the attempt to focus on mental health is very thin. The therapy center is very tiny and only offers two sessions. They also aren't really all that good at dealing with really serious stuff. To be honest, I would pay extra for convenient and safe mental healthcare if it was provided at this institution. Other than that, no complaints really.... Read 3,481 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 68%

• Net price $12,617

• SAT range 1010-1210

• Nashville, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.01 out of 5  1,342 reviews

Alum: I graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 2021 with a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience. I primarily chose to attend Vandy for its academic prowess, and it definitely lived up to that reputation. In retrospect, I loved the majority of my STEM classes, and I find that my education was well-rounded because of my required liberal arts classes. The campus is beautiful, the food is relatively good, and on-campus housing is average. Admittedly, I was excited to live off-campus for my last two years (but beware - living in Nashville is not cheap). Socially, I had a great time at Vandy, especially thanks to the liveliness of Nashville, but sadly not due to Vanderbilt sports - this is not their strong suit. I met lifelong friends at this school! Realistically, however, many students do come from wealthy backgrounds, which can be off-putting at times. Ultimately, while undeniably expensive, Vanderbilt is a great school that will certainly work to your advantage after graduation.... Read 1,342 reviews

• grade A+

• Acceptance rate 7%

• Net price $27,553

• SAT range 1480-1570

• Mckenzie, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  433 reviews

Freshman: I absolutely love Bethel and the atmosphere. It's a great school with great professors who are willing to help you and work with you if you are having trouble. We have great sports programs as well as an outstanding Renaissance group! I think that anyone who is looking for a fun and challenging college should definitely look into it! We have a beautiful campus and amazing church services. Bethel definitely stands out and is one of the best schools that I have ever visited. I am so glad that I chose Bethel University.... Read 433 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 50%

• Net price $16,139

• SAT range 880-1080

• Sewanee, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.72 out of 5  449 reviews

Junior: Sewanee offers a magical experience with academic excellence and a close-knit community. Professors are dedicated, small classes encourage in-depth learning opportunities, and the campus is breathtaking. A transformative and enriching journey awaits every student here. It blends academic rigor with a strong sense of community, imbuing its students with the skills and values necessary to thrive in both their personal and professional lives. The Alumni network is insane, they are so willing to lend a hand in whatever you need! My journey at Sewanee has been nothing short of extraordinary, and I wholeheartedly recommend this remarkable institution to any aspiring student seeking an exceptional college experience.... Read 449 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 60%

• Net price $29,626

• SAT range 1200-1390

• Memphis, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  441 reviews

Sophomore: My experience at Christian Brothers University so far has been meaningful and very memorable. The tight-knit community that surrounds the institution encourages each Indvidual to embrace their identity and be themselves around campus. They are lots of experiences and opportunities for students to express themselves and grow in their image. Faculty and staff take time to know the students which helps the students excel in their college no matter what major they are in. The success network that is provided for each student is a great system for the school. Though the campus is not large even for a private school, everyone around campus makes the most of it with inclusive events and a hard-working community.... Read 441 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 97%

• Net price $18,997

• SAT range 1030-1280

• Jackson, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.27 out of 5  230 reviews

Sophomore: My first year at lane college I didn’t really get out much so I guess you could say I didn’t really get any of that college experience that people love to talk about. My second year at lane college I decided that I was going to get out and have fun and when I went out I was nervous but the moment I interacted with someone the vibes changed for the better the nerves that were beating me up came to a stop and after that I truly began to enjoy college. When you’re in class you’re not there to just get work done and leave when you’re in class you get to converse with your teacher and your classmates it’s not what I thought classes were going to be like, it’s way better than what I imagined.... Read 230 reviews

• grade D+

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $14,541

• SAT range —

• Bristol, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  435 reviews

Junior: I am currently enrolled at King University studying communications. I completed my associate’s degree at a local community college, so choosing a school that accepted my transfer credits was a top priority for me. I am a full-time working student with a family so the decision to go back to school was hard and scary. The idea of spending less time with my husband and child along with the financial burden was not taken lightly. The five-week, fully online course lay out has helped me focus on one class at a time while also being able to work and spend time with my family. King University’s financial department is very helpful and wonderful to work with. They have given me advice and walked me through all the steps I needed to make smart financial decisions that we were comfortable with. All online courses are affordable for a middle-class family. I am excited to further my education and am glad that I selected King University as the school to do that with!... Read 435 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 66%

• Net price $22,029

• SAT range 1000-1160

• Maryville, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  384 reviews

Other: I am actually an upcoming freshman at Maryville, and I am going to be playing for their softball team. So far, I really love Maryville College. The counseling staff is amazing, they are friendly and work fast to answer all of my questions. The campus is beautiful and smaller, so I won't have to worry about navigating a large campus. And I am very excited to be joining their softball program, it is a drama free environment which is definitely a relief. I am very excited to be continuing my education at Maryville College! Go Scotts!... Read 384 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 68%

• Net price $22,320

• SAT range 1100-1320

• Athens, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  202 reviews

Junior: I am a transfer student with an Associates in Fine Arts ; my transfer was extremely effortless as well as campus housing . Wesleyan University is very welcoming you feel right at home. They are still working on my 504 accommodations that process seems slow even though that paperwork was delivered 5mths ago. Disability services needs an update, probably more people in that department to insure a good paper trail to students information especially with personal information. Hopefully my issue will be resolved before classes start 08/14.... Read 202 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 60%

• Net price $15,072

• SAT range 930-1180

• Pulaski, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  165 reviews

Freshman: During my first semester of college at UTS, I loved the factually and students. I have grown to have a relationship with my professors and not just be another name on their roster. One thing I would like to see change is the water heater at the dorms I live in on campus. The water is often freezing. Other than that UTS is a great university!... Read 165 reviews

• grade C+

• Acceptance rate 92%

• Net price $20,305

• SAT range 930-1140

• Memphis, TN•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.73 out of 5  56 reviews

Sophomore: My experience with Visible Music College has been amazing. As an adult learner, it is sometimes really difficult to find schools that will work with my schedule. Visible Music College has been so helpful in that regard. I am a full time worship pastor and I have a wife and a 3 kids. The faculty and professors have been so gracious with me when it comes to class times and my kids interrupting a zoom class. I can't thank them enough. This is such a hands on school. There's so much opportunity to learn not just in the classroom lecture. They give each student an opportunity to use what they are learning. From music production to concerts and leading worship. They desire for each student to retain and put into practice what they are learning. This has been huge for me. Most schools are happy to leave it to their students to retain the information based on lectures and assignments. Visible Music does everything they can to help each student better understand their craft and succeed.... Read 56 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate 37%

• Net price $25,367

• SAT range 590-1250