Tennessee has one of the densest concentrations of theological education in America. Nashville alone holds a research-university divinity school, two accredited Christian universities, and a historic Black Baptist college, while Cleveland, Memphis, Jackson, Knoxville, and the Tri-Cities each anchor their own accredited Bible college or ATS seminary.
This guide covers 20 Bible colleges, seminaries, and Christian universities with theology and ministry programs in Tennessee — with location, accreditation, degree levels, denominational ties, online availability, and tuition where publicly available, plus notes on schools that have closed or consolidated.
How this guide is organized
Tennessee's Bible schools sort into four groups:
Christian universities with schools of religion — Lipscomb, Trevecca, Union, Lee, Carson-Newman, Freed-Hardeman, Bryan, Southern Adventist, Milligan, Tennessee Wesleyan.
Focused Bible colleges — Johnson University, Welch College, American Baptist College, and Williamson College.
Graduate seminaries and divinity schools — Vanderbilt Divinity, Memphis Theological, Mid-America Baptist, Pentecostal Theological, Sewanee's School of Theology, Emmanuel at Milligan, and Hazelip at Lipscomb.
Adult and online-first programs — Johnson, Welch, Williamson, and the online graduate tracks at Lipscomb, Trevecca, Lee, and Freed-Hardeman.
Tennessee also has a long tail of unaccredited church-based institutes and distance "seminaries." Read our accreditation guide before enrolling anywhere that does not appear in a federal accreditation database.
Bible colleges and Christian universities in Tennessee (undergraduate)
Tennessee's accredited undergraduate options span Churches of Christ, Southern Baptist, Nazarene, Pentecostal, Free Will Baptist, Adventist, Methodist, and independent Christian Church traditions — the widest denominational spread of any state in the Southeast.
Lipscomb University
Location
Nashville
Accreditation
SACSCOC; ATS for the Hazelip School of Theology
Denomination
Churches of Christ
Programs
Undergraduate majors in Bible and Ministry, Biblical Languages, Theology, Missions, and Youth Ministry through the College of Bible and Ministry, plus graduate M.Div., MA in Theological Studies, and D.Min. through the Hazelip School of Theology.
Online
Yes — online and hybrid graduate ministry coursework, some online undergraduate
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition in the mid-$30,000s before aid; Bible and ministry majors are eligible for dedicated scholarships that often cover a large share of tuition.
Why students choose it: Tennessee's flagship Churches of Christ university, in the middle of Nashville's church and publishing economy. The College of Bible and Ministry is one of the largest in the tradition, and Hazelip gives students an ATS graduate pathway without leaving campus.
Ideal for: Churches of Christ students who want an urban campus, and ministers who want an ATS M.Div. in Nashville.
Bachelor's degrees in Religion, Christian Ministry, Worship Arts, and Intercultural Studies, plus a Master of Arts in Religion, Master of Divinity, and Doctor of Ministry through the School of Theology and Christian Ministry.
Online
Yes — online and hybrid graduate religion and ministry programs
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition in the high-$20,000s before aid; graduate ministry programs are charged per credit hour with denominational discounts for Nazarene ministers.
Why students choose it: The Nazarene denomination's main training center for the Southeast, with an ordination-aligned curriculum and a strong compassionate-ministry and urban-ministry emphasis rooted in its South Nashville neighborhood.
Ideal for: Nazarene ordination candidates and students drawn to Wesleyan-holiness theology and urban ministry.
Knoxville (Kimberlin Heights), with a Florida campus and online
Accreditation
SACSCOC and ABHE
Denomination
Christian Churches / Churches of Christ (independent)
Programs
Every undergraduate student completes a Bible major or Bible core. Degrees include Biblical Studies, Preaching, Intercultural Studies, Counseling, and Teacher Education, plus graduate MA programs and an M.Div. through the Templar School of Bible and Theology.
Online
Yes — extensive accredited online undergraduate and graduate programs
Tuition
Among the more affordable accredited private options in the state, with published undergraduate tuition in the low-$20,000s before aid and lower per-credit online rates.
Why students choose it: One of the oldest Bible colleges in America (founded 1893) and the deepest Bible-core curriculum in Tennessee — every graduate leaves with substantial Scripture coursework regardless of major. Dual SACSCOC and ABHE accreditation is a strong combination for transfer and seminary admission.
Ideal for: Students who want Bible at the center of every degree, and distance students needing accredited, affordable online ministry study.
School of Theology and Missions offering majors in Christian Studies, Biblical Languages, Christian Ministry and Missions, and Youth Ministry, plus graduate MA degrees in Christian Studies and Intercultural Studies.
Online
Yes — selected online undergraduate and graduate programs
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition in the mid-$30,000s before aid, discounted heavily by merit awards; ministerial students receive additional Baptist scholarships.
Why students choose it: Academically the strongest Southern Baptist undergraduate institution in Tennessee, with a well-regarded Christian Studies faculty and a track record of sending graduates into SBC seminaries and doctoral programs.
Ideal for: Southern Baptist undergraduates who want rigorous liberal-arts theology before an M.Div.
School of Religion offering Bachelor of Arts degrees in Biblical and Theological Studies, Christian Ministries, Pastoral Ministry, Youth Ministry, and Intercultural Studies, plus MA programs in Theological Studies and Ministry Leadership.
Online
Yes — online undergraduate degree completion and graduate ministry programs
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition in the high-teens to low-$20,000s — one of the best values among accredited Christian universities of its size.
Why students choose it: The largest Pentecostal university in the Southeast and the academic center of the Church of God denomination, sharing a city with the denomination's international offices and the ATS-accredited Pentecostal Theological Seminary.
Ideal for: Pentecostal and charismatic students, worship-ministry students, and anyone wanting an affordable accredited ministry degree.
Bachelor's degrees in Bible, Preaching, Missions, Youth and Family Ministry, and Biblical Languages, plus a Master of Ministry, MA in New Testament, and Doctor of Ministry through the graduate School of Biblical Studies.
Online
Yes — online graduate Bible and ministry programs
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition in the mid-$20,000s before aid; preaching students commonly receive Bible scholarships covering most tuition.
Why students choose it: The most traditional Churches of Christ preaching program in Tennessee, with an unusually strong pipeline into pulpits across the mid-South and one of the largest annual lectureships in the tradition.
Ideal for: Churches of Christ preaching students who want a small-town campus and a preaching-first curriculum.
Bachelor's degrees in Religion, Christian Studies, and Christian Ministry, plus a Master of Arts in Ministry and graduate counseling programs with a ministry track.
Published undergraduate tuition around $30,000 before aid, with substantial merit discounting and church-matching scholarships.
Why students choose it: A 170-year-old Baptist liberal-arts university with deep East Tennessee church ties and a religion department that places graduates into both SBC and moderate Baptist seminaries.
Ideal for: East Tennessee Baptist students who want a traditional residential college experience.
Bachelor's degrees in Biblical and Ministry Studies, Pastoral Ministry, Intercultural Studies, and Worship Leadership, plus an MA in Theology and Ministry and a Master of Ministry.
Online
Yes — accredited online undergraduate and graduate programs
Tuition
Among the lowest published tuition of any accredited four-year Christian college in Tennessee, in the high-teens before aid.
Why students choose it: The denominational college of the Free Will Baptists and one of the few small Bible colleges in the country holding both regional and ABHE accreditation. Its Gallatin campus opened in 2017 and is one of the newest Bible college campuses in America.
Ideal for: Free Will Baptist ministry candidates and students prioritizing low cost with real accreditation.
Christian Churches / Churches of Christ (independent)
Programs
Undergraduate Bible, Christian Ministries, and Humanities degrees, plus the full graduate slate — M.Div., MA in Christian Ministries, and MA in New Testament — through Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan.
Online
Yes — hybrid and online graduate seminary coursework
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition in the mid-$30,000s before heavy merit aid; seminary tuition is per credit hour with denominational scholarships.
Why students choose it: The rare combination of a strong liberal-arts undergraduate college and an ATS-accredited seminary on one campus in the Tri-Cities. Emmanuel is the leading graduate school of the independent Christian Churches in the eastern United States.
Ideal for: Independent Christian Church students, and M.Div. candidates who want ATS accreditation in upper East Tennessee.
Bachelor's degrees in Biblical Studies, Christian Ministries, and Christian Thought, with a required Bible minor for every student, plus graduate programs in leadership and counseling.
Online
Yes — online degree completion programs
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition in the high-$20,000s before aid.
Why students choose it: Founded in the wake of the 1925 Scopes trial in the same town, Bryan holds a firmly conservative evangelical position and requires biblical studies coursework of every graduate regardless of major.
Ideal for: Conservative evangelical students who want a Bible foundation alongside a professional major.
School of Religion offering bachelor's degrees in Theology, Religious Studies, and Pastoral Care, plus a Master of Ministry and MA in Religion.
Online
Yes — selected online religion coursework and graduate programs
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition in the mid-$20,000s before aid; Adventist conference sponsorship is common for theology majors.
Why students choose it: The main Adventist ministry pipeline for the southern United States, feeding conference pastoral appointments and Andrews University's graduate seminary.
Ideal for: Seventh-day Adventist pastoral candidates in the Southeast.
Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Christian Leadership, with concentrations in pastoral ministry and social justice.
Online
Yes — online and hybrid degree completion
Tuition
One of the least expensive accredited Bible colleges in the region, with tuition in the low five figures before aid.
Why students choose it: A historic civil-rights institution — John Lewis, Bernard Lafayette, and James Bevel all studied here — that continues to train Black Baptist pastors with an explicit prophetic-ministry and justice emphasis.
Ideal for: Black Baptist ministry candidates and second-career pastors seeking an affordable accredited Bible degree.
Bachelor's degree in Religion with tracks toward ministry, and pre-seminary advising for United Methodist candidates.
Online
Limited — primarily residential
Tuition
Published undergraduate tuition around $27,000 before aid.
Why students choose it: The United Methodist undergraduate option in East Tennessee, structured to feed Candler, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Wesley for graduate ministry preparation.
Ideal for: United Methodist certified candidates beginning the ordination track.
Associate and bachelor's degrees in Biblical Studies, Christian Ministry, and Business with a biblical worldview core, designed for working adults.
Online
Yes — online and evening formats throughout
Tuition
Low per-credit-hour pricing aimed at working adults, well below the private-college average.
Why students choose it: Built for adults already in the workforce or in church staff roles, with evening cohorts and online delivery that let students keep a full-time job in the Nashville area.
Ideal for: Working adults and bivocational church staff in Middle Tennessee finishing an accredited Bible degree.
Seminaries and divinity schools in Tennessee (graduate)
Six ATS-accredited graduate schools operate in Tennessee, covering the mainline, Baptist, Pentecostal, Episcopal, and Restoration traditions. Very few states offer this much choice without relocating.
Vanderbilt Divinity School
Location
Nashville
Accreditation
ATS and SACSCOC
Denomination
Ecumenical / mainline Protestant, with a University Methodist heritage
Programs
Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies, and PhD in Religion through the Graduate Department of Religion.
Online
Primarily residential
Tuition
High published tuition offset by very large need- and merit-based grants; many M.Div. students receive substantial to near-full funding.
Why students choose it: Tennessee's only research-university divinity school and one of the most academically prestigious in the South, with a strong social-ethics and justice tradition and a doctoral program in religion.
Ideal for: Mainline and progressive ordination candidates, and students aiming at a PhD in religion.
Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Religion, and Doctor of Ministry, with hybrid scheduling designed for working ministers.
Online
Yes — hybrid and online graduate coursework
Tuition
Per-credit-hour tuition well below most ATS seminaries, with significant denominational and need-based aid.
Why students choose it: The main graduate theological school in West Tennessee and an unusually diverse ATS seminary, serving Cumberland Presbyterian, AME, CME, Baptist, and United Methodist students side by side with strong civil-rights-era roots.
Ideal for: Working ministers across denominations in the Memphis region who need an accredited M.Div. on a part-time schedule.
Master of Divinity, MA degrees in biblical and theological studies, Th.M., D.Min., and PhD in biblical and theological studies.
Online
Yes — online and modular formats for most degrees
Tuition
Low per-credit-hour tuition with additional discounts for Southern Baptist church members.
Why students choose it: A conservative, expository-preaching-focused Southern Baptist seminary offering a full doctoral slate including a PhD — rare outside the six SBC-funded seminaries.
Ideal for: Conservative Southern Baptist pastors pursuing an M.Div. or research doctorate in the mid-South.
Master of Divinity, MA in Christian Formation and Discipleship, MA in Counseling, and Doctor of Ministry.
Online
Yes — online and intensive formats
Tuition
Per-credit-hour tuition below the ATS median, with denominational scholarships for Church of God ministers.
Why students choose it: The graduate seminary of the Church of God and one of the few ATS-accredited Pentecostal seminaries in North America, sharing a city with Lee University and the denomination's international offices.
School of Theology, The University of the South (Sewanee)
Location
Sewanee
Accreditation
ATS and SACSCOC
Denomination
Episcopal Church
Programs
Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and the Education for Ministry (EfM) distance program used worldwide.
Online
Limited residential seminary; EfM and the D.Min. include distance components
Tuition
Substantial diocesan and institutional aid is standard for postulants; most M.Div. students receive significant funding.
Why students choose it: One of the Episcopal Church's official seminaries, on a 13,000-acre mountain campus, with a formation-heavy residential model and the widest-reaching lay theological education program in the Anglican world.
Ideal for: Episcopal postulants and Anglican students seeking residential formation.
Master of Divinity, MA in Theological Studies, MA in Christian Ministry, and Doctor of Ministry, scheduled around working ministers.
Online
Yes — hybrid and online graduate coursework
Tuition
Per-credit-hour graduate tuition with ministry discounts for those serving congregations.
Why students choose it: The ATS graduate school for Churches of Christ ministers in Middle Tennessee, with cohort scheduling that assumes students are already on a church staff and a growing ecumenical enrollment from across Nashville.
Ideal for: Nashville-area ministers pursuing an accredited M.Div. or D.Min. while employed.
The historic Churches of Christ graduate school in Memphis consolidated its programs onto Harding University's Searcy, Arkansas campus in 2023. Memphis-area students in the tradition now use Harding's Arkansas programs, Lipscomb's Hazelip School, or Freed-Hardeman's graduate school.
Memphis's longtime Christian college closed in 2014. Former students seeking transcripts should contact the custodian of record listed by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Accredited Memphis-area alternatives are Memphis Theological Seminary, Mid-America, and Union's Germantown site.
Southern Seminary (Louisville) and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary both enroll large numbers of Tennessee students online and through extension centers, and are frequently cheaper than in-state private options for SBC church members.
Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga megachurches run unaccredited residencies and ministry institutes. These offer excellent formation and network access but do not produce transferable credit or federal aid eligibility.
Nashville vs. Memphis vs. East Tennessee
Nashville and Middle Tennessee
Nashville is the theological center of the state and arguably of the mid-South. Vanderbilt Divinity School, Lipscomb, Trevecca, American Baptist College, and Williamson College in Franklin all sit within a half-hour of each other, alongside Welch College in Gallatin. The city holds denominational headquarters, the largest Christian publishing cluster in the country, and thousands of church-sector jobs — which means part-time ministry work and internships are easier to find here than nearly anywhere else.
Memphis and West Tennessee
Memphis is a two-seminary city: Memphis Theological Seminary serves a diverse, ecumenical, largely part-time student body, and Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova serves conservative Southern Baptists through the doctoral level. Union University's Jackson campus and Germantown site cover undergraduate Christian studies for the region, and the city's large Black church network makes it a strong place for African American ministry formation.
East Tennessee and Chattanooga
Knoxville has Johnson University and nearby Carson-Newman; the Tri-Cities have Milligan and Emmanuel Christian Seminary; Cleveland has Lee University and Pentecostal Theological Seminary; Chattanooga has Southern Adventist just outside town and Bryan College an hour north in Dayton. Sewanee's School of Theology sits on the Cumberland Plateau between Chattanooga and Nashville. Rural students across the region typically use Johnson's or Welch's online tracks.
How to choose a Bible school in Tennessee
1. Accreditation
Three recognitions matter here:
Institutional accreditation (SACSCOC). The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accredits Lipscomb, Trevecca, Johnson, Union, Lee, Carson-Newman, Freed-Hardeman, Bryan, Milligan, Welch, Southern Adventist, and Tennessee Wesleyan. Credits transfer most easily and are recognized by employers and graduate schools.
ATS accreditation. The Association of Theological Schools accredits graduate seminaries and is typically required for military chaplaincy endorsement and doctoral admission. In Tennessee that means Vanderbilt, Memphis Theological, Mid-America, Pentecostal Theological, Sewanee, Emmanuel at Milligan, and Hazelip at Lipscomb.
Tennessee schools are denominationally explicit, which makes fit easy to assess. Lipscomb and Freed-Hardeman are Churches of Christ; Union and Carson-Newman are Baptist; Lee and Pentecostal Theological are Church of God; Trevecca is Nazarene; Welch is Free Will Baptist; Johnson and Milligan are independent Christian Churches; Southern Adventist is Seventh-day Adventist; Sewanee is Episcopal; Vanderbilt and Memphis Theological are ecumenical and mainline. Read each doctrinal statement in full, and if you are pursuing ordination, confirm which schools your denomination recognizes.
3. Format and life stage
Traditional 18–22 undergraduate: Lipscomb, Union, Lee, Carson-Newman, Milligan, Bryan, Trevecca.
Working adult finishing a bachelor's: Johnson online, Welch online, Williamson College evening cohorts.
Doctoral work: Mid-America's PhD, Vanderbilt's PhD in Religion, or D.Min. programs at Lipscomb, Trevecca, Memphis Theological, Sewanee, and Pentecostal Theological.
4. Ministry placement
Ask each school how many ministry graduates are placed in paid church roles within a year of graduation. Lipscomb and Trevecca benefit from Nashville's church density; Lee places heavily into Church of God congregations nationwide; Union and Mid-America feed Southern Baptist churches across the mid-South; Johnson and Milligan supply independent Christian Churches; Memphis Theological places into Cumberland Presbyterian, AME, and CME pulpits.
5. Career goals
Senior pastor: an accredited bachelor's plus an M.Div. — Hazelip, Emmanuel, Mid-America, Memphis Theological, or Pentecostal Theological, depending on tradition.
Worship ministry: Lee's worship programs and Trevecca's Worship Arts degree sit inside the two best music cities in the state.
Military or hospital chaplain: a 72+ hour ATS-accredited M.Div. plus ecclesiastical endorsement; see the DoD Armed Forces Chaplains Board. Vanderbilt and Memphis Theological both connect students to CPE units at major hospital systems.
Counseling: confirm whether a program is licensure-track (Trevecca, Lee, Carson-Newman, Pentecostal Theological) or non-licensed biblical counseling before enrolling.
Professor or scholar: Vanderbilt's PhD in Religion is the state's research doctorate in the field; Mid-America offers a confessional Baptist PhD.
Cost and financial aid for Tennessee Bible students
Every accredited school in this guide participates in federal student aid. Start with the FAFSA for Pell Grants and federal loans. Tennessee then adds two unusually generous state programs for residents attending eligible in-state private colleges:
Tennessee HOPE Scholarship. Lottery-funded and usable at eligible private nonprofit colleges including Lipscomb, Trevecca, Union, Lee, Carson-Newman, Milligan, Bryan, Johnson, Welch, and Freed-Hardeman. Requirements and award amounts are published by TSAC (CollegePays).
Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA). Need-based and awarded first-come, first-served from the FAFSA — file the day it opens, because funds run out.
Tennessee Reconnect and Tennessee Promise. Aimed at community college, but adults often use them to complete general-education credit cheaply before transferring into a Bible or ministry degree.
Layer denominational aid on top. Church of God ministers get Lee and Pentecostal Theological discounts; Free Will Baptist students get Welch aid; Cumberland Presbyterian and AME candidates get Memphis Theological grants; Episcopal postulants are usually funded by their diocese at Sewanee; and Vanderbilt Divinity funds a large share of M.Div. tuition from endowment. For a broader picture, see our Bible school cost guide and scholarship guide.
Types of Bible and theology degrees offered in Tennessee
Certificate
12–36 credit hours in biblical studies or ministry. Johnson, Welch, and Williamson all offer accredited certificates that stack into degrees.
Associate degree
~60 credit hours of Bible survey, theology, and general education. Williamson College and Johnson University are the main accredited online providers in the state.
Bachelor's degree
~120 credit hours. Biblical studies majors focus on Scripture, hermeneutics, and Greek and Hebrew; ministry majors add preaching, discipleship, and practicums. Required for seminary admission and most full-time church staff roles.
Master's degree
M.Div. — 72–90 hours; the standard pastoral degree, offered in Tennessee at Vanderbilt, Memphis Theological, Mid-America, Pentecostal Theological, Sewanee, Emmanuel at Milligan, Hazelip at Lipscomb, and Trevecca. Expected for ordination in most denominations and required for military chaplaincy.
MA degrees — 36–60 hours; specialized in theological studies, New Testament, ministry, Christian formation, or counseling.
Doctorate
D.Min. — a practitioner's doctorate for experienced ministers, offered at Lipscomb, Trevecca, Memphis Theological, Mid-America, Pentecostal Theological, Sewanee, and Freed-Hardeman.
PhD — Vanderbilt's Graduate Department of Religion and Mid-America's PhD in biblical and theological studies are the state's research doctorates in the field.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Bible colleges in Tennessee?
For undergraduate Bible and ministry degrees the strongest accredited options are Lipscomb University and Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Johnson University in Knoxville, Union University in Jackson, Lee University in Cleveland, Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Milligan University near Johnson City, and Welch College in Gallatin. Lipscomb and Union are the most academically prominent; Johnson and Welch are the most Bible-focused; Lee has the largest ministry enrollment in the state.
Does Tennessee have a seminary?
Tennessee has more accredited seminaries than almost any state its size. Vanderbilt Divinity School (Nashville), Memphis Theological Seminary (Cumberland Presbyterian), Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary (Cordova), Pentecostal Theological Seminary (Cleveland), the School of Theology at Sewanee (Episcopal), Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan, Hazelip School of Theology at Lipscomb, and Trevecca's graduate religion programs are all ATS-accredited or regionally accredited graduate options.
Can I use the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship at a Christian college?
Yes. The lottery-funded Tennessee HOPE Scholarship can be used at eligible private, nonprofit in-state institutions, which includes Lipscomb, Trevecca, Union, Lee, Carson-Newman, Bryan, Milligan, Johnson, Welch, and Freed-Hardeman. Tennessee residents should also file for the need-based Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA), which is first-come, first-served — file the FAFSA as early as possible after it opens.
What is the difference between Lipscomb and Freed-Hardeman?
Both are Churches of Christ universities. Lipscomb sits in Nashville, is the larger and more research-oriented of the two, and houses the Hazelip School of Theology for graduate work. Freed-Hardeman is in rural West Tennessee, is more traditional in tone, and is known for its preaching program and the annual Freed-Hardeman Lectureship. Both are SACSCOC accredited; the decision is usually setting and denominational temperature rather than credential value.
Are there online Bible degrees from Tennessee schools?
Yes. Johnson University, Welch College, Lipscomb, Trevecca, Union, Lee, and Freed-Hardeman all offer accredited online undergraduate or graduate Bible, ministry, and leadership degrees. Memphis Theological Seminary and Pentecostal Theological Seminary offer hybrid and online graduate coursework. Accreditation on the online versions is identical to the campus versions.
How much does Bible school cost in Tennessee?
Published undergraduate tuition at Tennessee's private Christian colleges typically runs from the high teens to the mid-$30,000s per year before aid — Welch and Johnson at the lower end, Lipscomb and Union at the higher end. Almost no student pays sticker: HOPE, TSAA, and institutional ministry scholarships routinely cut the figure by half or more. Graduate seminary tuition is charged per credit hour and Sewanee, Vanderbilt, and Memphis Theological all offer substantial need- and merit-based aid.
Which Tennessee school is best for becoming a pastor?
It depends on your tradition. Southern Baptists usually pair an undergraduate degree from Union or Carson-Newman with an M.Div. from Mid-America or a Southern Baptist seminary. Church of God (Cleveland) ministers go to Lee and Pentecostal Theological Seminary. Nazarenes go to Trevecca. Churches of Christ candidates use Lipscomb, Freed-Hardeman, or Harding School of Theology's successor programs. Mainline and United Methodist candidates use Vanderbilt Divinity, Memphis Theological, or Sewanee.
Is Nashville a good place to study theology?
It is one of the best in the country. Nashville holds Vanderbilt Divinity School, Lipscomb, Trevecca, American Baptist College, and Williamson College in nearby Franklin, alongside the headquarters of major Christian publishers, denominational offices, and the largest concentration of church-sector employers in the South. Internship and part-time ministry placement opportunities are unusually dense.
Tennessee schools in our directory
Compare details, formats, and tuition ranges for the Tennessee schools we track.
Tuition figures reflect official school publications and published rates as of mid-2026 and are subject to change. Always confirm current costs, program availability, and accreditation status on each school's official website before applying.
