| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year community college in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system; campus-based |
| Sites | 5 in Northeast Tennessee: the Blountville main campus, the Aviation Center at Tri-Cities Airport, Kingsport, Elizabethton and Gray |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS, AA, AS, AST) and technical and academic certificates; no diplomas |
| Programs | 61 credit programs in the state’s TN Reconnect listing, plus the new Culinary Arts and Radiologic Technology programs |
| Accreditation | The Commission on Colleges and Universities (SACSCOC until 1 Sep 2026); next review 2031, according to College Navigator |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| Fall 2026 tuition | $197 per credit in-state, $342 out-of-state (credits 1-12), plus fees |
| Students | 6,235 in fall 2025 (unofficial college headcount); 5,757 in fall 2024 (IPEDS) |
| Founded | 1966, as Tri-Cities State Area Vocational-Technical School |
| Facts checked | 12 October 2026 |
Northeast State: a TBR community college in the Tri-Cities
Northeast State Community College, often called Northeast State, is a public two-year college governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, one of the board’s 13 community colleges. It opened in 1966 as Tri-Cities State Area Vocational-Technical School, became Tri-Cities State Technical Institute in 1978 and took its current name on 1 July 1990, when it added a university-parallel transfer program. That history shows in its program mix: alongside transfer degrees it teaches nursing and allied health, FAA-approved aircraft maintenance, welding, machining, electrical and computer programs.
The college counted 6,235 students in fall 2025 (an unofficial headcount, up 8.3% on fall 2024), including 1,403 high-school dual-enrollment students. IPEDS gives 5,757 undergraduates for fall 2024, half of them full-time.
Career programs and where they are taught
The state’s TN Reconnect program search lists 61 Northeast State programs, and the 2026-27 catalog adds Culinary Arts and Radiologic Technology. The table covers the main career programs. The “Where” column names a site only where the college states one, and otherwise the division: the Health Professions Division is housed at the Regional Center for Health Professions in Kingsport and the Technologies Division at the Blountville main campus. Course fees are charged on top of tuition.
| Program | Credential | Where | Programmatic accreditation | Prepares for | Course fee per credit, Fall 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | AAS (Traditional; LPN to RN) | Kingsport, Regional Center for Health Professions | ACEN | NCLEX-RN | $25 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS | Health Professions Division | CAAHEP (ARC-STSA) | CST | $25 |
| Cardiovascular Technology | AAS (Invasive and Non-Invasive tracks) | Health Professions Division | CAAHEP (JRC-CVT) | RCIS or RCS | $25 |
| Medical Laboratory Technology | AAS | Health Professions Division | NAACLS | ASCP MLT | $25 |
| Dental Assisting | AAS; technical certificate | Health Professions Division | CODA | DANB | $25 |
| Paramedic | Technical certificate; AAS | Health Professions Division | CAAHEP (CoAEMSP) | NREMT | $25 |
| EMT; Advanced EMT | Technical certificates | Health Professions Division | – | NREMT | $25 |
| Radiologic Technology (new) | AAS | Kingsport Center for Higher Education, plus clinical sites | Not yet accredited (pursuing JRCERT) | ARRT radiography | $25 |
| Aviation Technology | AAS (Airframe; Power Plant); Avionics certificate | Aviation Center, Blountville | FAA Part 147 | FAA airframe and powerplant | $145 |
| Welding/Metal Fabrication | Industrial Technology AAS, 63 credits; Combination Welding certificate | Blountville main campus (catalog address) | ATMAE | AWS D1.1, ASME IX, API 1104 competencies | $56 |
| Machine Tool | Industrial Technology AAS; Machine Tool Operations certificate | Technologies Division | – | – | – |
| Electrical Engineering Technology | AAS (Electrical; Electromechanical); Construction Electricity and Electromechanical certificates | Technologies Division | – | – | – |
| Automotive Technology; Auto Body | AAS; Automotive Service, Fleet Maintenance and Auto Body certificates | Auto body at the Pal Barger Center, Kingsport | – | – | – |
| Computer Information Technology | AAS (Cyber Defense, Networking, Systems Administration, Programming, Technology); IT Service Agent certificate | Technologies Division | ATMAE | CompTIA, Cisco CCNA, EC-Council EHE (by concentration) | – |
| Business; Administrative Professional Technology | AAS concentrations; certificates | Technologies Division | ACBSP | – | – |
| Culinary Arts (new) | AAS, 61 credits; certificate | Blountville main campus (catalog address) | – | – | – |
The college says it is the only Tennessee community college offering FAA Part 147 airframe and powerplant training. Cardiovascular Technology trains cath-lab and echocardiography technologists, not EKG technicians. The college has no agriculture, finance, land surveying or fine-art credential; Entertainment Technology covers sound and lighting.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (RN)
The nursing AAS runs as a Traditional track for new students and an LPN-to-RN track for licensed practical nurses, and both end with the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. Classes are held at the Regional Center for Health Professions in Kingsport. Nursing admits students in cohorts through its own application, separate from general admission to the college. ACEN has accredited the program since 2009; College Navigator lists its next review in 2030. The first-time pass rate rose from 71% in 2022 to 96% or more in each of 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Aviation Technology (airframe and powerplant)
Aviation Technology trains aircraft maintenance technicians, not pilots. Students choose the Airframe or Power Plant concentration of the AAS, and the school’s FAA Part 147 approval covers both ratings: airframe since January 2021 and powerplant since February 2022. A 2022 Times News report put A&P training at 1,900 hours. Classes and labs are at the Aviation Center at Tri-Cities Airport in Blountville, which replaced the earlier lab at Gray. A separate Avionics Technology certificate is also offered.
Welding/Metal Fabrication
This concentration of the Industrial Technology AAS is 63 credits in the 2026-27 catalog. Welding courses run from General Welding and Applied Welding through Inert Gas Arc Welding and Pipe Welding I and II. Fabrication Tools and Processes, Welding Blueprints and Pattern Development cover the fabrication side, and Metallurgy and Materials Testing, Properties of Special Materials, Quality and Inspection and Industrial Safety round it out. Competencies are tied to the AWS D1.1, ASME IX and API 1104 codes. Before registering, students declare the major and meet a program faculty advisor.
Cardiovascular Technology
Cardiovascular Technology is a two-year AAS with two tracks. The invasive track prepares students for work in the cardiac catheterization lab and the RCIS credential from Cardiovascular Credentialing International; the non-invasive track prepares them for echocardiography and the RCS credential. In 2025, 90% (9 of 10) passed the RCS exam and all 7 the RCIS exam on the first attempt, after weaker years: RCIS was 57% in 2023 and RCS 60% in 2024. CAAHEP accredits it through JRC-CVT.
Paramedic
Applicants must already hold a Tennessee AEMT licence, which the college’s own EMT and Advanced EMT certificates lead toward. The Paramedic certificate’s courses all transfer into the Paramedic AAS, so students can stop at the certificate or go on to the degree. The program publishes cumulative NREMT results within three attempts: 88% in 2020, 77% in 2021, 83% in 2022, 100% in 2023 and 2024, and 83% in 2025. Retention has ranged from 81% to 100%, and placement was 100% from 2021 to 2025.
Radiologic Technology (new)
Radiologic Technology is a new AAS. Students start in the Pre-Allied Health AS and then apply; the first application deadline is 15 October 2026 at 4:30 pm. After admission the program runs four semesters, two years full-time, with about 1,200 clinical hours at sites up to about 120 minutes away. Didactic courses and a simulation lab are at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education. The program is pursuing JRCERT accreditation but does not hold it yet; the college says it leads to ARRT radiography eligibility.
Tuition and fees for 2026-27
The Tennessee Board of Regents sets the rate, and Tennessee has no separate in-district tier. The college has posted Fall 2026 rates; Spring 2027 rates are not yet posted.
| Fall 2026 | Tennessee residents | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, credits 1-12 | $197 per credit | $342 per credit |
| Each credit over 12 | $44 | $68 |
| Technology fee | $12 per credit up to 9 credits; $135 at 10 or more | Same |
| International education fee | $1 per credit (1-12 credits) | Same |
| Program services fee; activity fee | $20; $23 | Same |
| 12-credit semester, tuition and these fees | About $2,554 | About $4,294 |
Course fees are added per credit: $25 for nursing and health courses, $56 for welding and $145 for aviation. TN eCampus online courses add $78 per credit. Fall 2026 tuition is up from $191 (in-state) and $331 (out-of-state) per credit in 2025-26. Fees are not refundable once classes begin. College Navigator gives 2024-25 tuition and fees for full-time beginners of $4,782 a year in-state and $17,766 out-of-state, and Niche puts the average net price at $7,325 a year. The college takes federal student aid and appears in the state’s TN Reconnect program search for adult students.
Open admission, with separate entry to health programs
Most programs admit any applicant who meets general admission requirements. Health programs are selective: Nursing, Surgical Technology, Cardiovascular Technology, Medical Laboratory Technology and Dental Assisting take cohorts through their own applications, Paramedic requires a Tennessee AEMT licence, and Radiologic Technology admits from the Pre-Allied Health AS. Welding students declare the major and meet a faculty advisor before registering. The Elizabethton and Gray sites offer day and evening classes.
Accreditation and results
Northeast State is accredited to award associate degrees by The Commission on Colleges and Universities, which was named the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) until it renamed itself on 1 September 2026. College Navigator lists accreditation since 1984 and the next review in 2031. Programmatic accreditors are ACEN (Nursing, next review 2030), CODA (Dental Assisting), CAAHEP (Surgical Technology, Cardiovascular Technology and Paramedic), NAACLS (Medical Laboratory Technology), ATMAE (Welding/Metal Fabrication and Computer Information Technology) and ACBSP (Business and Administrative Professional Technology). The aviation program also holds FAA Part 147 approval (airframe 2021, powerplant 2022).
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 97% (66 of 68) | 2025, Tennessee Board of Nursing |
| Nursing, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 96% (55 of 57) in 2024; 96% (44 of 46) in 2023; 71% in 2022; 80% in 2021 | Tennessee Board of Nursing |
| Paramedic, NREMT pass rate within three attempts | 100% in 2023 and 2024; 83% in 2025 | Program page |
| Cardiovascular Technology, first-time pass rate | RCS 90% (9 of 10); RCIS 100% (7 of 7) | 2025, program page |
| Medical Laboratory Technology, ASCP pass rate | 92% (11 of 12) | 2024-25, program page |
| EMT, NREMT pass rate | About 63% | 2024-25, college licensure disclosure |
| Graduation rate | 33% within 150% of normal time; 9% transferred out | Full-time, first-time students entering fall 2021, College Navigator |
| Retention | 59% of full-time and 51% of part-time students returned | Fall 2023 to fall 2024, College Navigator |
Before you enroll
- EMT results are weak: about 63% passed the NREMT in 2024-25, according to the college’s licensure disclosure, well below the nursing and paramedic results.
- Radiologic Technology is not yet accredited. The program is pursuing JRCERT accreditation, and clinical sites can be up to about two hours away.
- Dental Assisting’s CODA review is due by 31 December 2026, and the program’s posted outcomes stop at 2020-21. Surgical Technology’s posted results stop at 2022.
- Cardiovascular Technology is a two-year cath-lab and echocardiography degree, not a short EKG technician course.
- Course fees add up in some programs: aviation adds $145 per credit and welding $56 to the $197 tuition rate.
Five sites in Northeast Tennessee
| Site | Address | What is taught there |
|---|---|---|
| Blountville main campus | 2425 Highway 75, Blountville, TN 37617 | Technologies Division (T building); address on the welding and culinary catalog sheets |
| Aviation Center | 917 N. Hangar Rd, Blountville, TN 37617 (Tri-Cities Airport) | Aviation Technology (Airframe, Power Plant) and Avionics |
| Kingsport | 300 W. Market St., Kingsport, TN 37660; Health Professions Division at 300 W. Main St. | Nursing and the Health Professions Division; Radiologic Technology classes; manufacturing training; auto body; general education and transfer |
| Elizabethton | 386 Highway 91N, Elizabethton, TN 37643 | Day and evening general-education, technical and continuing-education courses |
| Gray | 120 Dillon Court, Gray, TN 37615 | Day and evening general-education and continuing-education courses |
In Kingsport the Health Professions Division, including Nursing, is based in the Regional Center for Health Professions (300 W. Main St.), manufacturing training is in the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing (305 W. Main St.), and auto body is at the Pal Barger Center for Automotive Programs. Blazier-Wilson Hall (222 W. Main St.) has admissions, the business office, advising, testing and financial aid but no classes.
Career help, advising and clinicals
Career and workforce development, advising and testing are in Blazier-Wilson Hall in Kingsport, and the Elizabethton site has a Student Resource Center. Clinical work is built into the health programs, for example 120 cases and 320 clinical hours in Surgical Technology and about 1,200 clinical hours in Radiologic Technology.
What students say
On Niche, Northeast State Community College is rated 3.92 out of 5 from 487 reviews, with an overall grade of C+ (checked 12 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise caring, accessible professors, small classes and modest cost with aid available, and several like the compact campus. The most common complaints are advising problems, uneven quality between professors and limited food options on campus. The reviews cover the whole college, not one site, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Sources
Checked 12 October 2026: Kingsport campus · Tuition and fees · About Northeast State · College Navigator · Tennessee Board of Nursing NCLEX-RN pass rates · Licensure pass rates · Radiologic Technology · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Nursing (RN, AAS: Traditional and LPN to RN)
- Surgical Technology
- Cardiovascular Technology (Invasive and Non-Invasive)
- Medical Laboratory Technology
- Dental Assisting
- Paramedic
- EMT and Advanced EMT
- Radiologic Technology (new; not yet accredited)
- Allied Health (AAS)
- Pre-Allied Health (transfer AS)
Aviation
- Aviation Technology: Airframe
- Aviation Technology: Power Plant
- Avionics Technology
Welding and Manufacturing
- Welding/Metal Fabrication
- Combination Welding
- Machine Tool
- Machine Tool Operations
- Manufacturing Engineering Technology
- Mechanical (HVAC and industrial maintenance)
- Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (certificate)
- Engineering Design Technology
- Computer-Aided Drafting
- Industrial Control Systems
- Industrial Operations
- Industrial Process Specialist
- Chemical Process Operations
Electrical
- Electrical Engineering Technology: Electrical
- Electrical Engineering Technology: Electromechanical
- Construction Electricity
- Electromechanical (certificate)
Automotive
- Automotive Technology: Automotive Specialist
- Automotive Service
- Fleet Maintenance and Light Repair
- Auto Body Service Technology
Computer Information Technology
- Cyber Defense
- Networking
- Systems Administration and Management
- Programming
- Technology
- Information Technology Service Agent
Business
- Accounting
- Management
- Small Business Management
- Accounting Technology
- Entrepreneurship
- Customer Service and Sales
- Office Technology
- Administrative Professional Technology (Business, Medical and Legal Office)
Culinary, Entertainment and General Technology
- Culinary Arts
- Entertainment Technology
- Sound and Lighting
- General Technology
Public Service, Education and Transfer
- Criminal Justice
- Early Childhood Education
- Teaching (AST)
- University Parallel (AA, AS)
Campus Locations
Blountville, TN 2425 Highway 75, Blountville, TN 37617
Blountville, TN 917 N. Hangar Rd, Blountville, TN 37617
Kingsport, TN 300 W. Market St., Kingsport, TN 37660
Elizabethton, TN 386 Highway 91N, Elizabethton, TN 37643
Johnson City (Gray), TN 120 Dillon Court, Gray, TN 37615