| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, for-profit college; on-campus, hybrid, online and competency-based programs |
| Campuses | 10 open campuses in 7 states (Tennessee 3 sites, Georgia 2, and one each in North Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Texas), plus an online division; a Columbus, Ohio campus is enrolling from October 2026 |
| Credentials | Certificates, associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees; more than 100 programs (college, December 2025) |
| Main fields | Nursing, allied health and imaging, rehabilitation and physician assistant, pharmacy, business, legal studies |
| Calendar and cost | Quarters; tuition is a flat charge per quarter by credit load (2025-26: $5,775 full-time for programs such as practical nursing and medical assisting, $7,325 for imaging, PTA and the nursing major) |
| Accreditation | The Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC), Level VI; next reaffirmation 2031 |
| Federal aid | Yes: Pell Grants, FSEOG, TEACH, work-study and Direct Loans |
| Founded / owner | 1882 in Knoxville as Knoxville Business College; privately held, same owner since 1989 |
| Size | More than 20,000 students and 3,000 employees (college, December 2025) |
| Not to be confused with | South University, a different school |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
A Knoxville college that grew into a 10-campus health school
South College began in 1882 as Knoxville Business College and took its current name in 2001. It is private and for-profit, and has had the same owner since 1989. Its campus programs center on health care, from short certificates to doctorates in physical therapy, occupational therapy and pharmacy. It has grown fast: Orlando opened in 2021, Pittsburgh (in Cranberry Township) in 2022, a new Indianapolis campus in 2024, and Marietta and Dallas in 2025, bringing it to 10 campuses in 7 states and, by the college’s count, more than 20,000 students. A Columbus, Ohio campus at 5525 Parkcenter Circle in Dublin begins enrolling in October 2026, with health science, sonography, radiography and surgical technology planned first, pending approvals; it is not yet an accreditor-approved site. South College is a different school from South University.
Career programs and 2025-26 tuition
South College lists more than 100 programs. The table covers the career programs that appear on our program pages. Tuition is from the 2025-26 on-ground/hybrid and online schedules, as summarized when we read them, for a full-time load of 10 to 20 credits per quarter; the $695 quarterly technology fee and program fees are extra. Program lengths are set in the catalog and are given only where the college publishes them elsewhere.
| Program | Credential | Delivery | Where | Prepares for | Tuition per quarter (2025-26) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical nursing | Certificate (Florida: as few as 12 months full time) | On campus | 8 campuses in TN, NC, GA, FL, IN, PA | NCLEX-PN | $5,775 |
| Registered nursing (ASN) | Associate of Science; LPN to ASN option | On campus | All 10 campuses | NCLEX-RN | $5,775 pre-major, $7,325 once admitted to the major |
| Registered nursing (BSN) | Bachelor of Science: traditional/hybrid, accelerated, LPN to BSN | On campus or hybrid | 7 campuses (not Dallas or Marietta) | NCLEX-RN | $7,325 |
| RN to BSN | Bachelor of Science, for licensed RNs | Online | Online | None (already licensed) | $4,175 |
| Medical assisting | Certificate (optional phlebotomy concentration); Associate of Science adds 9 to 12 months | On campus; an online certificate is also listed | TN, NC, GA, FL, IN, TX | National phlebotomy technician exam (with the concentration) | $5,775 on campus; $1,000 online certificate |
| Surgical technology | Associate of Science (sterile processing or endoscope reprocessing concentrations) | Hybrid with clinical rotations | All 7 states | – | $5,775 |
| Sterile processing | Certificate, 3 months, one course | Hybrid (Pittsburgh) or on campus (Nashville) | Nashville, TN; Cranberry Township, PA | CBSPD technician exam | $500 |
| Radiography | Associate of Science; CT and MRI certificates | In person or hybrid | All 7 states | ARRT exam | $7,325 |
| Diagnostic medical sonography | Associate of Science, with concentrations | In person or hybrid | All 7 states | ARDMS exams | $7,325 |
| Physical therapist assistant | Associate of Science | On campus | Knoxville, Nashville, Atlanta, Asheville | NPTE for assistants | $7,325 |
| Physician assistant | Master of Health Science | On campus | Knoxville, Nashville, Atlanta, Asheville, Orlando | PANCE | $12,250 (8 to 20 credits) |
| Dental assisting | Certificate | On campus | Nashville, TN only | DANB exams | $5,775 |
| Paralegal studies | Associate of Science; post-degree certificate (about 12 months) | On campus | Knoxville, TN | – (ABA-approved program) | $5,775 |
| Business, accounting, criminal justice | Associate through master’s degrees | On campus and online | Knoxville, TN and online | – | $5,775 on campus; $4,175 online (business, accounting) |
| Cybersecurity | Bachelor of Science | Online | Online | – | $4,175 |
Programmatic accreditation is listed campus by campus on the college’s accreditation page, and the newer campuses are still working through it: in Dallas and Marietta, several programs are candidates or seeking accreditation (see the campus notes below). Beyond these programs, South College teaches dental hygiene (Nashville and Dallas), respiratory therapy, occupational therapy assistant, the Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Doctor of Pharmacy, and a competency-based online division that passed 2,000 students in January 2026.
What the main programs cover
Practical and registered nursing
Nursing runs in three steps. The practical nursing certificate leads to the NCLEX-PN and is approved by each state’s board and accredited by ACEN at all but Marietta, which is a candidate. The ASN is split into a pre-major phase, charged at the lower rate, and the nursing major itself, which students enter by selective admission into a cohort. LPNs can enter the ASN or BSN through bridge tracks. The BSN is offered as a traditional or hybrid program and an accelerated track, and all BSN and graduate nursing programs are CCNE-accredited.
Medical assisting and the phlebotomy concentration
The medical assisting certificate ends in a 180-hour practicum in a medical facility. Students can add a phlebotomy concentration that prepares them for a national phlebotomy technician certification exam. The Associate of Science takes another 9 to 12 months after the certificate and comes in phlebotomy technician and advanced versions; a related AS in Medical Office Administration covers the front office. MAERB-reviewed CAAHEP accreditation covers the certificate at five campuses: Knoxville, Nashville, Atlanta, Asheville and Indianapolis.
Surgical technology and sterile processing
The surgical technology associate degree is taught in a hybrid format that includes clinical rotations; the college says Dallas’s first graduate logged about 200 surgical procedures. Students can choose a sterile processing or a flexible endoscope reprocessing concentration, and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science is open to graduates. The separate sterile processing certificate is a single course of about three months that prepares students for the CBSPD exam; Pittsburgh teaches it hybrid and Nashville on campus.
Radiography and sonography
Both imaging associate degrees can be taken fully in person or in a hybrid format that puts coursework online and keeps labs on campus. Radiography prepares students for the ARRT exam, sonography for the ARDMS exams. Students are admitted to both in cohorts. Sonography concentrations vary by campus, including echocardiography at Nashville from December 2025 and two concentrations launched at Marietta in August 2026. Radiographers can go on to the CT and MRI certificates or a Bachelor of Science in Health Science.
Dental assisting
The dental assisting certificate is taught only in Nashville, where a larger dental clinic opened in April 2026. Its courses cover dental sciences, preclinical and clinical procedures, dental radiography, the dental specialties, restorative and laboratory materials, and practice management, and it prepares students for the DANB exams. CODA accredited it in March 2020 with no reporting requirements. The college reported 11 of 13 graduates from 2023-24 in jobs, a lower share than most of its other programs.
Paralegal studies
The ABA-approved paralegal associate degree is taught in Knoxville by practicing attorneys and includes a 120-hour supervised internship. Students who already hold a degree can take the post-degree Certificate in Paralegal Studies, which takes about 12 months. Graduates can continue to the Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies. The college has also hosted more than 150 students in its 865 Academies criminal justice and paralegal pathway, and the AS in Criminal Justice is a related option on the same campus.
Cost: flat quarterly tuition, plus fees
South College charges a flat amount per quarter based on how many credits a student takes, not a per-credit price. The figures below are from its 2025-26 schedules (the on-ground/hybrid sheet revised 30 March 2026, the online sheet revised 6 August 2026), as summarized when we read them; no 2026-27 schedule had been published as of October 2026. Rates rose by about 5% from 2024-25.
| Schedule (2025-26) | Main programs | 10 to 20 credits | 6 to 9.5 credits | 1 to 5.5 credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-ground Table 1 | Practical nursing, dental assisting, medical assisting, surgical technology, paralegal, business, accounting, criminal justice, ASN pre-major | $5,775 | $3,950 | $2,100 |
| On-ground Table 2 | Radiography, sonography, PTA, ASN after admission to the major, BSN | $7,325 | $4,750 | $2,500 |
| Online Table 3 | Cybersecurity, RN to BSN, business bachelor’s, accounting AS | $4,175 | $3,200 | $2,100 |
| Physician assistant (MHS) | Physician assistant | $12,250 (8 to 20 credits) | $800 per credit below 8 | – |
Credits above 20 cost $310 each on Tables 1 and 3 and $360 on Table 2. The sterile processing and other short certificates cost $500 a quarter and the online medical assisting certificate $1,000. Every student pays a $695 technology and services fee each quarter, so a full-time Table 1 quarter costs $6,470 before program fees: nursing $245, imaging $195, dental assisting $150 and physician assistant $495 a quarter (the imaging fee in cohort terms). Applying costs $50 ($95 for the physician assistant program), and the online sheet lists a $300 graduation fee.
South College takes federal student aid: Pell Grants, FSEOG, TEACH grants, work-study and Direct Loans. Grad PLUS loans closed to new borrowers from 1 July 2026, which matters for students in the master’s and doctoral programs. The college also offers its own South College Loans for up to half of a term’s tuition. Its financial aid page lists these grants:
- South College Military Grant: $1,000 a term full-time, $500 half-time, $250 below half-time. The college has taken part in the Yellow Ribbon program since 2011.
- First Responder Grant: $1,000 a term full-time.
- South College Promise Grant at Asheville, Atlanta, Dallas, Marietta and Orlando, plus grants for teachers and for the healthcare MBA.
- State aid: Tennessee HOPE, Aspire, Promise and Reconnect; Florida Bright Futures and EASE; Indiana 21st Century Scholars and Frank O’Bannon; Georgia HOPE, Zell Miller and GTEG at the two Georgia campuses since December 2025. Tennessee National Guard members can use the STRONG Act.
Niche, using federal data, lists an average net price of about $17,588 a year for the Knoxville campus (checked October 2026).
Admissions, quarters and class formats
Nursing, physical therapist assistant, radiography, sonography, physician assistant and the doctoral programs use selective cohort admission, and the ASN is split into a pre-major phase and the nursing major itself. Federal data shown on Niche give the Knoxville campus a 100% acceptance rate and Nashville about 58%. The year runs on quarters, with a general 2026-27 academic calendar and separate calendars for the physician assistant, DPT, OTD and pharmacy programs. Courses are taught on campus, hybrid, online or in a self-paced competency-based format.
Accreditation and published results
South College is accredited at Level VI, from associate degrees to doctorates, by the accreditor long known as SACSCOC, which became The Commission on Colleges and Universities on 1 September 2026. It has been accredited since 2000, was last reaffirmed in 2021, has a fifth-year review due in 2027 and is next up for reaffirmation in 2031. The accreditor’s record shows no public sanctions, and South College was not on its June 2025, December 2025 or June 2026 action lists. Each state’s agency authorizes its campuses, among them the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, North Carolina’s UNC Board of Governors and Community College System, Georgia’s GNPEC, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and Board for Proprietary Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Program accreditors include ACEN and CCNE (nursing), CAAHEP (medical assisting, surgical technology, sonography), JRCERT (radiography), CAPTE (PTA), ARC-PA (physician assistant), CODA (dental), the ABA (paralegal) and IACBE (business).
The Tennessee Board of Nursing reports first-time NCLEX pass rates for South College as a single line, which appears to combine Knoxville and Nashville. As summarized from its tables:
| Exam | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCLEX-PN (practical nursing) | 96% (86 of 90) | 96% (109 of 114) | 94% (85 of 90) | 96% (98 of 102) | 85% (104 of 123) |
| NCLEX-RN (BSN graduates) | 89% (175 of 196) | 92% (163 of 177) | 99% (165 of 166) | 94% (166 of 177) | 90% (162 of 180) |
- Physician assistant, PANCE: Knoxville reports 99% (2021), 100% (2022), 100% (2023), 92% (2024) and 96% (2025), a five-year average of 97.6%; the page may show ultimate rather than first-time rates. Nashville’s first-time rates were 97%, 79%, 96% and 100% for 2021 to 2024, a 94% five-year average against 93% nationally (May 2025 report).
- Physical therapist assistant: Nashville’s 2023-24 graduates had a 100% ultimate NPTE pass rate, against a national average of about 87%, according to the college.
- Job placement: the college’s 2023-24 report (as of 15 October 2024) gives 97% for medical assisting certificate graduates, 96% surgical technology, 100% radiography, 95% sonography, 100% PTA, 99% BSN and 85% (11 of 13) dental assisting. The figures are self-reported and leave out graduates the college counts as unavailable.
- Federal data on Niche for the Knoxville campus show a 42% graduation rate and median earnings of $49,367.
Two programs on accreditor probation
On 27 March 2026 JRCERT voted “Maintenance of Probation” for the Atlanta radiography program. According to the JRCERT letter as summarized, the program’s five-year ARRT first-attempt pass rate for 2021 to 2025 was 71%, below JRCERT’s 75% standard; JRCERT granted a 12-month good-cause extension, with a progress report due 7 May 2027 and compliance due 20 June 2027. Separately, South College’s accreditation page states that ACOTE placed the Nashville occupational therapy assistant program on probation effective 25 April 2026, citing certification exam pass rates under Standard A.6.4.
Ten campuses, and an eleventh on the way
| Campus | Address | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN (main) | 3904 Lonas Dr, Knoxville, TN 37909 | Widest program range; paralegal only in Knoxville |
| Knoxville Parkside, TN | 400 Goody’s Ln, Knoxville, TN 37922 | Separate approved site shared with Lonas Drive programs |
| Nashville, TN | 616 Marriott Dr, Nashville, TN 37214 | Only dental assisting campus; second building April 2026 |
| Asheville, NC | 140 Sweeten Creek Rd, Asheville, NC 28803 | Reopened 21 October 2024 after Hurricane Helene |
| Atlanta, GA | 2600 Century Pkwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30345 | Radiography on JRCERT probation |
| Marietta, GA | 1850 Parkway Pl, Suite 100, Marietta, GA 30067 | Opened 2025; first graduates June 2026 |
| Orlando, FL | 6649 Westwood Blvd, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32821 | At this address since August 2023 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 3000 Westinghouse Dr, Suite 200, Cranberry Township, PA 16066 | Teaching campus since July 2022 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 301 Pennsylvania Pkwy, Indianapolis, IN 46280 | First classes October 2024 |
| Dallas, TX | 1507 LBJ Fwy, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75234 | Opened October 2025 |
The Columbus, Ohio campus (5525 Parkcenter Circle, Dublin) begins enrolling in October 2026 under an Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools registration, with campus expansion planned for early 2027 and programs pending approvals; nursing, respiratory therapy and medical assisting are planned later.
No housing; career help at each campus
South College has no on-campus housing, which some Nashville reviewers mention. Each campus has career services staff, and Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Asheville and Indianapolis held career fairs in 2025-26. Clinical training relies on hospital partners, including Hillcrest Healthcare in Knoxville (from October 2024) and an Orlando Health dedicated education unit for nursing students (from July 2024).
Before you enroll
- South College is not South University. South University, a different school, is on the Sweet v. Cardona borrower-defense settlement list; South College is not.
- Accreditation varies by campus and program. Several programs at Dallas, Marietta, Asheville and Indianapolis are candidates, provisionally accredited or still seeking accreditation, Atlanta’s radiography program is on probation, and Nashville’s occupational therapy assistant program has been on probation since April 2026. Check the status for your campus on the college’s accreditation page.
- Admission to the major is a second step. In the ASN, students pay the lower rate during pre-major courses and the higher rate only after they win a cohort place, so ask how many pre-major students are admitted each quarter.
- Enrollment requires binding arbitration and a waiver of class actions, according to the college’s June 2025 disclosure; borrower-defense applications to the Education Department are exempt.
- The practical nursing pass rate in Tennessee fell from 94 to 96% in 2021-2024 to 85% in 2025 (first-time testers). Pass rates for other states’ campuses were not available to us.
What students say
On Niche (checked 5 October 2026), the Knoxville page scores South College 4.2 out of 5 from 357 reviews, Atlanta 4.12 from 68 and Nashville 4.67 from 54. On OnlineU (which now hosts GradReports), 69% of 49 reviewers, writing between August 2018 and April 2026, would recommend the college. Reviewers most often praise approachable faculty and small classes, hands-on clinical training, and online and hybrid formats that suit working adults. The most common complaints are poor communication between departments, financial aid and billing problems, including balances that rose after payments, and disputes over nursing grades and exams, along with unclear credit transfer. We could not see review dates on Niche, so we cannot say whether its reviews were invited by the school or posted in bursts. OnlineU’s 69% recommend rate is less favorable than the Niche scores.
Sources
Checked October 2026: South College locations · Commission on Colleges and Universities record · Accreditations and approvals · 2025-26 on-ground/hybrid tuition · 2025-26 online tuition · Tennessee Board of Nursing NCLEX-PN rates · Tennessee Board of Nursing BSN rates · SACSCOC name change announcement
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Certificate in Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), including LPN to ASN
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing: traditional/hybrid, accelerated and LPN to BSN
- RN to BSN (online)
- Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice
Medical assisting and surgical services
- Certificate in Medical Assisting, with optional Phlebotomy concentration
- Associate of Science in Medical Assisting (Phlebotomy Technician, Advanced tracks)
- Associate of Science in Medical Office Administration
- Certificate in Sterile Processing Technician
- Associate of Science in Surgical Technology (Sterile Processing or Flexible Endoscope Reprocessing concentrations)
Imaging
- Associate of Science in Radiography
- Associate of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography
- Certificates in CT and MRI
- Bachelor of Science in Health Science (radiography, sonography and post-surgical technology tracks)
Rehabilitation, respiratory and physician assistant
- Associate of Science in Physical Therapist Assistant
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Respiratory Therapy
- Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies
- Doctor of Physical Therapy and Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Dental
- Certificate in Dental Assisting (Nashville)
- Dental Hygiene (Nashville, Dallas)
Business and technology
- Associate of Science in Accounting; Master of Science in Accounting
- Associate of Science in Business Administration; BBA; MBA
- Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (online)
Legal studies and criminal justice
- Associate of Science in Paralegal Studies; post-degree Certificate in Paralegal Studies
- Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies
- Criminal Justice: Associate, Bachelor's and Master of Science
Pharmacy
- Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
Campus Locations
Knoxville, TN 3904 Lonas Dr, Knoxville, TN 37909
Knoxville, TN 400 Goody's Ln, Knoxville, TN 37922
Nashville, TN 616 Marriott Dr, Nashville, TN 37214
Asheville, NC 140 Sweeten Creek Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
Atlanta, GA 2600 Century Pkwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30345
Marietta, GA 1850 Parkway Pl, Suite 100, Marietta, GA 30067
Orlando, FL 6649 Westwood Blvd, Suite 100, Orlando, FL 32821
Pittsburgh (Cranberry Township), PA 3000 Westinghouse Dr, Suite 200, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
Indianapolis, IN 301 Pennsylvania Pkwy, Indianapolis, IN 46280
Dallas, TX 1507 LBJ Fwy, Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75234