| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | A system of 22 separate public technical colleges governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR); in-person, clock-hour programs |
| Colleges | 22, all in Tennessee; most have branch or extension campuses besides the main campus |
| Credentials | Certificates and diplomas only; no associate degrees |
| Accreditation | Each college separately, by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE); TCAT Chattanooga comes under Chattanooga State Community College’s accreditation |
| Federal aid | Yes, through each college |
| 2026-27 cost | $1,541 per full-time trimester in tuition and mandatory fees ($1,591 at TCAT Chattanooga); books, tools and uniforms extra |
| Size | 51,230 students in 2024-25 and a record 8,309 diplomas and certificates (TBR) |
| Founded | 1967, as the State Area Vocational-Technical Schools; named Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology since July 2013 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
TCAT: 22 separate public technical colleges across Tennessee
“Tennessee College of Applied Technology” is not one school. The name covers 22 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs), governed together by the Tennessee Board of Regents. All but TCAT Chattanooga, part of Chattanooga State, have their own accreditation and federal aid. Students apply to one college, such as TCAT Knoxville or TCAT Jackson, and this page compares them. TCATs teach trades and health careers in clock-hour programs that lead to certificates and diplomas, not associate degrees. In 2024-25 they enrolled 51,230 students and awarded a record 8,309 diplomas and certificates, TBR reported in December 2025; fall 2025 registrations reached 32,782. The system began in 1967 as the State Area Vocational-Technical Schools and took the TCAT name in July 2013. Changes since 2023 include renamed and merged colleges (Upper Cumberland, Henry/Carroll) and a new main campus at Shelbyville, with Henry/Carroll’s due later this fall, the college says.
Programs at the 22 TCATs, and how many teach each
Except one online program at Elizabethton, every program is taught in person, in Tennessee, as a clock-hour certificate or diploma. Program menus differ from college to college, and the colleges’ menus usually do not say which campus of a college teaches a program, so check with the college. Program lengths are set in clock hours and vary by college; a full-time trimester is 432 hours. Counts are out of 22 colleges.
| Program | Colleges teaching it | Notes | TCAT Knoxville program fee per trimester, 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing | All 22 | Tennessee Board of Nursing approved; NCLEX-PN; entry requirements | $100 |
| Welding Technology | All 22 | Evening or part-time at Dickson, Jackson, Pulaski, Shelbyville | $100 |
| Machine Tool Technology / CNC | All 22 | Tool and Die Machining also at Jackson | – |
| Automotive Technology | All 22 | – | – |
| Cosmetology | 21 (not Shelbyville) | Instructor programs at six colleges | – |
| Computer Information Technology and networking | 21 (not Hohenwald) | Names differ by college | – |
| HVAC/R | 20 (not Hohenwald or Oneida/Huntsville) | Evening at Pulaski and Shelbyville | $100 |
| Building Construction | 18 | Pulaski’s is for Summertown High School graduates only | – |
| Electrical (electricity and electrician programs) | 17 | Memphis’s Electronics Technology is not electrician training | – |
| Truck Driving | 15 | Certificate; commercial driver’s licence | $300 |
| Diesel and heavy equipment repair | 13 | Mechanics, not driving | $50 |
| Administrative Office Technology | 13 | – | – |
| Patient Care Technology / Medical Assisting | 12 | – | – |
| Collision Repair | 12 | – | – |
| Computer Aided Design | 10 | – | – |
| Dental Assisting | 8 | Part-time evening at Pulaski | – |
| Surgical Technology | Dickson, Hohenwald, Jackson, Knoxville, Murfreesboro, Upper Cumberland | Entry requirements | – |
| Pharmacy Technology | Dickson, Jacksboro, Memphis, Northwest, Oneida/Huntsville, Upper Cumberland | – | – |
| Nursing Aide (CNA) | Harriman, Hartsville, Jacksboro, Knoxville, Memphis, Oneida/Huntsville | – | $75 |
| Digital Graphic Design | Crump, Dickson, Hohenwald, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Northwest | – | – |
| Barbering | Chattanooga, Dickson, Elizabethton, Memphis, Northwest | Evening at Dickson | – |
| Aviation Maintenance | Memphis, Morristown, Nashville, Northwest | FAA approval confirmed for Northwest (May 2026) | – |
| Central Sterile Processing | Jackson, Memphis, Murfreesboro | – | – |
Practical nursing programs are approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing, and TCAT Northwest says it received FAA approval for Aviation Maintenance Technology in May 2026. We could not confirm programmatic accreditation for the surgical technology programs. Some programs are open only to high school students or graduates of particular high schools, such as Hartsville’s Culinary Arts and Pulaski’s Building Construction. Murfreesboro’s short Workforce & Skills courses are not credentials.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing
Every TCAT runs a Practical Nursing program approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing, and graduates take the NCLEX-PN to be licensed as LPNs. Unlike most TCAT programs, practical nursing is cohort-based and has entry requirements, so ask the college about application dates and tests. Several colleges teach it together through regional programs, and classes may meet at branch sites, such as Crump’s Parsons campus and Hartsville’s Lebanon campus. Part-time or evening practical nursing runs at Shelbyville, Pulaski and Jackson, and Nashville and Jackson offer a bridge for certified medical assistants.
Aviation Maintenance
Four TCATs list Aviation Maintenance: Memphis, Morristown, Nashville and Northwest. Northwest says its Aviation Maintenance Technology program received FAA approval in May 2026; we could not confirm FAA approval for the other three, so ask them. Memphis also teaches Avionics Maintenance, has an Aviation Extension Campus on Tchulahoma Road and has announced an aviation-related campus in Millington. Morristown has an Airport Extension on Piper Street, and TBR’s capital requests for 2027-28 include a replacement for its aviation campus. These programs train aircraft mechanics, not pilots.
Truck Driving
Truck Driving is a certificate program at 15 TCATs. Upper Cumberland also pairs diesel mechanics with a commercial driver’s licence in its Diesel Powered Technology with CDL program, and Shelbyville runs truck driving from a separate extension campus on Eagle Boulevard. Chattanooga’s version is the Commercial Truck Driving certificate, with its own fees. At Crump, truck driving is full time only. The diesel programs found at 13 TCATs, such as Diesel Powered Equipment Technology and Off-Road Diesel, train mechanics who repair trucks and equipment rather than drivers.
Electrical programs
TCAT electrical programs carry different names, and the names matter. Residential/Commercial/Industrial Electricity, Residential/Commercial Electricity, Electrician Technology and Electrical and Plumbing Construction are electrician programs, and Industrial Electricity is taught at eight colleges, including Jackson, Knoxville and Murfreesboro. Electronics Technology at TCAT Memphis is not an electrician program. Electric Vehicle Production Technology, at Memphis and Jackson, prepares people for manufacturing work, not vehicle repair. Industrial Maintenance and Mechatronics programs, found at most colleges, are factory maintenance programs.
Welding
Welding Technology is taught at all 22 TCATs, mostly as full-time daytime classes. Evening sections run at Dickson, Shelbyville and Pulaski, and Jackson offers welding full or part time. TCAT Northwest added welding at its Ripley campus in May 2026. At Pulaski, a site in Loretto teaches welding only to Loretto High School graduates, and Crump runs its welding program full time only. Because TCAT programs are billed by the trimester, the total cost depends on how many hours the college’s welding program requires.
One tuition schedule for the whole system, and how students pay
TBR sets a single tuition schedule for the free-standing TCATs. On 12 June 2026 it approved 2026-27 rates: a full-time trimester (341 to 432 hours) costs $1,446 in tuition plus a $10 student access fee and an $85 technology access fee, $1,541 in all. Three full-time trimesters come to about $4,623. Tuition rose $42 and the technology fee $12, and combined tuition and mandatory fees rose 3.64%. Part-time students pay by the hours they take that trimester, as TCAT Knoxville’s 2026-27 fee page shows:
| Hours in the trimester | Tuition | Student access fee | Technology access fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–40 | $225 | $10 | $52 | $287 |
| 41–80 | $304 | $10 | $52 | $366 |
| 81–135 | $459 | $10 | $52 | $521 |
| 136–217 | $800 | $10 | $85 | $895 |
| 218–340 | $1,293 | $10 | $85 | $1,388 |
| 341–432 (full time) | $1,446 | $10 | $85 | $1,541 |
TCAT Chattanooga bills on Chattanooga State’s schedule instead: $1,591 per full-time term in 2026-27 ($1,446 tuition, $50 program services, $85 technology and $10 activity fees), with extra fees for welding, practical nursing and truck driving. Books, tools, uniforms and program fees cost extra everywhere; TCAT Knoxville’s 2026-27 program fees per trimester include $75 for nursing aide, $100 for HVAC/R, practical nursing and welding, and $300 for truck driving. Knoxville puts its full cost of attendance at $18,389 to $25,324 a year, depending on housing.
There is no in-district rate, since TCATs have no districts, and TBR publishes no separate out-of-state rate, so non-residents should ask their college what they would pay. Tennessee residents can use state aid: Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, the HOPE-funded Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant and, for high school students, the Dual Enrollment Grant, under which dual-enrolled students pay only a 5% access fee. Non-residents are not eligible for these. Federal student aid is handled by each college.
Open admission, with entry requirements for health programs
TCATs admit students openly at the college level, but some programs, among them Practical Nursing and Surgical Technology, are cohort-based and have their own entry requirements. The year runs in clock-hour trimesters, and a full-time load is 432 hours a trimester, roughly 30 hours a week of daytime classes; students can start each trimester. Most programs are full-time, daytime and in person. Evening or part-time options exist only where colleges name them: Dickson (Barbering, Welding), Shelbyville (HVAC/R, Industrial Maintenance, Practical Nursing, Welding), Pulaski (several programs, including Basic Dental Assisting), Jackson (Practical Nursing, Welding) and most programs at Crump. The only online program we found is Elizabethton’s Nutrition and Foodservice Professional Training.
Accreditation and nursing results
Each free-standing TCAT is accredited separately by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE). TCAT Athens and TCAT Murfreesboro posted COE reaffirmation news in 2026, Murfreesboro’s dated 27 August 2026; check COE’s directory for any other college’s current standing. TCAT Chattanooga is a unit within Chattanooga State Community College and comes under that college’s institutional accreditation.
The Tennessee Board of Nursing publishes first-time NCLEX-PN pass rates for each practical nursing program, and several TCATs report through shared regional programs. Among programs whose 2025 figure is clear in the Board’s table, rates ranged from 79% to 97%, against a state average of 87.89%. Some examples:
| Practical nursing program (Board of Nursing name) | College(s) | 2025 first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| TCAT Elizabethton | Elizabethton | 97% (87 of 90) |
| TCAT Dickson | Dickson | 97% (63 of 65) |
| South Central Regional PN | Pulaski | 97% (34 of 35) |
| Jackson Regional PN | Jackson | 96% (75 of 78) |
| Stones River PN | Murfreesboro | 95% (21 of 22) |
| Tennessee Valley Regional PN | Shelbyville, McMinnville | 92% (71 of 77) |
| Appalachian Regional PN | Jacksboro, Oneida/Huntsville, Harriman | 88% (60 of 68) |
| TCAT Knoxville | Knoxville | 79% (104 of 131) |
| Chattanooga State CC PN | Chattanooga | 79% (30 of 38) |
| All Tennessee PN programs | – | 87.89% |
TCATs report completion, placement and licensure rates to COE on each college’s consumer information page; we found no system-wide figures.
Before you enroll
- You apply to one TCAT, not to the system, and programs, schedules and entry rules differ by college. A program listed by a college may be taught only at its main campus or only at a branch, so ask where it meets.
- TCATs award certificates and diplomas only. Students who want an associate degree need a different college.
- Most programs are full-time daytime classes, about 30 hours a week, which is hard to combine with a full-time job. Evening options exist only at a few colleges.
- Some program names mislead: Memphis’s Electronics Technology does not train electricians, Electric Vehicle Production Technology is manufacturing work, not repair, and Assistant Animal Laboratory Technology trains lab-animal technicians, not veterinary assistants.
- No separate out-of-state rate is published, non-residents cannot use Tennessee state aid, and the TCATs we checked list no student housing, so plan to live at home or rent.
The 22 colleges and their campuses
| College | Main campus | Other campuses |
|---|---|---|
| Athens | 1635 Technology Way, Athens, TN 37303 | McMinn Higher Education Center (Athens), PIE Center (Cleveland), Polk County Campus (Benton) |
| Chattanooga (part of Chattanooga State) | 4501 Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37406 | Chattanooga State sites |
| Crump | 3070 Hwy 64, Crump, TN 38327 | Parsons Extension Campus (practical nursing) |
| Dickson | 740 Highway 46 South, Dickson, TN 37055 | Advanced Manufacturing Campus (Dickson), Clarksville Campus |
| Elizabethton | 426 Highway 91 North, Elizabethton, TN 37643 | Arney Street Campus (Elizabethton), Boones Creek Extension Campus (Johnson City) |
| Harriman | 1745 Harriman Highway, Harriman, TN 37748 | ThreeStar Extension Campus (Harriman) |
| Hartsville | 716 McMurry Blvd East, Hartsville, TN 37074 | Wilson County (Lebanon); Tri-County (Red Boiling Springs, dual enrollment only) |
| Henry/Carroll (formerly Paris) | 312 South Wilson Street, Paris, TN 38242 | McKenzie Affiliate Campus; new main campus near State Highway 218 that the college says opens later this fall |
| Hohenwald | 813 West Main St., Hohenwald, TN 38462 | Bevis Education Center (Collinwood), Lawrence County Enterprise Center South (Lawrenceburg) |
| Jacksboro | 265 Elkins Rd, Jacksboro, TN 37757 | Additional location in LaFollette |
| Jackson | 2468 Technology Center Dr., Jackson, TN 38301 | Brownsville, Lexington, Stanton and Whiteville extension campuses |
| Knoxville | 1100 Liberty Street, Knoxville, TN 37919 | Anderson County Higher Education Center (Clinton), Union County (Maynardville) |
| McMinnville | 241 Vo-Tech Drive, McMinnville, TN 37110 | Coffee County Campus (Manchester) |
| Memphis | 550 Alabama Ave., Memphis, TN 38105 | Aviation Extension Campus (Memphis), Bartlett Extension Campus; Millington planned |
| Morristown | 821 West Louise Ave, Morristown, TN 37813 | Airport Extension (Morristown), Greene County Extension (Greeneville) |
| Murfreesboro | 1303 Old Fort Parkway, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 | Smyrna Campus |
| Nashville | 100 White Bridge Pike, Nashville, TN 37209 | Cockrill Bend (Nashville), Portland, Springfield |
| Northwest (formerly Newbern) | 340 Washington St, Newbern, TN 38059 | Covington and Ripley branch campuses, Union City Extension Campus |
| Oneida/Huntsville | 355 Scott High Drive, Huntsville, TN 37756 | York Agricultural Institute site (Jamestown) |
| Pulaski | 1233 East College Street, Pulaski, TN 38478 | None; instructional sites only |
| Shelbyville | 2905 US 231 North, Shelbyville, TN 37160 | Franklin County Campus (Winchester), Truck Driving Extension Campus (Shelbyville) |
| Upper Cumberland (formerly Crossville) | 910 Miller Avenue, Crossville, TN 38555 | Livingston, North (Crossville), Pikeville, Cookeville, Gainesboro |
Several old campus names now belong to other colleges: Covington and Ripley are TCAT Northwest branch campuses, Whiteville is a TCAT Jackson extension campus, Livingston is part of TCAT Upper Cumberland, and McKenzie is part of TCAT Henry/Carroll. High school, jail, hospital and employer sites where TCATs teach are not listed here.
Help for veterans
TCAT Upper Cumberland became the first TBR institution to earn the VETS “Bravo Campus” designation in July 2026, and TCAT Chattanooga holds VETS Campus status through Chattanooga State.
What students say
Reviews of TCATs are split across separate pages for each college, often under old names, and we found none with at least 25 reviews on one platform, so this page does not summarize them.
Sources
Checked October 2026: TBR: TCAT institutions · TBR: 2026-27 tuition and fees approved (12 June 2026) · TCAT Knoxville: tuition and fees 2026-27 · Chattanooga State: TCAT tuition 2026-27 · TBR: TCAT student access and success report (December 2025) · Tennessee Board of Nursing: NCLEX-PN pass rates · Tennessee Board of Nursing: PN program list (August 2026) · TCAT Henry/Carroll: new main campus (10 July 2026)
Programs & Courses
Nursing and health
- Practical Nursing (all 22 colleges)
- Certified Medical Assistant to Practical Nursing Bridge (Jackson, Nashville)
- Nursing Aide / Certified Nursing Assistant (Harriman, Hartsville, Jacksboro, Knoxville, Memphis, Oneida/Huntsville)
- Patient Care Technology / Medical Assisting (12 colleges); Medical Office Assistant (Harriman)
- Surgical Technology (Dickson, Hohenwald, Jackson, Knoxville, Murfreesboro, Upper Cumberland)
- Central Sterile Processing Technology (Jackson, Memphis, Murfreesboro)
- Pharmacy Technology (Dickson, Jacksboro, Memphis, Northwest, Oneida/Huntsville, Upper Cumberland)
- Dental Assisting (Dickson, Hartsville, Knoxville, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Northwest, Pulaski)
- Dental Laboratory Technology (Memphis, Nashville)
- Emergency Medical Technology (Crump, Hohenwald, Jacksboro)
- Health Information Management (Crump, Henry/Carroll)
- Massage Therapy (Chattanooga, McMinnville)
- Mental Health Technician (Chattanooga)
- Assistant Animal Laboratory Technology (Memphis; lab-animal care, not veterinary assisting)
Vehicles, aviation and transportation
- Automotive Technology (all 22 colleges)
- Collision Repair Technology (12 colleges)
- Diesel Powered Equipment / Off-Road Diesel (13 colleges)
- Heavy Equipment Technology, repair (Crump, Harriman, Memphis)
- Power Sports / Motorcycle & Marine Services (Athens, Chattanooga, Hohenwald, Jacksboro, Upper Cumberland)
- Truck Driving (15 colleges)
- Aviation Maintenance (Memphis, Morristown, Nashville, Northwest)
- Avionics Maintenance (Memphis)
Construction and building trades
- Building Construction Technology (18 colleges)
- HVAC/R (20 colleges)
- Electrical: Residential/Commercial/Industrial Electricity, Electrician Technology, Industrial Electricity (17 colleges)
- Electrical and Plumbing Construction (Crump, Hartsville, Pulaski, Upper Cumberland)
- Pipefitting and Plumbing (Athens, Elizabethton, Jackson, Knoxville, Morristown)
- Masonry (Upper Cumberland)
- Residential Building Maintenance (Henry/Carroll)
- Power Line Construction and Maintenance (Oneida/Huntsville, Upper Cumberland)
- Heavy Equipment / Earthmoving Equipment Operator (Crump, Elizabethton, Oneida/Huntsville)
- Telecommunications (Henry/Carroll, Hohenwald, Murfreesboro, Oneida/Huntsville, Upper Cumberland)
Manufacturing, machining and welding
- Machine Tool Technology / CNC Machining (all 22 colleges)
- Tool and Die Machining (Jackson)
- Welding Technology (all 22 colleges)
- Industrial Maintenance, Mechatronics and Automation (most colleges)
- Electric Vehicle Production Technology (Jackson, Memphis; manufacturing, not EV repair)
- Tile Manufacturing Operator (Dickson, Hohenwald, Upper Cumberland)
- Drone Technology (Chattanooga, McMinnville)
Computers, design and office
- Computer Information Technology and networking/cybersecurity programs (21 colleges)
- Computer Aided Design Technology (10 colleges)
- Digital Graphic Design (Crump, Dickson, Hohenwald, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Northwest)
- Administrative Office Technology / Business Office Specialist (13 colleges)
Beauty and barbering
- Cosmetology (21 colleges; not Shelbyville)
- Cosmetology Instructor (Chattanooga, Hohenwald, McMinnville, Murfreesboro, Northwest, Oneida/Huntsville)
- Aesthetics (Chattanooga, Hartsville, Hohenwald, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Pulaski, Upper Cumberland)
- Manicuring (Hartsville, Hohenwald, Murfreesboro, Pulaski)
- Barbering (Chattanooga, Dickson, Elizabethton, Memphis, Northwest)
- Barbering Instructor (Chattanooga, Northwest)
Agriculture, hospitality and public service
- Farming Operations, Precision Ag, Digital Agronomy, Forestry and Ag (Athens, Crump, Hohenwald, Jackson, Northwest, Oneida/Huntsville, Pulaski)
- Hospitality and Tourism / Hospitality and Culinary (Elizabethton, Harriman, Jacksboro, Jackson, Memphis, Northwest)
- Culinary Arts (Oneida/Huntsville)
- Meat Processing (Elizabethton)
- Landscape & Turf Management (Chattanooga)
- Nutrition and Foodservice Professional Training (Elizabethton, online)
- Criminal Justice: Correctional Officer (Crump, Elizabethton, Henry/Carroll, Hohenwald, Jacksboro, Jackson, Oneida/Huntsville)
Campus Locations
Athens, TN TCAT Athens: 1635 Technology Way, Athens, TN 37303
Chattanooga, TN TCAT Chattanooga: 4501 Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37406
Crump, TN TCAT Crump: 3070 Hwy 64, Crump, TN 38327
Dickson, TN TCAT Dickson: 740 Highway 46 South, Dickson, TN 37055
Elizabethton, TN TCAT Elizabethton: 426 Highway 91 North, Elizabethton, TN 37643
Harriman, TN TCAT Harriman: 1745 Harriman Highway, Harriman, TN 37748
Hartsville, TN TCAT Hartsville: 716 McMurry Blvd East, Hartsville, TN 37074
Paris, TN TCAT Henry/Carroll: 312 South Wilson Street, Paris, TN 38242
Hohenwald, TN TCAT Hohenwald: 813 West Main St., Hohenwald, TN 38462
Jacksboro, TN TCAT Jacksboro: 265 Elkins Rd, Jacksboro, TN 37757
Jackson, TN TCAT Jackson: 2468 Technology Center Dr., Jackson, TN 38301
Knoxville, TN TCAT Knoxville: 1100 Liberty Street, Knoxville, TN 37919
McMinnville, TN TCAT McMinnville: 241 Vo-Tech Drive, McMinnville, TN 37110
Memphis, TN TCAT Memphis: 550 Alabama Ave., Memphis, TN 38105
Morristown, TN TCAT Morristown: 821 West Louise Ave, Morristown, TN 37813
Murfreesboro, TN TCAT Murfreesboro: 1303 Old Fort Parkway, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Nashville, TN TCAT Nashville: 100 White Bridge Pike, Nashville, TN 37209
Newbern, TN TCAT Northwest: 340 Washington St, Newbern, TN 38059
Huntsville, TN TCAT Oneida/Huntsville: 355 Scott High Drive, Huntsville, TN 37756
Pulaski, TN TCAT Pulaski: 1233 East College Street, Pulaski, TN 38478
Shelbyville, TN TCAT Shelbyville: 2905 US 231 North, Shelbyville, TN 37160
Crossville, TN TCAT Upper Cumberland: 910 Miller Avenue, Crossville, TN 38555