Fact	Detail
Type	Mostly online programs taught in live video classes, plus four sites for nursing, imaging, lab and blended programs
Campuses	4 in 3 states: Roanoke (Salem), VA; Nashville, TN; Louisville, KY; Pikeville, KY
Institutions	Two under one brand: American National University (Virginia; Salem, Nashville and online) and American National University of Kentucky (Louisville and Pikeville)
Credentials	Certificates, diplomas, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees
Typical length	Medical assisting certificate in as little as 8 months; paralegal AS about 2 years; BSN and BS in Cybersecurity about 3 years
Accreditation	DEAC for the Virginia institution (renewed July 2025, through January 2030); ABHES for the Kentucky institution
Federal aid	Yes: Pell Grants, SEOG, Direct Loans and Federal Work-Study
Owner	American National University, Inc., a private, for-profit Virginia corporation based in Salem
Founded	1886 in Roanoke, Virginia, as National Business College
Students	770 at the Virginia institution and 444 at the Kentucky (Pikeville) IPEDS unit (IPEDS 2024, via DataUSA)
Facts checked	October 2026

One brand, two accredited institutions

American National University (ANU) began in 1886 as National Business College in Roanoke, Virginia, and was later known as National College. It is privately owned by American National University, Inc., a for-profit Virginia corporation based in Salem. The ANU name covers two separately accredited institutions. American National University, accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), runs the Salem campus, a nursing site in Nashville and the online “eUniversity” that teaches most programs. American National University of Kentucky, accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), runs the Louisville and Pikeville campuses. Ten campuses shown on older listings, including ours, have closed. ANU is not National American University, a different school that many search results describe.

Programs: mostly online, with nursing and imaging tied to a campus

Most ANU programs are taught online from Salem. Nursing, radiologic technology and medical laboratory technology need clinical training and are tied to a campus and, for nursing, to students’ state of residence. Totals are ANU’s all-inclusive figures as listed on its program pages in October 2026.

Program	Credential and length	Delivery and where	Prepares for	Total cost (October 2026)
Nursing (ASN)	AS, 119 credits, 660 clinical hours	Blended at Pikeville, KY (Kentucky residents only); blended and online at Nashville, TN	NCLEX-RN	$46,291–$51,348
Nursing (pre-licensure BSN)	BS, about 3 years	Live online classes, VR labs and clinicals; Nashville, TN base; Tennessee and Virginia residents	NCLEX-RN	$63,360
Practical Nursing	Certificate, 84 credits plus 405 clinical hours	Blended and online, Salem, VA; Virginia residents only	NCLEX-PN	Not published
Medical Assisting	Certificate, 48 credits; AS, 96 credits	Online; blended certificate at Pikeville and blended AS at Louisville	CCMA, NCMA; AS adds CPT and CET	$17,424; $30,816
Administrative Medical Assisting	Certificate; AS	Online	Front-office medical work	Not published
Pharmacy Technician	Diploma, 48 credits; AS, 96 credits	Online, with externships	PTCE or ExCPT; AS adds CSPT	Not published
Phlebotomy and ECG Technician	Diploma, 36 credits	Online, with a local clinic externship	NHA CPT and CET	Not published
Medical Billing and Coding	Diploma, 48 credits	Online	CPC, CCA, CCS	$20,496
Health Information Management	AS, 96 credits	Online	RHIT	Not published
Medical and Health Services Management	BS, 180 credits (needs an allied health associate degree)	Online; blended option at Pikeville	–	Not published
Medical Laboratory Technology	AS, 96 credits	Online plus clinical courses; Pikeville	A national MLT exam	Not published
Radiologic Technology	AS, 92 credits	Online plus mostly night classes and clinicals; Pikeville	ARRT radiography (R)	$38,640
Paralegal	Certificate, 28 credits (needs a prior degree); AS, 92 credits	Online	Paralegal work (ABA-approved)	$13,664; $31,740
Network Support	AS, 96 credits	Online	CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+	$31,872
Information Technology; Network Administration	AS and BS; BS, 180 credits	Online	–	Not published
Cybersecurity	BS, 180 credits, about 3 years; MS, 56 credits	Online; MS also blended at Louisville	Security+; CISSP, CSSLP	$50,580; $23,016
Accounting	Diploma, 60 credits; AS, 92 credits; BBA, 180 credits	Online	Not designed for CPA licensure	$48,780 (BBA)
Business Administration	Diploma, 48 credits; AS, 92 credits; BBA, 180 credits; MBA, 56 credits	Online; MBA also at Louisville	–	$24,080 (MBA)
HVAC/R Technician	Certificate, 36 credits	Online; no lab location stated	EPA 608, NATE fundamentals, OSHA 10	$200 a credit
MS Information Technology; MS Computer Science and Engineering; MS Software Development	56; 49; 49 credits	MS IT online and at Louisville; the other two at Louisville only	–	$21,560 (MS Software Development)

The HVAC/R certificate is taught online with no lab location stated, so ask how hands-on practice is arranged. ANU’s program list has no truck driving (CDL) program, although some directories still list one.

What the main programs cover

Nursing associate degree (ASN)

Both versions of the 119-credit ASN include 660 hours of clinical externship, and ANU says it assigns clinical sites “based on site availability, not distance”, so students may have to travel. The Kentucky version, taught at Pikeville, is blended and open only to Kentucky residents; it holds Kentucky Board of Nursing approval and NLN CNEA pre-accreditation. The Tennessee version, based in Nashville, is listed as blended and online and has initial approval from the Tennessee Board of Nursing. Students who enrolled in Kentucky before July 2024 follow an older 132-credit plan.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

This is a pre-licensure BSN for students who are not yet nurses, not an RN-to-BSN completion degree, and ANU says it can be finished in three years. Classes meet live online, labs use virtual-reality headsets, and clinical practicums take place at approved sites. Admission requires the NLN PAX entrance exam, a résumé and a 2.5 GPA, plus a GED score of at least 500 for GED holders. ANU’s FAQ says the program is open to residents of Tennessee and Virginia; the program page also names North Carolina.

Medical assisting

The 48-credit certificate ends in a 162-hour externship, and the 96-credit associate degree in a 160-hour externship. Both prepare students for the CCMA (NHA) and NCMA (NCCT) exams and CPR certification, and the associate degree adds the phlebotomy (CPT) and EKG (CET) exams. Distance students study through Salem; the Pikeville certificate and the Louisville associate degree are blended, with some on-campus sessions. ANU loans students their medical assisting equipment, and reports a 68% exam pass rate for the associate degree, averaged over 2020 to 2024.

Pharmacy technician

Pharmacy coursework is online, followed by work in real pharmacies. The 48-credit diploma ends with an externship in a retail or healthcare pharmacy. The 96-credit associate degree includes two 120-hour externships, 240 hours in all, and adds preparation for the CSPT credential in compounded sterile preparation. Applicants must pass a background check. As with ANU’s other externships, sites are found by availability rather than distance from home, so ask where recent students in your area were placed before you enroll.

Paralegal studies

The certificate is 28 credits and is meant for students who already hold an associate or bachelor’s degree; the associate degree is 92 credits, takes about two years and includes an optional 120-hour externship. Both are taught online from Salem. Associate-degree applicants need placement scores of 85% in English and 65% in math. An ABA House of Delegates report from the 2025 Annual Meeting (Report 600) lists the Salem program as approved, and ANU announced a seven-year reapproval for the certificate and associate degree in February 2026.

Radiologic and medical laboratory technology

Both are associate degrees taught from Pikeville, with coursework online and hands-on training at clinical sites. Radiologic technology (92 credits) runs “primarily” as night classes and prepares for the ARRT radiography exam. Medical laboratory technology (96 credits) ends with two clinical courses, MLT297 and MLT299, worth 16 credits and worked in 8- to 12-hour shifts three to five days a week. Neither program page mentions programmatic accreditation (JRCERT or NAACLS); both rely on the Kentucky institution’s ABHES accreditation.

Cost and paying for it

ANU charges by the credit, with rates set by program group (tuition page updated 11 September 2026): $260 to $427 for undergraduate health sciences, $271 to $488 for business and paralegal, $302 to $332 for computer sciences, $200 for trade programs, $430 for the MBA and $372 to $440 for graduate computer sciences. The program totals on ANU’s pages are “all-inclusive” and cover fees, textbooks and lab equipment; nursing and medical assisting equipment is loaned. The application fee is $0. Nursing figures conflict: the Tennessee ASN page works out to $389 a credit ($46,291), the tuition page lists $412 ($49,028), and the Kentucky ASN page gives $46,291 to $51,348, so get a written quote. Federal IPEDS data for 2024, via DataUSA, put the average net price at $18,061 for the Virginia institution and $16,519 for the Kentucky one.

ANU takes Pell Grants, SEOG ($150 a term), Direct and PLUS loans and Federal Work-Study. State aid listed includes Tennessee’s TSAA, Kentucky’s CAP and KEES and the Kentucky Board of Nursing’s Nursing Incentive Scholarship Fund. ANU’s own grants include:

• Workforce Development Grant, up to $1,500 a term, for students funded through WIOA or TAA
• Business Partnership Grant, $1 for every $2 of employer tuition assistance
• Private Loan Supplemental Grant, up to 40% of a private loan
• University Transfer Grant ($1,000), Legacy Merit Scholarship ($1,000) and Refer-a-Friend ($750)
• President’s Grant (discretionary) and the Mongolian Dreamer Grant (25%)

Military students can use GI Bill chapters 30, 31, 33, 35 and 1606, MyCAA and VA work-study. ANU takes part in the Yellow Ribbon program (up to 50% of Chapter 33 tuition), and its Blue Ribbon Grant covers up to 35% of direct education costs once military benefits run out, up to $18,000 in all.

Admissions, schedule and state limits

Undergraduate applicants need a high school diploma or GED (or a state equivalent) and take English and math placement tests, plus a science placement test for health programs. Niche describes admission as open. Some programs ask for more:

• Graduate programs: a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 2.5.
• Nursing: a GPA of at least 2.5; the BSN also needs the NLN PAX exam and a résumé.
• Paralegal AS: placement scores of 85% in English and 65% in math.
• Phlebotomy and ECG: two of five entry criteria, or a prior degree.

Online classes combine live video sessions with work done on the student’s own schedule; ANU calls programs with limited on-campus residency “blended”. Radiologic technology at Pikeville is taught mostly at night.

Licensure programs are limited by state: the Kentucky ASN to Kentucky residents, Practical Nursing to Virginia residents, and the BSN to residents of Tennessee and Virginia (one ANU page adds North Carolina). Both catalogs say ANU takes part in NC-SARA, and neither lists any state whose residents cannot take its other online programs. ANU is approved to enroll international students on F-1 visas and offers non-credit English as a Second Language classes at $1,583.33 a term.

Accreditation and results

DEAC accredits the Virginia institution, which covers the Salem campus, the Nashville site and online programs. It renewed that accreditation in July 2025, “through January 2030”, with no conditions noted. ABHES accredits American National University of Kentucky (Louisville and Pikeville); we could not check its grant or renewal dates in the ABHES directory. ANU’s paralegal certificate and AS are approved by the American Bar Association. Other program accreditations rest on ANU’s own word: ANU says its online medical assisting program is CAAHEP-accredited and its Louisville medical assisting program ABHES-accredited, that its pharmacy technician programs are accredited by ASHP/ACPE and its Health Information Management AS by CAHIIM, and that the Kentucky ASN holds NLN CNEA pre-accreditation.

Nursing pass rates and board oversight

The Kentucky Board of Nursing publishes first-time NCLEX-RN results for the Pikeville ASN (March 2026 report):

Year	Tested	Passed	Pass rate	Kentucky ADN average
2021	37	18	48.6%	–
2022	22	16	72.7%	–
2023	13	12	92.3%	–
2024	26	13	50.0%	85.8%
2025	43	15	34.9%	82.5%

On 24 October 2024 the board approved site-visit requirements for the program, with quarterly progress reports from 31 October 2024, and minuted that it “remain[s] an approved program of nursing”; a follow-up site visit was set for March 2025. The board’s January 2026 Education Committee agenda listed an “Accreditation Extension Request” from the program; we could not find the outcome. The Tennessee ASN and BSN have initial approval only, ANU says the Virginia practical nursing certificate has Virginia Board of Nursing initial approval, and we found no NCLEX results for any of them.

Graduation rates

ANU’s 2025 DEAC student-achievement disclosure for the Virginia institution gives these graduation rates, as we read them in October 2026, for cohorts that started between June 2019 and January 2025 depending on the program (the time allowed to graduate is not stated in what we could read):

Program	Graduation rate
MBA	74%
MS Cybersecurity	60%
MS Information Technology	70%
BBA Accounting	13%
BBA Management	14%
BS Cybersecurity	0%
BS Medical and Health Services Management	71%
BS Network Administration	17%
AS Business Administration–Accounting	7%
AS Business Administration–Management	17%
AS Health Information Management	44%
AS Medical Assisting	14%
AS Network Support	5%
AS Paralegal	39%
AS Pharmacy Technician	3%
AS Administrative Medical Assisting	32%
Certificate, Medical Assisting	25%
Certificate, Paralegal Studies	75%
Diploma, Medical Billing and Coding	29%
Diploma, Phlebotomy and ECG	29%
Diploma, Pharmacy Technician	17%

ANU also reports a 75% first-time pass rate on the PTCE pharmacy technician exam and a 68% exam pass rate for medical assisting associate graduates (2020–2024 average). Federal IPEDS data for 2024, via DataUSA, give a 50% graduation rate for each institution.

Borrower-defense settlement

ANU is one of 153 schools on the automatic-relief list of the 2022 Sweet v. Cardona borrower-defense settlement. ANU publicly rejected any implication of misconduct on 11 July 2022 and, with two other schools, intervened in the case and appealed the settlement’s approval. The Supreme Court denied a stay in April 2023, and the 9th Circuit rejected the appeal for lack of standing in November 2024. ANU is not a petitioner in the Supreme Court petition another school filed in October 2025.

Before you enroll

• Check which ANU you are enrolling in. The Kentucky campuses belong to a separate institution with a different accreditor (ABHES) and catalog from the Virginia institution (DEAC) that runs the online programs. If you may transfer later, ask the receiving school whether it accepts credits from that accreditor.
• Completion is low in many online programs. ANU’s 2025 DEAC disclosure reports graduation rates of 3% for the pharmacy technician AS, 5% for the network support AS, 7% for the accounting AS and 0% for one BS in Cybersecurity cohort.
• Pikeville’s NCLEX-RN pass rate fell to 34.9% in 2025, against a Kentucky ADN average of 82.5%, and the Kentucky Board of Nursing has required quarterly progress reports since October 2024. The Tennessee ASN and BSN have initial approval only, and ANU says the Virginia practical nursing program has initial approval; we found no pass rates for them yet, and the BSN has no programmatic accreditation yet.
• The radiologic technology and medical laboratory technology pages do not mention JRCERT or NAACLS accreditation. Confirm with ARRT or the certification body you plan to use that you will be eligible for its exam.
• Clinical and externship sites are assigned by availability, not distance, and the accounting BBA is not designed to meet CPA licensure requirements.

Where ANU teaches

• Roanoke (Salem), VA, 1813 East Main Street: headquarters, main campus of the Virginia institution, home base for online programs and the Practical Nursing certificate.
• Nashville, TN, 2451 Atrium Way: ASN and BSN nursing.
• Louisville, KY, 10509 Timberwood Circle, Suite 200: main campus of the Kentucky institution; master’s degrees, mostly for international students, and the blended medical assisting AS.
• Pikeville, KY, 130 South Mayo Trail, Suite 101: ASN, radiologic technology, medical laboratory technology and medical assisting.

The Nashville, Louisville and Pikeville sites have moved from the addresses on older listings.

Campuses no longer open

These former campuses appeared on older listings, including ours. None is on ANU’s current locations or accreditation pages, and ANU now names only Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. We could not confirm when each closed.

Former campus	Address	Status
Danville, KY	115 East Lexington Ave.	Closed; date not confirmed
Lexington, KY	2376 Sir Barton Way	Closed; date not confirmed
Bartlett, TN	5760 Stage Rd.	Closed; date not confirmed
Bristol, TN	1328 Highway 11W	Closed; date not confirmed
Memphis, TN	2576 Thousand Oaks Cove	Closed; date not confirmed
Dayton area (Kettering), OH	1837 Woodman Center Dr.	Closed; date not confirmed
Charlottesville, VA	3926 Seminole Trl.	Closed; date not confirmed
Lynchburg, VA	104 Candlewood Ct.	Closed; date not confirmed
Parkersburg, WV	110 Park Center Dr.	Closed; date not confirmed
Princeton, WV	421 Hilltop Dr.	Closed; date not confirmed

Housing and externships

ANU has no student housing; its admissions page mentions housing support for international students only. Nursing, medical assisting and pharmacy technician students complete clinicals or externships at outside sites, which ANU says are placed “based on site availability, not distance”. We could not confirm what job placement help ANU’s career services provide.

What students say

Niche is the only platform we found with 25 or more reviews of ANU (checked 5 October 2026): 4.14 out of 5 from 83 reviews for Roanoke Valley (Salem), 3.72 from 109 for Nashville and 4.03 from 34 for Pikeville, or about 3.9 across 226 reviews by our calculation. Trustpilot has no reviews.

• Praise: the live online format works for working adults; instructors are approachable and invested; classes are small and textbooks are included.
• Complaints: students in the first nursing cohorts describe changing policies, a program “needing further development” and too few clinical sites; others mention communication gaps, worry about loan debt and unexpected out-of-pocket costs, and low graduation rates.

We saw no sign that the reviews were invited by the school or posted in bursts. The Pikeville reviews run from October 2016 to November 2024, so older ones may describe a different program mix, and the data on Niche’s Nashville profile may come from an older federal record for that campus.

Sources

Checked October 2026: ANU locations · ANU accreditation · ANU of Kentucky accreditation · Tuition, fees and catalogs · DEAC student achievement disclosure (2025) · Kentucky Board of Nursing pass rates · Tennessee Board of Nursing program list · Sweet v. Cardona appeal ruling (Higher Ed Dive)

Type	Campus-based beauty schools; Be Aveda (Florida) also runs a part-time hybrid cosmetology track
Schools	50 open in 27 states (aveda.edu locator, October 2026); none announced
Ownership	Independently owned and operated; Aveda, an Estée Lauder brand, does not run them. The largest group, Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes, has 18 schools
Programs	Cosmetology at 49 schools and esthiology at 47; instructor training, nails, massage therapy and barbering at some
Program length	Cosmetology 1,000–1,835 clock hours, set by state rules; nails from 200 hours
Accreditation	Mostly NACCAS, school by school; Fort Myers, FL names ACCSC and Wilmington, NC names COE. Accreditor actions at several schools
Federal aid	Pell Grants and federal loans at every operator checked; each operator has its own FAFSA codes
Founded	Aveda brand 1978; first Aveda Institute in Minneapolis (dated 1977 or 1982)
Facts checked	October 2026

Who runs the Aveda Institutes

The 50 Aveda Institutes are separate schools that carry the name of Aveda, the hair-care brand Horst Rechelbacher founded in Minnesota in 1978 and The Estée Lauder Companies has owned since 1997. Aveda’s school site states that “the Aveda Institutes listed on this site are independently owned and operated by parties unaffiliated with Aveda Corporation.” Each school or group has its own owner, accreditation, federal aid code, prices and results.

Seven groups run most of the schools:

• Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes: 18 schools in 10 states, owned by Neill Corporation, a Louisiana company and Aveda distributor. Its subsidiary bought the Minneapolis and New York institutes from Aveda in 2019, and it bought Seattle’s Gary Manuel Aveda Institute in 2021.
• Be Aveda Institutes: six schools in Florida. Five are run by TSP Institute, Inc. of St. Petersburg; Fort Myers has its own state licence and FAFSA code.
• Nurtur Aveda Institutes: six schools in Iowa, Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio.
• Inspire Greatness Aveda Institutes: five schools in Arizona, Colorado and Utah, starting with Denver in 2000.
• The Institute of Beauty and Wellness: Chicago, Madison and Milwaukee.
• Aveda Institute Portland (Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA) and Brown Aveda Institute (Strongsville and Mentor, OH).

The other eight schools (San Francisco, Bel Air MD, Augusta ME, Billings MT, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Niles OH and Williston VT) each have their own owner. The network says its schools graduate “over 9,000” students a year. The first Aveda Institute opened in Minneapolis; aveda.edu dates it to 1977, while the Minneapolis school’s page says 1982.

Programs across the 50 schools

Which programs a school teaches, and for how many hours, depends on its owner and its state’s licensing rules. Counts come from each school’s own pages (October 2026) and leave out programs a school says are not enrolling. Figures are the totals each school published unless noted.

Program	Schools	Clock hours (examples)	Prepares for	Sample total cost
Cosmetology	49 (all but Hammond, LA)	1,000 (NY, VT, CA; TX and VA also 1,500); 1,200 (FL; also 1,500); 1,250 (UT); 1,500 (most states); 1,550 (MN, IA); 1,600 (NM, NV, WA, WI); 1,835 (OR)	State cosmetology licence	$18,975 (1,000 hours, Dallas or Austin, TX) to $27,263 (1,500 hours, West Chester, OH), October 2026
Esthiology / esthetics	47	600 (NY, FL, AZ, NC); 750 (TX, LA, WA); 1,000 (Hoover, AL); 1,100 advanced practice (Minneapolis); 1,200 master (Provo, UT)	State esthetician licence	$12,200 (Brooklyn, NY) to $17,300 (Hoover, AL); about $28,950 for Minneapolis’s 1,100 hours
Instructor training	21	150 (Milwaukee) to 1,000 (Carmel, IN)	State instructor licence	–
Nails / manicuring	14	200 (ME) to 600 (Las Vegas)	State nail technician or manicurist licence	$4,665 (West Chester, OH); $4,750 (Fort Myers, FL, Oct 2025 catalog)
Massage therapy	12	600 (FL, MN, UT) to 750 (IA, WI)	MBLEx and state massage licence	$12,550 (Fort Myers, FL, Oct 2025 catalog)
Barbering	11	750 (VT) to 1,500 (Denver; Carmel, IN)	State barber licence	$24,662.57 (Carmel, IN, 1,500 hours)

A few programs are found at only one or two schools: CIDESCO training at San Francisco, 1,000-hour Ayurveda esthetics at Milwaukee, Spanish-language cosmetology at Fort Myers, a blow-dry stylist program at Bel Air, MD, and a free 300-hour advanced cosmetology program at West Chester, OH. Five Florida schools sell short Advanced Education certificates in lashes, hair extensions and makeup; these certificates do not lead to a state licence.

What the main programs cover

Cosmetology

Aveda schools pair an online curriculum with clinic-floor work, so students cut, colour and style for paying guests during the program. There are no network-wide levels; each owner adds its own material. Aveda Arts & Sciences lists state board preparation and social-media branding among its topics. Nurtur builds in Make Up Designory Level I, ProsperU business training and financial-skills modules. Be Aveda includes a tablet in the kit and added Sassoon cutting from 30 March 2026. Most Aveda Arts & Sciences schools run three- or four-day weeks of about 30 hours.

Esthiology

Aveda describes its esthiology as combining “Ayurvedic knowledge with modern science”. Programs lead to a state esthetician licence and are usually 600 or 750 hours. Some states and schools go further: Hoover, AL teaches 1,000 hours, Minneapolis an 1,100-hour advanced practice program (its 600-hour version is not currently offered), Provo a 1,200-hour master esthiology program, and Milwaukee a separate 1,000-hour Ayurveda esthetics course. Be Aveda schools in Florida also combine skincare and massage in a 900-hour spa program.

Massage therapy

Massage is taught at 12 schools and prepares students for the MBLEx exam. Aveda says the coursework covers anatomy, physiology, pathology, reflexology and “aromaology”, along with Swedish and deep-tissue massage and Aveda’s own spa methods. Minneapolis runs its 600-hour program 30 hours a week, Monday to Thursday, and Be Aveda’s runs about nine months on three days a week. Aveda Arts & Sciences requires massage students to be 18. Milwaukee’s program is 750 hours.

Barbering

Barbering is offered at 11 schools, with hours set by state: 750 in Vermont, 900 in Florida, 1,000 at San Francisco and Madison, 1,100 in Montana and 1,500 at Denver and Carmel, IN. Madison’s 1,000 hours split into 288 theory and 712 practical hours and include an externship in barbershops or salons. Florida schools also teach a 1,500-hour cosmetology and barbering program, and Maine an 800-hour barber hair stylist program.

Nails and instructor training

Nail programs run from 200 hours in Maine to 600 at Las Vegas; Nurtur’s two Ohio schools teach 300-hour nails and Brown and Casal advanced manicuring, and Fort Myers is the only Florida school with nails. Instructor programs are offered at 21 schools, from 150 hours at Milwaukee and 350 at Tucson to 800 for cosmetology instructors at Chapel Hill and Wilmington, NC and 1,000 at Carmel, IN. Tucson’s December 2024 catalog listed $500 tuition for its instructor program.

Cost and paying for it

Each school sets its own prices. Totals below were listed on school pages in October 2026, for starts from October to December 2026 unless noted:

• Dallas, TX: cosmetology $23,625 (1,500 hours) or $18,975 (1,000 hours); esthiology $14,925 (750 hours), for the 16 November start. Austin lists $22,125 for 1,500-hour cosmetology.
• Brooklyn, NY: cosmetology $22,600 (1,000 hours); esthiology $12,200 (600 hours).
• Minneapolis, MN: cosmetology tuition $22,300 plus a $3,250 kit and $100 in fees (1,550 hours); esthiology/advanced practice tuition $25,300 plus a $3,550 kit and $100 in fees (1,100 hours).
• Seattle, WA: cosmetology $24,600 (1,600 hours); esthetics $14,800 (750 hours).
• West Chester (Cincinnati), OH: cosmetology $27,263 (1,500 hours); nails $4,665 (300 hours). West Des Moines, IA: cosmetology $26,594 including sales tax.
• Fort Myers, FL (catalog of 31 October 2025): cosmetology $19,550 (1,200 hours); barbering and cosmetology $23,125 (1,500); skincare $12,300 (600); massage $12,550 (600); nails $4,750 (240).

Niche listed a net price of $21,887 a year for Aveda Arts Seattle (checked October 2026). Students apply for Pell Grants and Direct Loans through the FAFSA using their school’s own code; for example 014847 for Minneapolis and 041494 for Seattle. Aveda Arts & Sciences also points students to Sallie Mae career training loans and offers an interest-free payment plan if the balance is paid before graduation; Nurtur offers in-house financing.

Scholarships are set by each group. Aveda Arts & Sciences offers a Second Chance Scholarship of up to $2,000 for cosmetology and $1,000 for esthetics, with several awards per start except in August and September. Be Aveda advertised a “$1,000 Fall Scholarship” without published terms. Inspire Greatness says it is “not currently offering in-house scholarships”, though Tucson’s catalog gives a $1,000 or $500 credit toward a second program. For veterans, Fort Myers says it is approved for veterans’ education benefits, Tucson is approved by Arizona’s State Approving Agency and Nurtur Columbus lists veterans’ benefits; check with your school.

Admissions and schedule

Every school checked requires a high school diploma or GED. Be Aveda admits students from age 16; Inspire Greatness needs a parent’s signature for applicants under 18. Inspire Greatness applicants take a tour, pay a $50 application fee, write a 500-word letter of intent and pay a $150 registration fee on enrolment. Aveda Arts & Sciences charges a $50 application fee (plus a $50 enrolment fee at Minneapolis), and Fort Myers $50 to apply and $100 to register.

Classes start often: Aveda Arts & Sciences listed starts on 13 October, 16–17 November and 8 December 2026. Many schools run short full-time weeks. Dallas meets Monday to Thursday, 9 to 5:30; Atlanta Monday to Wednesday, 9 to 8; Hoover Wednesday to Saturday; Brooklyn 22.5 hours a week; Seattle 27 hours. Be Aveda’s 1,200-hour cosmetology takes 40 weeks full-time or 60 part-time, and it offers a part-time hybrid track with theory done remotely. Nurtur Indianapolis (Carmel) has a night-school option.

Accreditation and results

Most Aveda Institutes are accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS), each separately. Fort Myers’ October 2025 catalog names ACCSC and says the school is applying to NACCAS, and Wilmington, NC is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education. Many of these schools publish NACCAS graduation, placement and licensure rates. Rates published for calendar year 2024 unless noted (no cohort sizes given):

School	Graduation	Placement	Licensure
Hoover (Birmingham), AL	83.7%	–	100% pass rate
Atlanta, GA	–	83.9%	93.9%
West Des Moines, IA	95.04%	86.14%	92.19%
Metairie (New Orleans), LA, cosmetology	84.8%	76.7%	–
Minneapolis, MN, cosmetology	85.7%	77.8%	94%
Brooklyn, NY, cosmetology	–	78.6%	100%
Denver, CO	96%	73%	100%
Provo, UT	86%	84%	94%
Arizona schools combined	95%	79%	91%
Be Aveda Orlando, South Florida and Brandon (year not stated)	73.68%	67.82%	87.50%
Be Aveda Jacksonville and Tampa Bay (year not stated)	74.87%	72.17%	98.64%

Seattle, Dallas and Austin reported state-board pass rates of 98.8%, 100% and 96.7% for 2024. The Inspire Greatness figures (Denver, Provo, Arizona) come from the group’s outcome sheets as we read them in October 2026.

Accreditor and state actions at individual schools

As of October 2026:

• Cinta Aveda Institute, San Francisco: NACCAS placed the school on probation and low-outcomes monitoring on 18 Sep 2023. California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) affirmed a $4,502 citation on 17 May 2024 over records and reporting, and filed an accusation on 25 Apr 2025, amended on 30 Apr 2026, seeking revocation or suspension. The accusation alleges, among other things, enrolment in an unapproved 1,000-hour cosmetology course, late refunds and inadequate supervision. The school says NACCAS notified it on 11 Aug 2025 that it had acted to withdraw its accreditation over placement verification for its 2021 annual report, and that it remains accredited while it appeals. We could not confirm the outcome of either matter.
• Aveda Institute Portland, OR and its Vancouver, WA campus: placed on NACCAS financial monitoring on 12 Dec 2024. We could not confirm the current status.
• Aveda Institute New Mexico, Albuquerque: NACCAS show-cause order on 18 Sep 2023 for failing to answer a letter of inquiry. We could not confirm how it was resolved.

NACCAS action lists we checked for other months of 2024–2026 showed no other current Aveda school.

Closures, moves and schools that left the network

Be Aveda’s Tallahassee, FL school closed in June 2024, and Cinta Aveda’s San Jose, CA campus closed in July 2026 (the school gives 3 July, California’s BPPE 5 July), with its students moved to San Francisco. Aveda Arts New York moved from SoHo to DUMBO, Brooklyn, by May 2025, and the Baton Rouge, Seattle and Madison schools have also moved. Fort Myers, formerly Sunstate Academy, joined Be Aveda in 2022.

Several schools that older listings, including ours, showed as Aveda Institutes have left the network and trade under other names:

• Douglas J Institute (Ann Arbor, East Lansing, Grand Rapids and Royal Oak, MI; Knoxville, TN) announced on 20 Aug 2025 that it was moving on from its exclusive Aveda partnership.
• Nathan Layne Institute (Boise and Twin Falls, ID): the former Aveda Institute Idaho site says its schools “are now Nathan Layne Institute”.
• Jean Madeline Institute (Philadelphia and Bensalem, PA) and Rizzieri School (Voorhees, NJ) now brand themselves without Aveda and are not on Aveda’s locator.

None of these is listed on aveda.edu, and we have no evidence that any of them closed.

Housing and career help

No Aveda school we checked provides housing. Be Aveda says it does “not offer housing” but gives students apartment guides and helps them find roommates. Career help varies by owner. Be Aveda has a career centre with job listings and free placement help, and says it does not guarantee placement. Tucson’s catalog describes industry days, résumé review and self-promotion training, also without a placement guarantee. Madison’s barbering program includes an externship. Be Aveda points to Aveda’s network of about 6,900 salons as a source of jobs; that is a count of salons, not of placements.

Before you enroll

• The Aveda name does not mean Aveda or Estée Lauder runs the school. Check the school’s own catalog, total cost, outcome rates and accreditation; figures from one Aveda school say little about another.
• Programs differ from school to school. Atlanta, Baton Rouge and Covington teach no esthiology, Hammond teaches no cosmetology, and only 12 schools teach massage and 11 barbering. Some Florida programs were not enrolling at certain schools in 2026.
• Hours follow the school’s state, from 1,000 for cosmetology in New York and Texas to 1,835 in Oregon. If you may work in another state, check that state’s hour requirement before you choose a program.
• San Francisco faces a NACCAS withdrawal decision under appeal and a California accusation; Portland and Vancouver were placed on NACCAS financial monitoring in 2024; Albuquerque received a show-cause order in 2023. Fort Myers’ October 2025 catalog names ACCSC, not NACCAS. Ask about current status.
• Schools in Michigan, Idaho, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Knoxville, TN that older listings call Aveda Institutes have left the network. Confirm a school appears on aveda.edu/locations before applying.

What students say

No review platform we checked has 25 or more student reviews for any Aveda Institute (October 2026): the Niche pages we found hold between 7 and 22 reviews each, and we found no Trustpilot or GradReports pages. With so few reviews, we do not give a rating or summarise them.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Aveda Institutes locator · Why Aveda · Aveda Arts & Sciences campuses · Be Aveda catalog (Jan 2026) · Estée Lauder FY2026 10-K · Cinta Aveda consumer information · BPPE accusation (Apr 2025) · NACCAS financial monitoring list (Dec 2024, via BPPE)

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Fact	Detail
Type	Private for-profit career college; campus-based, with Practical Nursing, the BSN and Dental and Medical Assistant taught in a hybrid format
Campuses	1 enrolling campus: Chattanooga, Tennessee (6397 Lee Highway, since spring 2025)
Credentials	Diplomas, certificates, associate (A.S.) and bachelor’s (B.S.N., B.S.) degrees
Typical length	About 9 months (Medical Assistant) to about 3 years (BSN)
Accreditation	ACCSC, renewed from August 2024 for three years (next review August 2027); BSN accredited by CCNE
Federal aid	Yes: Pell Grants and Direct Loans
Students	252 in fall 2024, all full-time
Founded	1968, as ECPI
Facts checked	October 2026

Chattanooga College: nursing and allied health training in Chattanooga

Chattanooga College (legal name Chattanooga College Medical, Dental & Technical Careers) is a private for-profit career college. It opened in August 1968 as ECPI with a single program in data processing and computer programming. Today its biggest programs are in health care: Practical Nursing produced 140 of the college’s 305 certificate and diploma completions in 2024-25, followed by Dental Assisting (49) and Medical Assistant (47).

Two changes stand out. In spring 2025 the college moved its main campus from 5600 Brainerd Road to 6397 Lee Highway, and the Beauty School, which taught cosmetology, manicuring and esthetics, is no longer taking new students. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing, approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing in 2023, gained CCNE accreditation in September 2025. Fall 2024 enrollment was 252, all full-time.

Programs at Chattanooga College

The college’s current program list has 16 programs, from diplomas to two bachelor’s degrees. The table shows the main career programs, with program totals (tuition plus books and supplies) from the 2026 tuition schedule. Where a cell shows a dash, the college does not say.

Program	Credential	Length	Delivery	Prepares for	2026 program total
Practical Nursing	Diploma, 82 quarter credits	12 months day or 18 months evening	Hybrid	NCLEX-PN	$23,200 (day)
Nursing (BSN)	B.S.N., 183 quarter credits	About 3 years full time; LPN-to-BSN about 2.5 years	Hybrid, with hospital clinicals	NCLEX-RN	$34,500 (core nursing program; prerequisites extra)
Dental Assistant	Diploma, 50 quarter credits	9 to 12 months plus externship	Hybrid	Tennessee dental radiology certification	$12,750 full-time
Medical Assistant	Diploma, 50 quarter credits	9 months plus externship	Online coursework, evening skills sessions on campus	NCCT certification	$12,750 full-time
Pharmacy Technician	Diploma	–	–	–	$12,750 full-time
Radiologic Technology	A.S.	–	–	ARRT exam and Tennessee licence	$34,500
Diagnostic Medical Sonography	A.S.	–	–	–	$40,250
Surgical Technology	A.S.	–	–	–	$32,700

The college also lists associate degrees in Health Sciences, Health Information Technology and Electrical, Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Technology, a B.S. in Healthcare Administration, a Surgical First Assistant program and a one-quarter Computer Programming certificate. Criminal Justice and Networking are being taught out because of low enrollment.

What the main programs cover

Practical Nursing

The Practical Nursing diploma is 82 quarter credits (1,366 clock hours) in 16 nursing courses, numbered NUR 102 to NUR 230; the last, NUR 230, is an NCLEX preparation course. The July 2026 catalog gives 12 months for the day schedule and 18 months for the evening schedule. Coursework is hybrid: classes online, with skills and clinical work in person. Applicants take the DAX entrance test and need transcripts, a background check, a drug screen and two letters of recommendation. The program is approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

Nursing (BSN)

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing is 183 quarter credits (2,712 clock hours), which the catalog puts at 36 months; the program page says about three years full time, including prerequisites. Licensed practical nurses can take an LPN-to-BSN route of about two and a half years. Coursework is online, and clinical experiences take place at more than 14 hospitals and healthcare institutions. Applicants need a HESI A2 score of 70 in math and reading, a 3.0 GPA in general-education and science prerequisites, a background check and a drug screen; LPN-to-BSN applicants also need an unencumbered LPN licence.

Dental Assistant

The Dental Assistant diploma is 50 quarter credits (884 clock hours). The catalog gives 12 months of day classes plus an externship; the program page says students can finish in as little as nine months. Students learn dental radiology and nitrous oxide monitoring, and the college submits their radiology certification to the Tennessee Board of Dentistry. Supervised externship practice comes in the Dental Experience courses. The program does not claim CODA accreditation, and the college does not name the DANB exam.

Medical Assistant

The Medical Assistant diploma is 50 quarter credits (884 clock hours), about nine months of day study plus an externship. Coursework is online, and students come to campus for clinical skills sessions in the evening. MA 225, a certification review course, prepares students for the NCCT medical assistant exam, and MA 230 is a six-credit externship. The college claims no programmatic accreditation for the program.

Tuition and how students pay

Chattanooga College charges the same rates to Tennessee residents and out-of-state students. Prices depend on the program and on whether a student enrolls full-time or less than full-time (day or evening for Practical Nursing). The 2026 tuition and fees schedule, effective 13 January 2026, gives these program totals, which include books and supplies but not fees:

Program (2026 schedule)	Full-time / day	Less than full-time / evening
Medical Assistant	$12,750	$10,625
Dental Assistant	$12,750	$10,625
Pharmacy Technician	$12,750	$10,625
Practical Nursing	$23,200 (day)	$23,202 (evening)
Nursing (BSN), core nursing program	$34,500	–

Tuition is charged by the quarter: $4,000 a quarter full-time for Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Technician programs and $5,000 a quarter for Practical Nursing (day) and the BSN. Fees come on top: $25 registration, $65 graduation, a $500 NCLEX fee in the last quarter of Practical Nursing, and $270 for each clinical make-up. BSN prerequisites are not included in the $34,500. We found no separate 2026-27 schedule, so confirm current rates with the college.

College Navigator lists tuition and fees of $12,709 for 2025-26 and an average net price of $33,625 for full-time first-time students in 2023-24. The college takes federal aid: in 2023-24, 79% of full-time beginners received Pell Grants and 84% took federal loans. The catalog says the college is approved for veterans training. The net price calculator gives a personal estimate.

Admissions and schedule

Applicants need a high school diploma, GED or HiSET, an admission exam and one academic measure: a high school GPA of 2.5, an ACT score of 17, an SAT score of 830, a prior college GPA of 2.0 or a college-ready GED or HiSET score. Students in online or hybrid courses also need a DAX score of 70% or higher and a computer that meets the college’s minimum specifications. Nursing programs add the requirements above. The year runs in quarters, each split into two modules, and students can start at the beginning of a module where scheduling allows. Practical Nursing runs a day and an evening schedule, and medical assisting skills sessions are in the evening.

Accreditation and results

Chattanooga College has been accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) since 1982. ACCSC’s public notice of 4 March 2026 lists a renewal of accreditation effective August 2024 for a three-year term, and College Navigator gives the next review as 31 August 2027. ACCSC can grant up to five years; the notice does not say why this term is three. We found no warning or probation in the ACCSC notices of November 2024, March 2025, December 2025 and March 2026. The BSN has been accredited by CCNE since 22 September 2025, with the next review due 30 June 2030. The college is authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Measure	Result	Period and source
Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate	71% (86 of 121); state average 87.9%	2025, Tennessee Board of Nursing
BSN, NCLEX-RN pass rate	No results yet; no BSN graduates through 2024-25	Tennessee Board of Nursing BSN list
School-reported graduation rates	Medical Assistant 80%, Dental Assistant 100%, Practical Nursing 79% (day) and 64% (evening)	2025, college disclosure; no cohort stated
Graduation rate (federal)	12% within 150% of normal time	Full-time, first-time students who started in fall 2018, College Navigator
Retention and loan default	31% of full-time bachelor’s-seeking students returned (fall 2023 to fall 2024); 3-year default rate 0%	College Navigator (default rate for fiscal 2021)

The federal figures above are from College Navigator. The college posts a placement-rate sheet, but it is an image we could not read, so no placement rates are given here.

Before you enroll

• Practical Nursing pass rates are below the state average. 71% of first-time NCLEX-PN candidates passed in 2025, well below the Tennessee average of 87.9%. Ask for current results and support for students retaking the exam.
• The BSN is new. It had no graduates through 2024-25 and has no NCLEX-RN results yet, although it is now CCNE-accredited.
• Dental Assistant and Medical Assistant are diplomas, not associate degrees, and the college claims no programmatic accreditation for either (no CODA for dental assisting). Niche reviewers also report credits that were hard to transfer to other colleges.
• The radiography and sonography programs had no completions in 2024-25, according to College Navigator. Ask about clinical sites and programmatic accreditation before enrolling.
• The Beauty School is not taking new students, and Criminal Justice and Networking are in teach-out. The federal graduation rate is 12% for students who started in 2018.

The Lee Highway campus

All current programs are taught at 6397 Lee Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37421, just off Lee Highway near I-75, where the college moved in spring 2025. The college’s disclosures still mention a satellite campus; the satellite at Northgate Mall housed the Beauty School, which is not enrolling, so it is not listed as a campus here. There is no campus housing.

Externships and clinicals

Work experience is built into the main programs: Dental Experience externship courses for dental assistants, a six-credit externship for medical assistants, clinicals for practical nursing students, and BSN clinicals at more than 14 hospitals and healthcare institutions.

What students say

On Niche, Chattanooga College is rated 4.48 out of 5 from 54 reviews (checked October 2026), although Niche’s overall grade for the college is D-minus. Reviewers most often praise a supportive, family-like atmosphere and caring instructors, practical training in the nursing and dental programs, and helpful financial aid staff and flexible schedules. The most common complaints are too few staff, which slows advising and registration; overworked instructors in the health programs; and credits that are hard to transfer. Some reviews are about the Beauty School, which no longer enrolls, and we could not see review dates, so we could not tell whether reviews were invited by the school or posted in bursts.

Facts checked October 2026.

Fact	Detail
Type	Public community college in the Tennessee Board of Regents system, with a technical college (TCAT Chattanooga) inside it; day, evening, online and hybrid credit classes
Name	Chattanooga State Community College, now branded ChattState
Locations	Main campus in Chattanooga; sites in Kimball and Dayton; a truck driving range in Soddy-Daisy and the Construction Career Center in Chattanooga for single TCAT programs. All in Tennessee
Credentials	Associate degrees (AAS, plus AA/AS transfer pathways), credit certificates, and TCAT clock-hour diplomas and certificates
Typical length	7.5 weeks (truck driving) to two and a half years (night nursing AAS); most TCAT diplomas 1,290 hours, about a year
Tuition 2026-27	$197 per credit hour for Tennessee residents, $342 out of state; TCAT $1,591 per full semester with fees
Accreditation	The Commission on Colleges and Universities (named SACSCOC until 1 Sep 2026), for associate degrees
Federal aid	Yes (Title IV); Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect accepted, including at the TCAT
Admission	Open door; health programs have selective admission with their own deadlines
Students	About 8,600 in fall 2023, including about 1,470 at the TCAT (college fact book)
Founded	1965, as Chattanooga State Technical Institute
Facts checked	October 2026

Chattanooga’s public college, with a technical college inside it

Chattanooga State Community College opened on 20 September 1965 as Chattanooga State Technical Institute, which sources describe as Tennessee’s first technical college and Southeast Tennessee’s first public institution of higher education. It became Chattanooga State Technical Community College in 1973 and took its current name in 2009, and it now calls itself ChattState. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system.

Two things set it apart for career students. First, Tennessee College of Applied Technology Chattanooga is a division of the college rather than a separate school; Wikipedia describes it as the only TCAT that is part of a community college. Second, it runs a long list of accredited health programs, from nursing and radiography to dental hygiene and veterinary technology, most of them on the main campus.

How TCAT Chattanooga works

TCAT Chattanooga began in 1969 as Chattanooga Area Vocational Technical School, joined Chattanooga State in 1981 and has had its current name since 1 July 2013. Its programs differ from the college’s credit programs in several ways:

• Clock hours, not credits. A semester is 450 hours in fall and spring and 390 in summer. Most diplomas are 1,290 hours, three semesters or about a calendar year, and each semester completed earns an embedded certificate.
• Full-time only. Most programs meet Monday to Friday for 30 hours a week, by day (roughly 7:45 am to 2:30 pm) or evening (roughly 4:00 to 10:45 pm). There is no part-time option.
• Fixed start dates. New students enroll only in the first week of a semester, and some programs start only in fall.
• A flat semester rate. For Fall 2026 to Spring 2027 a full semester (341 to 450 hours) costs $1,446 in tuition, $1,591 with fees; welding adds $100. The college’s tuition table shows no separate out-of-state TCAT rate.

The TCAT’s overview page reports 77% completion, 86% placement and a 96% licensure pass rate across its programs, without a cohort year.

Career programs and where they are taught

The tables cover the main career programs. TCAT totals come from the college’s TCAT Program Costs table (updated 11 June 2026), include books and tools, and are calculated at $1,537 a semester, which appears to be the 2025-26 rate; at the 2026-27 rate of $1,591 they will be slightly higher. Credit-program totals are as printed on each program page, which does not always give a year. Many program pages list all three college sites in a standard footer; the sites below are those the college’s site pages and cost table confirm.

TCAT Chattanooga diplomas and certificates

Program	Credential	Length and schedule	Where	Prepares for	Total cost
Practical Nursing	Diploma	1,296 hours, 3 semesters, day	Main	NCLEX-PN	$6,911
Medical Assisting	Diploma	1,290 hours, day	Main, Kimball	CMA, RMA or CCMA (CAAHEP-accredited)	$6,711
Welding Technology	Diploma	1,290 hours, day or evening	Main, Kimball, Dayton	Welding jobs (SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, GTAW)	$6,911
Residential/Commercial Electricity	Diploma	1,290 hours, day or evening	Main, Kimball, Dayton	Electrical wiring and systems (NCCER-accredited)	$6,011
Industrial Automation and Robotics	Diploma	1,939 hours (cost table; the program page says 2,130)	Main, Kimball, Dayton	Maintenance and automation technician	$6,661
Computer Support Technician	Diploma	1,290 hours, day	Main, Dayton	CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+	$6,000
HVAC/R Technician	Diploma	1,290 hours (cost table), day or evening	Main	EPA 608; HVAC Excellence	$8,061
Machine Tool Technology / CNC	Diploma / certificate	1,290 / 450 hours	Main	Machinist (NIMS-accredited)	$6,461 / $1,537
Building Construction Technology	Diploma	1,290 hours, day	Construction Career Center	NCCER Core, OSHA 10	$5,711
Automotive, Collision, Diesel	Diplomas	1,290 hours each in the cost table, day	Main	ASE tests; EPA 609 (automotive)	$5,361 to $8,111
Motorcycle and Marine Services	Diploma	1,290 hours, day	Main	NC3 multimeter and torque	$8,011
Commercial Truck Driving	Certificate	222 hours, about 7.5 weeks, day or evening	Soddy-Daisy	Class A CDL	$1,942
Cosmetology / Barbering	Diplomas	1,500 hours each, day or evening	Main	Tennessee cosmetology or barber license	$8,237 / $8,536
Aesthetics	Certificate	750 hours, day or evening	Main	Tennessee aesthetician license	$4,643
Massage Therapy	Certificate	650 hours, Tue to Fri by day	Main	MBLEx	$3,826

The TCAT also teaches Landscape and Turf Management, Business Office Specialist, R-BEST (a sponsored road-building equipment program with two paid dealership internships), Drone Technology, Mental Health Technician and instructor certificates in cosmetology and barbering.

Credit health programs

Program	Credential	Length	Where	Prepares for / accreditation	Published cost
Nursing (RN)	AAS	2 years by day, 2.5 at night; Transition track for LPNs and paramedics	Main, Kimball	NCLEX-RN (ACEN)	$11,938 in state (day)
Radiologic Technology	AAS	About 2 years	Main	ARRT radiography (JRCERT)	–
Physical Therapist Assistant	AAS	–	Main	NPTE for PTAs (CAPTE)	–
Dental Hygiene / Dental Assisting	AAS / certificate (3 semesters)	–	Main	Dental hygiene boards / CODA-accredited assisting	Assisting $10,613 in state
Respiratory Care	AAS	69 credits, 5 semesters	Main	CoARC-accredited	–
Surgical Technology	AAS	5 semesters	Main	CST (CAAHEP)	–
Diagnostic Medical Sonography	Certificate	48 credits, 12 months; prior degree required	Main	CAAHEP-accredited	–
Veterinary Technology	AAS	66 credits, 5 semesters	Main	AVMA CVTEA-accredited	–
Pharmacy Technology	Certificates	16 + 14 credits	Main	PTCB (ASHP/ACPE)	–
EMT / Paramedic	Certificate / AAS	EMT 16 credits, 1 semester	EMT: Main, Kimball, Dayton; Paramedic: Main	National Registry (paramedic CAAHEP/CoAEMSP)	EMT $3,880 first semester in state
Medical Coding and Billing	AAS	60 credits, 4 semesters; on campus at least a day a week	Main	CPC (exam fee included)	$11,980 in state
Medical Laboratory Technology	AAS	5 semesters	Main	Seeking NAACLS accreditation	–

Other credit career degrees, all on the main campus, include Engineering Technology (with concentrations from construction and drafting to nuclear power, non-destructive testing and welding engineering technology), Mechatronics Technology, Computer Information Technology (Cyber Defense, Networking, Programming), Digital Media Design and Production, Business, Hospitality and Tourism Management (including Culinary Arts), Paralegal Studies, Criminal Justice and the NAEYC-accredited Early Childhood Education AAS. Computer science, psychology, theater, finance, marketing, accounting and mass communication are offered only as transfer pathways (A.A., A.S. or A.F.A.), not as career credentials.

What the main programs cover

Nursing AAS (RN)

The RN program has two tracks. The Traditional track takes two years by day or two and a half years at night, and is taught at the main campus and the Kimball Instructional Site. The Transition track is for licensed practical nurses and paramedics: it starts in summer and then takes one to one and a half years. Both are accredited by ACEN and approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. Admission is selective, using the TEAS and a point system, and applications are due 1 March.

Practical Nursing (TCAT)

The LPN diploma is 1,296 clock hours over three semesters, by day from 8:00 am to 3:20 pm on the main campus, and ends in the NCLEX-PN. It is cohort-based, with application deadlines of 1 December, 1 April and 1 July. Applicants need a high school diploma or GED and placement scores on ACCUPLACER or the ACT: college-level reading and level 4 math. Like all TCAT programs it is full-time, so plan on about a year of weekday classes.

Welding Technology (TCAT)

The welding diploma is 1,290 clock hours in three semesters, with day and evening sections at the main campus and classes at the Kimball site and the Dayton Welding Lab. Students work through oxy-fuel cutting and the four main arc processes: shielded metal arc (SMAW), gas metal arc (GMAW), flux-cored (FCAW) and gas tungsten arc (GTAW). The program page does not name AWS certification. Each semester in 2026-27 carries a $100 welding fee on top of the standard TCAT rate.

HVAC/R Technician (TCAT)

The HVAC/R diploma builds in stages: the first semester earns a Mechanic Helper certificate, the second a Residential Unit Repairer certificate, and the third the diploma. Along the way students take the federal EPA 608 refrigerant exam and HVAC Excellence tests in air conditioning, gas heat, heat pumps and electrical. Day and evening sections run on the main campus. The college reports 72% placement, lower than most TCAT trade programs on its pages.

Industrial Automation and Robotics (TCAT)

This diploma, called Industrial Maintenance Mechatronics Technician at the Kimball site, trains maintenance technicians for automated plants. Coursework covers programmable logic controllers, human-machine interfaces, industrial robotics and hydraulic and pneumatic systems, with a FANUC robotics pathway. It is one of the longest TCAT programs: 1,939 hours over five semesters in the cost table, 2,130 on the program page. It runs day or evening on the main campus and by day at Kimball and Dayton.

Commercial Truck Driving (TCAT)

The truck driving certificate is 222 clock hours over about 7.5 weeks at the Soddy-Daisy range, on a day (8 am to 3 pm) or evening (3:30 to 10:30 pm) schedule, and prepares students for the Class A CDL. Entry rules are strict: applicants must be 18, already hold a Class A learner’s permit, have no more than three violations or accidents in three years and no alcohol or drug convictions in five, and pass a DOT drug screen and physical.

Cost and paying for it

Credit tuition for Fall 2026 to Spring 2027, from the college’s tuition and fees table:

	Per credit hour	Full-time semester (12 credits), with fees
Tennessee resident	$197	$2,549
Out of state	$342	$4,289

The semester figures include a $50 program services fee and a $135 technology fee. In fall and spring, tuition stops rising after 12 credits; in summer it does not. Online TN eCampus courses add about $78 a credit (as summarized from the college’s fee page). TCAT programs are priced by the semester instead ($1,591 with fees for a full semester in 2026-27), and the college publishes program totals including books and tools, from $1,537 for the one-semester CNC certificate to $8,536 for barbering.

Many Tennessee students can pay less through two state programs, both of which ChattState and TCAT Chattanooga accept:

• Tennessee Promise is for graduating Tennessee high school seniors. It is a last-dollar award that covers tuition and mandatory fees left after other grants, but not books or online fees. The Class of 2027 must apply by 2 November 2026, file the FAFSA, attend required meetings, do 8 hours of community service before each term, enroll full-time and keep a 2.0 GPA.
• Tennessee Reconnect is for adult Tennessee residents with no associate or bachelor’s degree who are independent on the FAFSA or 23 or older by 1 January of the academic year. At the college students must keep a 2.0 GPA and take at least 6 credits each fall and spring; the TCAT version requires full-time enrollment in a certificate or diploma.

Federal student aid is available. For veterans the college names Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment) and Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) benefits, holds Tennessee VETS Campus certification (the TCAT was certified in August 2022) and gives credit for prior military learning. Niche, using federal data, puts the average net price at $5,908 a year.

Admission, start dates and schedules

ChattState has open-door admission, but most health programs choose students using the TEAS and a point system and take applications once a year: dental hygiene by the first Monday in February, nursing by 1 March, physical therapist assistant by the first Monday in March, radiologic technology by 1 May, sonography in mid-May, dental assisting by 15 May and surgical technology by 15 November. Credit classes run day, evening, online and hybrid. TCAT students start in the first week of a semester and attend full-time; R-BEST and practical nursing run as cohorts, and CNC needs machine-tool training or experience first.

Accreditation and results

ChattState is accredited by The Commission on Colleges and Universities to award the associate degree, and may also award certificates and diplomas. The college’s accreditation page still uses the agency’s former name, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which it dropped on 1 September 2026. Many health programs hold their own accreditation: ACEN for nursing, CAPTE for the PTA program, JRCERT for radiologic technology, CODA for dental assisting, CoARC for respiratory care, CAAHEP for surgical technology, sonography, medical assisting and paramedic, AVMA CVTEA for veterinary technology and ASHP/ACPE for pharmacy technology. Medical laboratory technology is seeking NAACLS accreditation and does not yet have it.

Published licensing and certification results, as each program page gives them:

Program	Measure	Result	Cohort	Source
Nursing AAS (RN)	NCLEX-RN first-time pass	98.54%	2024	Nursing program page
Radiologic Technology	ARRT first-attempt pass	100% (122 of 122)	5-year average	Program page
Physical Therapist Assistant	NPTE ultimate pass	91.3%	2024-25 two-year average	Program page
Dental Hygiene	National and clinical boards	100% and 100%	2025	Program page
Surgical Technology	CST pass	70% (93% in 2023)	2024	Program page
Medical Assisting (TCAT)	Certification exam pass	87.5%	2023	Program page
Pharmacy Technology	PTCB pass	100%	Class of 2022	Program page
Massage Therapy (TCAT)	MBLEx pass	93%	Not dated	Program page
EMT	National Registry written exam	33% to 71.1% by cohort	Not dated	Program page

The practical nursing program page does not publish an NCLEX-PN pass rate. College-wide, Niche (using federal data; checked October 2026) shows a 30% graduation rate and median earnings of $45,322 five years after graduation.

Before you enroll

• TCAT programs are full-time only. You attend about 30 hours a week and can start only in the first week of a semester, which is hard to fit around a full-time job.
• The smaller sites teach only a few programs. Many program pages list Main, Kimball and Dayton in a standard footer, but Kimball’s and Dayton’s own pages name only a handful of programs each. Ask where every course in your program meets before you choose a site.
• Check the newest and weakest results. Medical laboratory technology is not yet accredited and has no published results (the college gives 2026 for its first class); surgical technology’s CST pass rate fell to 70% in 2024; EMT written-exam pass rates range from 33% to 71.1% by cohort.
• Some health programs are not entry points. Sonography requires a prior degree, mammography is for registered radiographers, and the online Health Sciences AAS is for people who already hold a health credential and want to move into supervision.
• Out-of-state students pay much more for credit programs ($342 a credit hour against $197), and the medical coding AAS lists $39,700 for non-residents against $11,980 for Tennessee residents.

Five places to study

• Main campus, 4501 Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga: almost every program, including all credit health programs and most of the TCAT.
• Kimball site, 2100 Main Street, Kimball (Marion County): nursing (RN), medical assisting, welding, electricity, mechatronics, EMT and chemical operator training.
• Dayton site, 815 Delaware Avenue, in the Rhea County Higher Education Center, which opened in spring 2026 and replaced the Dayton Skills Center on 4th Avenue: welding, automation and robotics, electricity, computer support and EMT.
• Truck driving range, 9090 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy: commercial truck driving only.
• Construction Career Center, 2225 Roanoke Avenue, Chattanooga, in a Hamilton County Schools building: building construction only.

The Volkswagen Academy at VW’s Chattanooga plant trains the company’s own apprentices and is not open enrollment, and the Polytech and Early College academies are dual-enrollment partnerships for high school students, so none of them is listed as a campus.

Employer ties and career help

Several programs have named employer links. R-BEST students are sponsored by equipment dealerships and complete two paid dealership internships; Automotive Technology includes Ford ACE, Subaru and Toyota factory training; and the Computer Information Technology program lists CHATECH, EPB and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee as partners. The medical assisting practicum is a 40-hour-a-week placement in the final semester.

What students say

On Niche, ChattState has a 3.87 out of 5 average from 609 reviews (checked 6 October 2026), with an overall Niche grade of B. Reviewers most often praise caring, knowledgeable instructors and small classes, the low cost with Tennessee Promise or Reconnect, and practical, job-focused TCAT programs. The most common complaints are slow or unclear answers from the financial aid and admissions offices, some outdated facilities, and online courses that reviewers felt were designed for the classroom; a few mention the lack of campus activities.

Most ratings are 4 stars (243) or 3 stars (178), with only 27 at 1 or 2 stars, and recent reviews are mostly positive. We could not see enough review dates to check for bursts of reviews, and we did not use Google reviews, which we cannot read or count directly.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Our Campus · TCAT overview · TCAT program costs (June 2026) · Tuition and fees, 2026-27 · Accreditations · Nursing AAS · Tennessee Promise at ChattState · Niche reviews

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Type	Campus-based healthcare career college with blended programs (online coursework plus campus labs and clinicals); three programs fully online
Campuses	12 in 7 states (CA, CO, MO, MS, OR, TN, TX), plus online. Concorde’s five Florida campuses operate as Concorde Career Institute. Atlanta, Houston and Phoenix-area campuses announced for 2027
Credentials	Diplomas, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees in nursing and healthcare administration
Program length	8 weeks (phlebotomy) to about 29 months (pre-licensure BSN); most associate degrees 17–26 months
Accreditation	ACCSC (9 of these campuses) or COE (Memphis, Southaven, Portland); programmatic accreditation varies by program and campus
Federal aid	Yes (Pell Grants, Direct Loans, Parent PLUS); GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon, MyCAA
Owner	Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI), since December 2022; support center in Overland Park, KS
Facts checked	October 2026

About Concorde Career College

Concorde trains people for healthcare jobs only: nursing, dental, diagnostic imaging, therapy and allied health. Across the company it has 17 campuses in 8 states plus an online division run from Kansas City, and averaged about 10,400 active students in the quarter to June 2026. This page covers the 12 campuses in California, Colorado, Missouri, Mississippi, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas, and the online programs. The five Florida campuses operate as Concorde Career Institute and have their own page: Concorde Career Institute.

Universal Technical Institute bought Concorde for $50 million in December 2022 and has been expanding it. Since then Concorde has moved its Aurora campus to Denver (2026), added sonography and radiologic technology at several campuses, and announced its first campuses in Georgia (Atlanta) and Arizona (Glendale) plus a Houston campus, all planned for 2027 and subject to approvals.

Programs at Concorde’s 12 campuses outside Florida

Programs differ a lot by campus: Southaven teaches five programs, Memphis eighteen. Lengths are Concorde’s “as few as” figures and vary by campus. Concorde’s own tuition sheets are published only as images, so the sample costs below are total charges from California’s 2024 BPPE annual reports.

Program	Credential	Length (about)	Campuses	Accreditation / exam	Sample total cost
Practical / Vocational Nursing	Diploma	12–13 months	9 (CA, CO, MO, OR, TX)	NCLEX-PN; ACEN at Denver	$39,150 (Garden Grove, CA)
Nursing Practice (RN)	AAS	21 months	Memphis	NCLEX-RN; Tennessee Board of Nursing approved	–
Bachelor of Science in Nursing	BS	29 months	Denver, Kansas City	NCLEX-RN; ACEN initial accreditation (April 2026)	–
RN to BSN	BS	17 months	Online	For licensed RNs	–
Dental Hygiene	Associate	17–26 months	10 (all states except MS)	CODA; NBDHE	$91,331 (Garden Grove, CA)
Dental Assistant	Diploma (AAS at Memphis, Southaven)	9 months	All 12	Tennessee dental board approved (diploma)	$19,513 (Garden Grove, CA)
Diagnostic Medical Sonography	AAS	20–21 months	8	ARDMS; CAAHEP at Kansas City	$51,447 (San Diego, CA)
Cardiovascular Sonography	AAS	21 months	8	CAAHEP at Kansas City	–
Radiologic Technology	Associate	20 months	6 (CO, MO, TN, TX)	JRCERT at Denver, Memphis	–
Polysomnographic Technology	Diploma	8 months	4	CAAHEP; BRPT RPSGT	$18,741 (San Bernardino, CA)
Neurodiagnostic Technology	AAS	18 months	3	CAAHEP	$36,794 (San Bernardino, CA)
Respiratory Therapy	AAS	17 months	9	CoARC; NBRC TMC and CSE (RRT)	$51,427 (Garden Grove, CA)
Surgical Technology	Associate	17 months	11	ABHES (programmatic)	$43,775 (North Hollywood, CA)
Physical Therapist Assistant	AAS	20 months	7 (CA, MO, TN, TX)	CAPTE (probationary at Kansas City); NPTAE	$53,753 (San Diego, CA)
Occupational Therapy Assistant	Associate	20 months	Memphis only	ACOTE; NBCOT COTA	–
Massage Therapy	Diploma	10 months	Memphis, Southaven	MBLEx	–
Medical Assistant	Diploma (AAS at Memphis, Southaven)	9–17 months	All 12	No named exam	$19,418 (Garden Grove, CA)
Pharmacy Technician	Diploma (AAS at Memphis)	7 months	Garden Grove, Denver, Memphis	ASHP	$18,069 (Garden Grove, CA)
Phlebotomy	Diploma	8 weeks	8 (none in CA)	AMCA or NHA	–
Sterile Processing Technician	Diploma	5 months	9	HSPA CRCST	–
Medical Office Administration	Diploma	9 months	Online	–	–
Medical Office Professional	Diploma	8 months	Memphis, Southaven	AAPC coding certification	–
Healthcare Administration	BS	24 months	Online	For holders of a healthcare associate degree	–

Programmatic accreditation is uneven. At these 12 campuses, sonography is CAAHEP-accredited only at Kansas City and radiologic technology is JRCERT-accredited only at Denver and Memphis. Concorde has added many programs since 2023, including 12 announced in June 2026 at campuses in California, Florida, Missouri and Texas.

What the main programs cover

Practical and Vocational Nursing

Kansas City’s 2026–27 catalog sets the program at 1,690 contact hours and 66 credits, about 13 months full time or 20 months part time, of which about 695 hours are clinical practice. Coursework is partly online, with skills labs on campus. At Kansas City, admission needs a Wonderlic SLE score and an interview (some programs also require the HESI A2), and students pay for a background check ($47 to $75) before clinicals. Places are filled from a waitlist ranked by test scores and interview rather than first come, first served.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The pre-licensure BSN at Denver and Kansas City is 120 credits over 12 terms, about 29 months, including 675 clinical hours at Kansas City. It prepares graduates for the NCLEX-RN. Kansas City’s catalog requires 20 on the Wonderlic and 75 on the HESI A2, with three Wonderlic and two HESI attempts allowed and a six-month wait after failing. Students must be 18 by the time clinicals start.

Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene runs 17 to 26 months depending on the campus. Much of the training happens in campus clinics where students treat patients; Kansas City, Portland, Denver and Memphis run clinics open to the public. Graduates take the NBDHE board exam, whose fee is included in tuition, plus a state or regional clinical exam for licensure. In 2024, NBDHE pass rates at the three California campuses with the program were 85% to 95%, according to their BPPE reports.

Respiratory Therapy

The 17-month AAS includes 900 clinical hours, on top of online coursework and campus labs. Graduates take the NBRC’s Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) exam and Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE) to earn the Registered Respiratory Therapist credential. Every Concorde respiratory therapy program is CoARC-accredited. In Kansas City’s catalog, places are allocated from a waitlist ranked by entrance-test scores and interview. Pass rates differ widely by campus; see the results section below.

Surgical Technology

The 17-month associate degree includes 570 clinical hours. Concorde lists ABHES as the programmatic accreditor. Surgical technologists who already hold the CST credential can complete the degree through an online option. Under Kansas City’s catalog, students must be 18 by the time clinicals begin and need a background check, at their own cost, before clinical placement.

Cost and paying for it

Concorde’s catalogs show program costs only as images, so we used figures filed with state and federal regulators. California’s 2024 BPPE annual reports show total charges of about $18,000 to $19,500 for medical assisting, dental assisting and pharmacy technician, $37,000 to $43,000 for vocational nursing, $51,000 to $56,000 for respiratory therapy, sonography and PTA, and $91,000 to $96,000 for dental hygiene. At San Diego, federal data list 2024–25 tuition and fees of $18,689 for medical assisting and $87,143 for dental hygiene. UTI’s annual report gives a range of about $1,000 to $99,000 per program. The application fee is $100 at Kansas City.

Concorde takes federal aid (Pell Grants, Direct Loans and Parent PLUS). It also lends to students itself: 68% of active students use its retail installment contracts, which carry 0% interest while the student attends, and 16% receive Concorde-funded grants or scholarships. Named awards include the Healthcare Demand Grant (automatic), First Responder, High School Senior and Alumni grants, and Heartland Dental Hygiene and Pacific Dental Services scholarships; its scholarships page does not list amounts. For military students it accepts the GI Bill (chapters 30, 33 and 35), VR&E, Yellow Ribbon, Tuition Assistance and MyCAA, and at some campuses gives military spouses and dependents up to age 24 $1,000 off with registration fees waived.

Admissions and schedule

These requirements come from Kansas City’s 2026–27 catalog, the only one we could read in full; each campus publishes its own catalog. Applicants need a high school diploma or GED (or an associate degree or 60 college credits), an interview and proof of citizenship or permanent residency, and must be 18 by the time clinicals or externship begin. Everyone takes the Wonderlic SLE, and some programs, including the BSN, add the HESI A2. Dental assisting, medical assisting and medical office administration admit applicants first come, first served; other programs rank a waitlist by test scores and interview. Background checks are not used for admission but are required for clinical placements. New classes start monthly at the campuses we checked, and programs are blended: theory online, with labs and clinicals on campus or at clinical sites. Practical nursing at Kansas City can be taken part time (20 months).

Accreditation and results

Nine of the campuses on this page are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and three (Memphis, Southaven and Portland) by the Council on Occupational Education (COE). Concorde takes part in federal aid, but since the 2022 sale all its institutions hold provisional program participation agreements, which is standard after a change of ownership. Its three-year federal loan default rate was 0% for fiscal years 2020–22.

Published results vary a lot by campus and program. California’s 2024 BPPE reports show vocational nursing (NCLEX-PN) pass rates of 92% to 94% at all four California campuses, but completion rates of only 40% to 44% at Garden Grove, North Hollywood and San Bernardino (67% at San Diego). Respiratory therapy TMC pass rates ranged from 67% (Garden Grove) to 89% (North Hollywood), and placement rates from 58% to 90%. Oregon’s nursing board reports Portland’s NCLEX-PN pass rate at 85% for 2024 and 81% for 2025; Missouri’s reports 94% (PN) and 88% (RN) at Kansas City for January to September 2025. At San Diego, 76% of students who started in 2021–22 graduated.

In February 2024 the Department of Education sent UTI about 2,500 borrower-defense claims from former Concorde students, all about attendance before the 2022 sale; UTI says it responded to every one.

Clinics, externships and career help

Most programs end in an externship or clinical placement, and several campuses run clinics open to the public where students treat real patients: dental hygiene clinics at Kansas City, Portland, Denver and Memphis, massage clinics at Memphis and Southaven, and a sleep lab and occupational therapy clinic at Memphis. Concorde’s graduate employment service offers résumé review, interview practice and job matching, but its catalog states that Concorde does not guarantee employment.

Before you enroll

• Check your campus’s program list. North Hollywood has no dental hygiene, the California campuses have no stand-alone phlebotomy, and Southaven teaches only five programs.
• Ask about programmatic accreditation for your program at your campus. Most Concorde sonography and radiologic technology programs do not list CAAHEP or JRCERT accreditation, and Kansas City’s PTA program is on probationary CAPTE accreditation.
• Completion can be low. At three California campuses vocational nursing completion rates were below 50% (BPPE 2024).
• Dental hygiene costs more than $90,000 at the California campuses, and 68% of Concorde students pay partly through Concorde’s own installment contracts; read the contract terms, including what applies after you leave school.
• Concorde changed owners in 2022 and is still adding campuses and programs, so older listings and reviews (for example of the Aurora campus) may not match what is offered now.

What students say

On Niche (checked October 2026), nine campus pages for the campuses on this page have 25 or more reviews (San Antonio and Southaven were not checked), about 1,020 in all, averaging about 4.0 out of 5. Campus averages range from 3.75 (Denver, whose page covers the former Aurora campus) to 4.36 (Memphis); the largest are Grand Prairie (4.17, 206 reviews), Portland (3.84, 148) and Denver (3.75, 145). Concorde’s company-wide Niche page, which includes Florida, shows 4.67 from 48 reviews. Many reviews name individual admissions staff.

• Praised: supportive admissions, financial aid staff and success coaches; small classes; hands-on labs and clinicals; helpful career services.
• Criticized: rushed instruction that left some students underprepared for externships (San Bernardino), instructors who mostly assign reading and a dental hygiene student who felt the curriculum was compromised (Memphis), and the cost.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Concorde campuses · Concorde programs · Accreditation and licensure · Kansas City 2026–27 catalog · BPPE 2024 annual report (Garden Grove) · Oregon NCLEX pass rates · UTI FY2025 annual report (10-K) · Niche

Fact	Detail
Type	Shared public training center, campus only; not a separate college
Location	1 site in Chattanooga, TN, opened October 2022
Who teaches	TCAT Chattanooga (part of Chattanooga State Community College) for adults and dual-enrolled students; Hamilton County Schools for 11th and 12th graders; AGC East Tennessee for job placement and short courses
Adult credential	One TCAT diploma: Building Construction Technology
Length	1,290 clock hours over 3 semesters per Chattanooga State (CCC’s site says 1,500); full-time day
Accreditation	None of its own; the diploma is awarded by Chattanooga State, accredited by The Commission on Colleges and Universities (SACSCOC until 1 Sep 2026)
2026-27 cost	$1,591 per semester; about $5,873 for the whole program with books and tools
Aid	Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect and VA benefits through Chattanooga State
Capacity	Planned for up to 160 high-school and 40 adult students a year
Facts checked	October 2026

One building, three partners

The Construction Career Center (CCC) on Roanoke Avenue in Chattanooga is not a stand-alone school. It is one training building shared by three partners. TCAT Chattanooga, the technical-college division of Chattanooga State Community College, teaches adults and dual-enrolled high-school students there. Hamilton County Schools runs a construction program for 11th and 12th graders from its feeder high schools. AGC East Tennessee, a regional chapter of the Associated General Contractors, handles job placement and offers short courses for people already working in construction. The building belongs to Hamilton County Schools and stands on the site of the former Mary Ann Garber School in the Avondale neighborhood. Adult classes started on 15 August 2022 at TCAT Chattanooga’s main campus, and the building opened on 28 October 2022.

One adult diploma: Building Construction Technology

Adults can earn one credential at CCC, a TCAT diploma in Building Construction Technology awarded by Chattanooga State. The table also shows the high-school program and AGC’s short courses. Where a cell shows a dash, the source does not say.

Program	Credential	Length	Delivery	Where	Prepares for	Published cost
Building Construction Technology	TCAT diploma, awarded by Chattanooga State	1,290 clock hours, 3 semesters (CCC’s site says 1,500)	In person, full-time day, Mon-Fri 7:45 am-2:30 pm	Chattanooga, TN	NCCER Core, NCCER Building Construction Technology, NCCER Construction Craft Laborer 1 and 2, OSHA 10	About $5,873 (2026-27)
High-school construction program (Hamilton County Schools)	Dual-enrollment credit toward the TCAT diploma	11th and 12th grade	In person, about 80% lab	Chattanooga, TN	At least 3 NCCER certifications	–
AGC East Tennessee short courses	No credential	–	–	Chattanooga, TN	–	Not listed

Carpentry, residential electrical wiring, residential plumbing, foundations and masonry are taught as modules inside this one diploma, not as separate programs. It leads to entry-level and helper jobs, such as carpenter, mason, equipment operator or electrician’s or plumber’s helper, and to union apprenticeship pathways; it does not lead to a state electrical or plumbing licence.

The two published lengths differ. Chattanooga State’s program page gives 1,290 clock hours (450 in fall, 450 in spring and 390 in summer), while CCC’s own site says 1,500 hours, so confirm the current figure when you apply.

What the programs cover

Building Construction Technology diploma

The diploma runs over three semesters. The first covers NCCER Core (basic safety, construction math, hand and power tools, construction drawings, basic rigging, communication, employability and material handling) plus OSHA 10. The second is NCCER Building Construction Technology: masonry units, floor systems, wall, ceiling and roof framing, roofing, exterior finishing, stair layout, electrical safety, residential electrical services, an introduction to HVAC, drain-waste-vent systems, plastic pipe and copper tube, and cabinet installation. The third is Construction Craft Laborer 1 and 2: concrete, site layout, foundations, formwork, equipment, rough-terrain forklifts, oxyfuel cutting and elevated masonry.

Hamilton County Schools high-school program

Eleventh and twelfth graders from Brainerd, East Ridge, Howard and Tyner high schools take their core classes at their home school and their construction classes at CCC, where about 80% of the time is spent in the lab. Transportation is provided. Students from other Hamilton County high schools apply through School Choice, which runs from 13 November to 31 January. Students earn at least three NCCER certifications, and the courses carry dual-enrollment credit that transfers into the TCAT diploma, so graduates can continue into the adult program.

Short courses for working professionals

AGC East Tennessee runs continuing-education courses at CCC for people already in the industry: safety, construction leadership, blueprint reading, estimating, building information modeling (BIM), project management and supervisory training. These courses lead to no college credential, and no prices are listed on the CCC site, so ask AGC East Tennessee about dates and cost. AGC also runs summer youth construction camps with the center.

2026-27 cost and how adults pay

TCAT pricing has no in-district tier, and Chattanooga State publishes no separate out-of-state TCAT rate. For 2026-27 a semester costs $1,591, made up of $1,446 tuition, a $50 program services fee, an $85 technology fee and a $10 student activity fee, according to Chattanooga State’s tuition and fee table. The Tennessee Board of Regents raised TCAT tuition by $42 a term for 2026-27.

2026-27 item	Amount
Tuition, per semester	$1,446
Program services, technology and student activity fees, per semester	$145
Tuition and fees, per semester	$1,591
Tuition and fees, 3 semesters	$4,773
Books (about)	$500
Tools and supplies (about)	$600
Approximate program cost	$5,873

Chattanooga State’s TCAT program cost table puts the whole program at about $5,873, including about $500 for books and $600 for tools and supplies. Its program page puts the four required books at about $542.

Tennessee Promise, for graduating Tennessee high-school seniors, and the Tennessee Reconnect TCAT Grant, for Tennessee-resident adults without a prior degree who enroll full-time, are last-dollar programs that can cover tuition and fees for eligible students. Veterans can use Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 benefits; the TCAT was certified as a Tennessee VETS campus in August 2022. Work-based learning with AGC East Tennessee member companies is paid. Ask Chattanooga State’s financial aid office about Pell grants for this program. We found no scholarships specific to CCC.

Applying and the daily schedule

Adults apply through Chattanooga State’s TCAT application. Students can start in any term if seats are open, and each class holds at most 20 students. The program is full-time and daytime only: Monday to Friday, 7:45 am to 2:30 pm in fall and spring and 7:45 am to 2:45 pm in summer. The program page lists a HiSET fee ($75) and an ACT placement test fee ($45) among its costs, so ask TCAT which apply to you.

High-school students apply through their guidance counselor or School Choice.

Accreditation and what results exist

CCC holds no accreditation of its own, and the diploma has no programmatic accreditor; NCCER, which sets the curriculum, is a credentialing body, not an accreditor. The diploma is awarded by Chattanooga State Community College, which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges; that body renamed itself The Commission on Colleges and Universities on 1 September 2026. A Tennessee Higher Education Commission filing from July 2022 says the Tennessee Board of Regents approved the center as a TCAT Chattanooga off-campus site in June 2022.

Published results are limited. The Benwood Foundation, one of the center’s funders, reported that in the first year, 2022-23, 100% of graduates went on to a construction job or further education. It also reported that work-based-learning students and graduates averaged $18.50 an hour. That was a first-year result with no cohort size, not a current rate. CCC’s own site cites starting pay of $17 to $30 an hour.

For all TCAT Chattanooga programs combined, the college reports 77% completion, 86% placement and a 96% licensure pass rate on its TCAT page, which gives no year or definition. We found no published completion or placement rate for Building Construction Technology itself, and no current enrollment figure. We found no review platform with 25 or more reviews of CCC, and we found no Niche page for it, so this page shows no rating or review summary.

Before you enroll

• There is one adult program. Electrical, plumbing and masonry are modules inside it, the diploma does not lead to a state electrical or plumbing licence, and Chattanooga State’s full Residential/Commercial Electricity diploma is taught at its other sites, not at CCC.
• The adult program is full-time and daytime only, which is hard to combine with a daytime job.
• Confirm the program length: Chattanooga State says 1,290 clock hours and CCC’s own site says 1,500.
• The evidence on results is thin: a funder’s first-year report and college-wide TCAT rates with no year.
• CCC is not a college. The diploma and financial aid come from Chattanooga State, while job placement is run by AGC East Tennessee, so ask each partner about its part.

The Roanoke Avenue site

CCC has one site, at 2225 Roanoke Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37406. The City of Chattanooga donated land for the center’s future expansion. Chattanooga State’s other sites (the main campus on Amnicola Highway, Kimball, Dayton and Soddy-Daisy) are covered on the college’s own page.

Job placement and work-based learning

AGC East Tennessee’s workforce director places graduates with member companies and advises on union apprenticeship and degree pathways. During the program, students get employer-led demonstrations in the lab, job-site visits, mentoring and paid work-based learning with AGC members. Strong high-school students can take internships of up to three months for course credit. The center also teaches soft skills, leadership and financial literacy. We found no student housing; this is a commuter day program.

Facts checked October 2026.

Fact	Detail
Type	Union joint apprenticeship and training committee (not a college or a contractor); classes in person
Location	1 training center: Knoxville, TN; job sites across 12 East Tennessee counties
Sponsors	IBEW Local 760 and the East Tennessee Chapter of NECA; ETAK itself a 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 1971
Main program	4-year inside-wireman apprenticeship to journeyman status
Pay	$19.41 an hour to start, rising to $27.50 (from 1 January 2026)
Cost	$3,750 for all four years, per ETAK; union dues once working
Accreditation	None applies (apprenticeship committee); college credit through Pellissippi State
Federal aid	No
Facts checked	October 2026

A union apprenticeship, not a trade school

The Electrician Training Academy at Knoxville (ETAK) is the joint apprenticeship and training committee of IBEW Local 760 and the East Tennessee Chapter of NECA, the electrical contractors’ association. It is a nonprofit training trust, listed as a 501(c)(3) charity in IRS records, and is overseen by a six-member board of trustees. It is neither a college nor a contractor. Apprentices are employees of union (signatory) electrical contractors, who send them to job sites across 12 East Tennessee counties, and they take related classes at ETAK’s training center in Knoxville. ETAK says it spends over $5,000 a year training each apprentice. It does not publish enrollment.

Programs at ETAK

ETAK has one main program, the four-year inside-wireman apprenticeship, and a second entry route, the Construction Wireman / Construction Electrician (CW/CE) ladder. It has no lineworker program. Where a cell shows a dash, ETAK does not say.

Program	Credential	Length	Delivery	Where	Prepares for	Published cost
Inside wireman apprenticeship	Journeyman Wireman status; Pellissippi State credit	4 years: 180+ classroom hours a year and 8,000+ paid on-the-job hours	In person, evening classes; full-time work for a union contractor	Knoxville training center; job sites in 12 counties	Journeyman status (no state licence exam named)	$3,750 for four years
Construction Wireman / Construction Electrician	Union classifications CW1 to CW5, then CE1	CW5 at 8,000 work hours	Mostly home study, with certification tests	Knoxville training center	CE1 needs a Level 1 Craft Certification Exam	–
Journeyman upgrade classes (members only)	–	–	In person	Knoxville training center	–	–

What the main programs cover

Inside wireman apprenticeship

The apprenticeship combines at least 180 hours of classroom instruction each year for four years with at least 8,000 hours of paid on-the-job training, ending at Journeyman Wireman status. Classes run from September to May, typically two nights a week from 5:30 to 9:30 pm, after a working day. Work is usually an 8-hour shift Monday to Friday, though many jobs work four 10-hour days. Apprentices must be able to reach job sites anywhere in the 12 counties. Every apprentice is also enrolled at Pellissippi State Community College for credit.

Construction Wireman and Construction Electrician (CW/CE)

CW/CE is for people waiting for, or not qualifying for, the apprenticeship. Training is mostly home study coupled with certification tests, and pay is a percentage of the journeyman rate. Levels follow work hours: CW1 at 1,000 hours (OSHA 10, CPR, first aid), CW2 at 3,500 (conduit bending, DC theory), CW3 at 5,000 (AC theory, code), CW4 at 6,500 (two NEC courses, transformers) and CW5 at 8,000 (motors and motor controls). CE1 then needs good work reports, OSHA 30, NFPA 70E and a passed Level 1 Craft Certification Exam. Applicants must be 18 or older.

Pay, costs and college credit

Apprentices are paid from the start, as a share of the journeyman rate. These are the rates from 1 January 2026, per ETAK’s pay and benefits page:

Apprentice period (work hours)	Share of journeyman rate	Hourly pay from 1 Jan 2026
0 to 2,000	60%	$19.41
2,000 to 3,500	65%	$21.03
3,500 to 5,000	70%	$22.65
5,000 to 6,500	75%	$24.26
6,500 to 8,000	85%	$27.50
Journeyman Wireman	100%	$32.35

Apprentices in their first four years get single health coverage; journey-level members and sixth-period apprentices get family coverage at no cost, and others can add family coverage for about $164 a month. ETAK also lists an NEBF pension and the Southern Retirement Plan at no cost to members; fifth- and sixth-period apprentices receive the retirement plan at half the journeyman rate.

ETAK’s cost page carries no date; the $800 yearly tuition also appears in its August 2025 policy statement, and ETAK says tuition is subject to change and gives $3,750 as the current total.

Cost	Amount
Application fee (non-refundable)	$30
Online math course (all new apprentices)	$135
Tuition	$800 a year
Hand tools, if bought through the program	$316
Pellissippi State tuition	Paid by ETAK
Total for all four years, per ETAK	$3,750
Union dues, once working	Under $55 a month (ETAK’s CW page says under $50), plus a 4% working assessment on wages

There is no federal student aid; apprentices are paid wages from the start. Each school year apprentices earn 9 semester hours at Pellissippi State Community College, with ETAK paying that tuition. The credits can count toward a Pellissippi two-year degree or transfer to Middle Tennessee State University’s Electrical Construction Management bachelor’s degree, and graduates can claim 57 ACE-recommended credits for a $45 fee, according to ETAK’s college credit page.

Who can apply, and how

Apprenticeship applicants must be 18 or older, have a high school diploma or GED with one full credit of Algebra (college credit or the NJATC online math course can count), reach a minimum score on a reading and math aptitude test, and pass a drug screen. They supply all transcripts, GED scores and a typed resume; veterans add a DD214. Applying starts with an account on ETAK’s online portal (approval takes up to 48 business hours), after which applicants have 30 days to submit a complete application. Aptitude tests are scheduled once a group is ready, and an interview follows. ETAK publishes no fixed application dates and invites applicants to information sessions first. CW applicants need to be 18, with a typed work-history resume and a drug screen.

Accreditation and results

Institutional accreditation does not apply to an apprenticeship committee, and ETAK takes no federal student aid. College credit comes through Pellissippi State. ETAK publishes no completion, placement or exam pass rates; placement with a contractor is part of the apprenticeship itself. We found no Niche, GradReports or Trustpilot profile for ETAK (checked October 2026), so this page has no review summary.

Before you enroll

• You cannot simply enroll: apprentices work for a union contractor, and you may be sent to any job site in the 12 counties.
• The Algebra credit and the aptitude test come first, and test dates are set only when a group is ready, so the wait to start is not published.
• Costs continue once you are working: union dues of under $55 a month and a 4% working assessment on wages.
• Journeyman status is a union classification. ETAK does not name a Tennessee licence exam that the apprenticeship prepares for.
• CW/CE members get no health coverage at the CW1 level; it starts at CW2.

The Knoxville training center

All ETAK classes, CW/CE testing and journeyman upgrade classes are held at 6107 Central Avenue Pike, Knoxville, TN 37912. Pellissippi State is a credit partner, not a class site for apprentices.

Facts checked October 2026.

Fact	Detail
Type	Campus-based beauty schools; hybrid cosmetology in Manhattan and hybrid instructor training in Pennsylvania; no fully online programs
Campuses	73 in 21 states on Empire’s state pages (October 2026); Aurora, CO and Vernon Hills, IL say they are not enrolling. 17 Pennsylvania campuses, the most of any state
Programs	Cosmetology at every campus; esthetics at 16; cosmetology instructor training at most; Facial Specialist at West Palm Beach, FL. Nail technology is not currently offered
Program length	Cosmetology 1,000–1,550 clock hours by state (29 weeks full-time for 1,000 hours, 43 weeks for 1,500); esthetics 300–750 hours
Accreditation	NACCAS (all campuses), plus a state licence for each campus
Federal aid	Yes: Pell Grants, Direct Loans and PLUS loans
Founded / owner	Since 1934, according to Empire; owned by EEG, Inc. (Empire Education Group), Pottsville, PA, a private for-profit company
Facts checked	October 2026

Empire’s 73 campuses and who owns them

Empire Beauty Schools trains cosmetologists at 73 campuses in 21 states, from Arizona to Maine, according to its state pages in October 2026; 17 are in Pennsylvania. Every campus teaches cosmetology. Some add esthetics, a cosmetology instructor program or, at West Palm Beach, FL, a short Facial Specialist course. All training is on campus except a hybrid cosmetology program in Manhattan and hybrid instructor training in Pennsylvania. Empire says it has taught since 1934.

The schools are owned by EEG, Inc. (Empire Education Group), a Delaware corporation with its corporate office in Pottsville, PA. In February 2020 Regis Corp., the salon company, agreed to sell its stake of about 55% in EEG; Empire’s current pages do not mention Regis.

Two campuses on Empire’s list, Aurora, CO and Vernon Hills, IL, say they are not enrolling, so we list 71.

Programs at Empire’s campuses

Hours are set by each state’s licensing rules, and totals are those listed on campus pages (September 2026), including tuition, kit, fees and taxes.

Program	Clock hours	Full-time length	Delivery	Where taught	Prepares for	Total on campus pages (Sep 2026)
Cosmetology	1,000 (MA, NY, RI, VA); 1,200 (FL, NJ); 1,250 (PA); 1,500 (12 states); 1,550 (MN, WI)	29 weeks (1,000 hours) to 43 weeks (1,500 hours); part-time twice as long	On campus, with a student salon	Every campus	State cosmetology board exam	$15,841 (Cheektowaga, NY) to $24,317 (Bloomington, MN)
Hybrid Cosmetology	1,000 (483 online, 517 in person)	29 weeks	Hybrid	Manhattan, NY only	New York cosmetology licence	$18,350 before tax (2026/27 NY catalog)
Esthetics / Aesthetics	300 (PA); 600 (AZ, MD, MN, NY, RI, VA, WI); 700 (IN); 750 (KY, TN)	9 weeks (300 hours) to 22 weeks (750 hours)	On campus	16 campuses in 11 states	State esthetician licence	$4,140 (Moosic, PA, 300 hours) to $11,862 (Glen Burnie, MD, 600 hours)
Facial Specialist	220	–	On campus	West Palm Beach, FL only	Florida facial specialist registration	$4,496
Educator Training (cosmetology instructor)	300 (RI, TN) to 1,000 (IL, IN, MI); 600 hybrid in PA	10 weeks (AZ, 350 hours), 18 weeks (PA hybrid, 600 hours), 23 weeks (NC, 800 hours); not published for other states	On campus; hybrid in PA	Campuses in 12 states; none in CO, FL, MA, MD, MN, NY, OH, VA or WI	State cosmetology instructor licence	$3,400 (Providence, RI) to $12,600 (Stone Park, IL); many pages give no price

Nail Technology is not currently offered at any Empire campus. Empire’s program page says so, and so do its Arizona, Tennessee and Pennsylvania catalogs, although several campus pages still list it with “Tuition details not available.” Nail services are taught inside cosmetology. Empire offers no barbering or makeup artistry program.

What the main programs cover

Cosmetology

Every Empire campus teaches cosmetology, and the curriculum is grouped into Hair Design, Hair Cutting, Color & Texture and Basic Skin Care, with manicures and pedicures included. Each student gets a kit with mannequins and hair, skin, nail and makeup tools, and later works on clients in the campus student salon. Full-time students attend Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 4:30; the part-time evening schedule runs Monday to Wednesday 5:30 to 10:00 and Thursday 5:30 to 9:30, and Pennsylvania also has part-time days. Hours already earned at another licensed school may be accepted.

Hybrid Cosmetology in Manhattan

Manhattan’s Hybrid Cosmetology covers the same 1,000-hour New York curriculum, but 483 hours are distance education and 517 are in person, finished in 29 weeks full-time. Students pick one of two fixed weekly patterns: Schedule A is online on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and in the building on Tuesday and Thursday; Schedule B is online on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and in person on Monday and Wednesday. The catalog price includes a $250 technology fee.

Esthetics and Florida’s Facial Specialist

Esthetics prepares students for the state esthetician licence; its length follows the state, from 300 hours (about 9 weeks full-time) in Pennsylvania to 750 in Kentucky and Tennessee, and some campuses run it on part-time evenings. Florida’s Facial Specialist course is shorter and more defined: 220 hours in two 105-hour modules, each split between classroom and clinic, plus 10 hours of enrichment. It covers facials, waxing, makeup, skin analysis, microdermabrasion and chemical peels. Avondale, AZ and Jackson, TN are not approved for esthetics.

Educator Training

Educator Training prepares students for the state cosmetology instructor licence. Hours follow state rules: 300 in Rhode Island and Tennessee, 350 in Arizona (about 10 weeks full-time), 500 in New Jersey, 600 in Maine, 750 in Georgia and Kentucky, 800 in North Carolina and 1,000 in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Pennsylvania’s version is hybrid: theory is online every Tuesday, and the course runs as five modules, each with 21 hours online and 84 in person, followed by 75 hours of in-person student teaching. Full-time students finish in 18 weeks, part-time in 35.

Cost and paying for it

Each campus page lists a “total cost of tuition, kit, fees, and taxes” for each program. The figures below were on Empire’s pages in September 2026; Empire gives no effective date for them. Cosmetology ranges from $15,841 at Cheektowaga (Buffalo), NY to $24,317 at Bloomington, MN. Most 1,500-hour campuses list about $22,000 to $23,000, Pennsylvania about $20,000 to $21,000, and New York, Virginia and Massachusetts $16,000 to $18,000.

State	Cosmetology hours	Cosmetology total	Other programs (examples)
Arizona	1,500	$22,290–$22,794	Esthetics $10,340 (Chandler); educator $3,625
Colorado	1,500	$22,365–$22,459	–
Florida	1,200	$19,388–$19,429	Facial Specialist $4,496 (West Palm Beach)
Georgia	1,500	$22,300–$22,355	Educator $9,500 (Kennesaw, Augusta, Savannah)
Illinois	1,500	$22,992 (Stone Park)	Educator $12,600
Indiana	1,500	$22,328–$22,808	Esthetics $9,120; educator $11,393
Kentucky	1,500	$20,185–$22,135	Esthetics $11,674; educator $7,890
Maine	1,500	$21,076 (Bangor)	Educator $8,599 (2025/26 catalog)
Maryland	1,500	$22,275	Esthetics $11,862 (Glen Burnie)
Massachusetts	1,000	$16,622 (Malden)	–
Michigan	1,500	$22,300	Educator $11,125
Minnesota	1,550	$24,306–$24,317	Esthetics $10,732 (Bloomington)
New Jersey	1,200	$19,377–$21,129	Educator $6,375
New York	1,000	$15,841–$18,344	Esthetics $9,671 (Manhattan)
North Carolina	1,500	$22,321–$23,161	Educator $10,125 (Concord, West Greensboro)
Ohio	1,500	$22,328 (Cincinnati)	–
Pennsylvania	1,250	$20,040–$20,990	Esthetics (300 hours) $4,140 (Moosic), $4,847 (NE Philadelphia)
Rhode Island	1,000	$18,043 (Providence)	Esthetics $11,096; educator $3,400
Tennessee	1,500	$20,288–$21,788	Esthetics $11,727; educator $3,875
Virginia	1,000	$16,615	Esthetics $9,732 (Richmond)
Wisconsin	1,550	$21,193–$21,644	Esthetics $8,385 (Milwaukee)

Catalogs add a $25 application fee, a $75–$100 registration fee and a $250 technology fee “if applicable”. New York’s 2026/27 catalog figures exclude sales tax, so they are a little lower than the campus pages (for example $16,600 at Rochester against $16,820 on its page). Several campus pages, including every Pennsylvania educator program, say “Tuition details not available.”

Empire takes federal aid: Pell Grants, Direct Loans and PLUS loans. Empire’s 2022 cohort default rate file shows 0.00% for all ten of its federal aid institutions. Niche, using federal data, gives an average net price of $18,647 a year for Manhattan and $17,488 for Lehigh Valley (checked October 2026). Payment plans start with 20% down and monthly installments.

Empire’s scholarships page lists:

• Good Attendance Scholarship: $1,000 at 90% or better cumulative attendance, or $500 at 85% to 89.99%
• High School Scholarship: $1,000 for seniors entering full cosmetology, more than 100 awards, not at every location
• Gives Back Cosmetology Educational Endowment: up to $3,000 for students from anti-domestic-violence shelters
• Industry awards: Sport Clips $5,000 (up to 10 students), Beauty Schools Marketing Group $2,500 and a Great Clips award (deadlines 30 June and 31 December)
• National Educator Scholarship: full Educator Training tuition (Pennsylvania catalog), plus a tuition discount for Salon Partners

Empire says some of its schools are approved for veterans’ education benefits; students need a VA Certificate of Eligibility, so ask your campus whether it is approved.

Admissions and schedule

Applicants need a high school diploma or GED; Empire does not admit students under Ability to Benefit rules, and the state’s minimum age applies where there is one. Hours from another licensed school may be transferred, and the Pennsylvania catalog gives students four years from their start date to finish.

New cosmetology classes start every three weeks; New York’s catalog lists 17 start dates between 13 July 2026 and 21 June 2027. Full-time students attend seven hours a day, Monday to Friday, and finish 1,500 hours in about 43 weeks, 1,250 in 36 and 1,000 in 29. Part-time evening students take about twice as long. Part-time availability varies by campus.

Accreditation and results

All Empire schools and programs are accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS), and each campus is licensed in its state, for example by Florida’s Commission for Independent Education, Virginia’s SCHEV and the New York State Education Department.

Empire publishes NACCAS outcome disclosures for 2024 (students scheduled to graduate between 1 January and 31 December 2024) for each campus and for each federal aid group (about ten groups, each a main campus with branches that are often in other states). They give graduation, placement and licensure rates for all programs combined, not by program. Group results, as Empire published them (read October 2026):

Federal aid group (main campus)	Graduation	Placement	Licensure	Campuses in the group
Lehigh Valley (Whitehall), PA	69.86%	70.23%	84.06%	Tucson, West Palm Beach, Glen Burnie, Owings Mills, Whitehall, Lancaster, Monroeville, Shamokin Dam, Springfield, West Mifflin
Wyoming Valley (Moosic), PA	64.34%	72.80%	85.66%	Chandler, Tampa, Augusta, Louisville-Chenoweth, Malden, Brentwood, Midlothian, Newport News, Richmond, Cheltenham, Reading, York, Moosic
Pottsville, PA	69.01%	67.83%	86.65%	Avondale, Lakeland, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville, Bloomington, Providence, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Pottsville
Manhattan, NY	56.73%	71.31%	94.88%	Aurora, Littleton, Savannah, Elizabethtown, Charlotte, Manhattan, Rochester
Queens (Astoria), NY	64.38%	74.31%	93.38%	Thornton, Morrow, Indianapolis, Louisville-Dixie, Winston-Salem, Cherry Hill, Queens, Jackson
Northeast Philadelphia, PA	58.54%	73.01%	82.30%	Northlake, Stone Park, Vernon Hills, Speedway, West Greensboro, Virginia Beach, Hanover, NE Philadelphia
Grand Rapids, MI	59.11%	73.84%	84.43%	Grand Rapids Northwest and Standale, Portage, Cheektowaga, Memphis, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Center City, North Hills
Group whose main campus we could not identify	60.33%	73.37%	96.19%	Florence, Bangor, Spring Lake Park, Concord, Pineville, Bloomfield, Union
Peekskill, NY	–	86.96%	100%	Peekskill only
Cincinnati, OH	59.13%	76.00%	80.65%	Cincinnati only

Peekskill’s graduation rate is left out because its campus and institution disclosures give different figures. Campus rates are in each campus description below. Across campuses, graduation ran from 36.21% (Charlotte, NC) to 94.67% (Green Bay, WI), placement from 30.00% (Augusta, GA) to 97.92% (Cherry Hill, NJ) and licensure from 52.63% (Atlanta-Northlake, GA) to 100%. A few disclosures carry reference numbers that do not match their campus, so check the PDF for your campus on Empire’s NACCAS rates page.

The NACCAS action notices we checked, from March 2024 to March 2026, named no Empire campus, and no campus page shows a probation notice.

Settlements and lawsuits

In 2017 Empire agreed to a $6.75 million class settlement in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas over student-clinic prices, which plaintiffs said were above the cost of materials, at its Pennsylvania and New Jersey schools; Empire denied wrongdoing. We found no lawsuits or regulatory actions against Empire from 2023 to 2026.

Closed and moved campuses

Seventeen campuses on older listings, including ours, are closed or no longer on Empire’s list: Flagstaff and Phoenix (Glendale Avenue), AZ; Lauderhill, FL; Atlanta-Dunwoody, GA; Hanover Park, IL; Louisville (Bardstown Road), KY; Portland, ME; Boston (West Street) and Framingham, MA; Bordentown and Paramus, NJ; Bensonhurst (Brooklyn), NY; Greensboro (Wendover Avenue) and Matthews, NC; Warminster, PA; and Memphis (Coleman Road and Highland Street), TN. The latest dated closures we found were in 2020. Two campuses have moved: Kennesaw, GA to George Busbee Parkway NW and Indianapolis to South Emerson Avenue. Newport News, VA was open by 2024.

Housing and career help

Empire does not offer housing. Its catalogs describe placement assistance and state that placement is not guaranteed, and its site links to BeautyCareer.com.

Before you enroll

• Hours depend on the state. Cosmetology is 1,000 hours in New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia but 1,500 or 1,550 in most other Empire states. If you may move, check how many hours your future state requires before choosing a campus.
• Results vary widely by campus. In Empire’s 2024 NACCAS disclosures, graduation ran from 36.21% (Charlotte, NC) to 94.67% (Green Bay, WI), placement from 30.00% (Augusta, GA) to 97.92% (Cherry Hill, NJ) and licensure from 52.63% (Atlanta-Northlake, GA) to 100%. Ask for your campus’s own disclosure.
• Check what your campus actually teaches. Several campus pages still list a nail technology program that Empire says it does not currently offer. Esthetics is taught at only 16 campuses, and instructor training is not taught in nine states.
• Two listed campuses are not enrolling. Aurora, CO and Vernon Hills, IL appear on Empire’s state pages but say they are not enrolling, and Empire’s homepage still says 76 locations against 73 on its state pages.
• Prices have no effective date. The totals on campus pages carry no start date and differ slightly from catalog figures (New York’s catalog excludes sales tax). Get the figure in your enrollment agreement.

What students say

No review platform we checked has 25 or more reviews for Empire or any of its campuses (October 2026): Trustpilot has 3 and the Niche campus pages one or none. An Endorsal testimonial page for Empire shows 572 reviews at 5.0, but the view is filtered to five-star reviews and curated, so we do not summarize it or give a rating.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Empire campus locations by state · Cosmetology program · Nail Technology (not offered) · Pennsylvania catalog 2026/27 · NACCAS 2024 outcome disclosures · 2022 cohort default rates · Regis–EEG transaction (Feb 2020)

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Type	Campus-based career colleges; many programs are hybrid, with general education online
Campuses	28 in 14 states (Fortis campus locator, October 2026), 7 named Fortis Institute and the rest Fortis College; Cutler Bay, FL is not enrolling new students
Owner	Education Affiliates, Inc., a privately held company based in Baltimore (Nottingham), MD
Credentials	Diplomas and certificates; associate degrees (AS, AAS, AOS, AST)
Program length	4 weeks (Class A CDL prep) to 120 weeks (dental hygiene); most diplomas 36–48 weeks
Accreditation	Set campus by campus: ABHES (19 campuses) or ACCSC (9); programmatic accreditation (ACEN, CODA, JRCERT, CAAHEP, NAACLS, ASHP) for some programs
Federal aid	Yes: federal grants and loans through the FAFSA
Founded	First Fortis College opened in Salt Lake City in September 2008; several campuses are much older (Centerville 1953, Cookeville 1970)
Facts checked	October 2026

Who runs Fortis

Fortis College and Fortis Institute are one network of career schools owned and run by Education Affiliates, Inc., which its catalogs describe as “a privately held corporation” based in Baltimore. Education Affiliates also owns All-State Career, DriveCo CDL, Denver College of Nursing, St. Paul’s School of Nursing and Georgia Driving Academy.

The Fortis name dates from 2008, when the Salt Lake City school became the first “Fortis College”; Norfolk followed that December. Most of the network was assembled by 2013 through purchases of existing schools, including Capps College, Virginia Career Institute, MedVance Institute, Medix and Berdan Institute, which were renamed. That is why some campuses are far older than the brand. Seven campuses use “Fortis Institute” rather than “Fortis College”. Fortis’s history page still says “30 campuses nationally”; its campus locator and catalog index list 28.

In 2015, Education Affiliates agreed to pay $13 million to settle federal False Claims Act allegations that it had made false claims for federal student aid.

Programs at Fortis’s 28 campuses

Programs differ a great deal by campus. Medical assisting is taught at every enrolling campus and HVAC-R at 25, but some programs exist at one campus only. The table lists programs taking new students in October 2026; lengths are examples from the named campus’s catalog, and costs are catalog totals including fees and supplies (2025–26 or 2026–27 catalogs, as summarised from Fortis’s catalog pages).

Program	Credential and length (example)	Where	Prepares for	Programmatic accreditation	Total cost (catalog)
Associate Degree in Nursing	AS/AAS; 96 weeks, 106 quarter credits (Orange Park); 144-week flex track at Salt Lake City and Cincinnati	11 campuses: FL, OH, SC, TN, UT	NCLEX-RN	ACEN at most campuses (status varies); Columbia, SC a candidate	$54,877–$56,269 (2026–27)
Practical Nursing	Diploma (AST at Scranton); 60 weeks, 82 quarter credits (Orange Park)	13 campuses: FL, OH, PA, SC, TN, UT, VA	NCLEX-PN	State board approval only	$29,182–$29,520 (2026–27)
Medical Assisting	Diploma/certificate; 36 weeks, 46 quarter credits (Mobile)	All 27 enrolling campuses	NHA CCMA	ABHES programmatic at Towson	$18,572 (several campuses)
Dental Assisting	Diploma/certificate; length varies by campus	20 campuses: AL, FL, GA, IN, MD, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TX, VA	–	CODA at Richmond	$23,849; Houston North $23,915
Dental Hygiene	Associate; 120 weeks, 141.5 quarter credits (Birmingham)	AL, GA, MD, PA, UT	NBDHE, clinical and jurisprudence exams	CODA	$63,058–$65,720
HVAC-R	Diploma; 48 weeks, 64 quarter credits (Birmingham)	25 campuses in all 14 states	EPA Section 608	–	$23,759; Salt Lake City $23,859
Welding Technician	Diploma; 48 weeks (Birmingham)	AL, GA, OH, TX	Welding certification exams	–	$24,401
Electrical Trades / Electrical Systems Technician	Diploma or certificate; 48 weeks	AL, NJ	None; apprentice or helper jobs	–	$23,461 (Birmingham, 2025–26)
Pharmacy Technician	Diploma; 36 weeks (Mobile)	AL, LA, MD	NHA ExCPT	ASHP at Baton Rouge	$18,421 (Baton Rouge, 2025–26)
Medical Billing & Coding	Certificate; 48 weeks (Wayne)	MD, NJ	NHA CBCS	–	$21,908 (Landover, 2026–27)
Radiologic Technology	AS/AAS/AOS; 96 weeks (Houston North)	GA, LA, MD, OH, TN, TX	ARRT RT(R)	JRCERT at Landover and Cookeville	$54,222–$54,711
Surgical Technology	AS/AAS/AOS; 84 weeks (Houston North)	FL, LA, OH, TN, TX, VA	NCCT TS-C or CST	CAAHEP at five campuses	$43,457
Sterile Processing Technician	Diploma; 36 weeks	TX (both Houston campuses)	HSPA CRCST (provisional)	–	$19,727 (2025–26)
Medical Laboratory Technician	AOS; 96 weeks	LA (Baton Rouge)	ASCP or AMT MLT	NAACLS	$43,476 (2025–26)
Commercial Truck Driver Training / Class A CDL Preparatory	Diploma; 24 weeks / 4 weeks	PA (Scranton)	Class A CDL	–	–
Emergency Medical Technician	Diploma; 15 weeks	AL (Mobile)	NREMT EMT	–	–
Massage Therapy	Diploma; 36 weeks, 625 hours	VA (Richmond)	MBLEx	–	–
Cosmetology	Diploma; 60 weeks, 1,200 hours	FL (Pensacola)	Florida cosmetology licence	Under ABHES program warning	–
Medical Office Administration	Diploma	MD (Towson)	–	–	–

Not taking new students: the associate degree in nursing at Norfolk, VA (teach-out; state approval ends 31 October 2027) and Indianapolis, IN (teach-out planned through March 2026); massage therapy at Towson, MD and Wayne, NJ (teach-outs); medical billing and coding at Baton Rouge, LA; and all programs at Cutler Bay, FL. Fortis no longer teaches business, IT, construction, networking or phlebotomy anywhere.

What the main programs cover

Associate Degree in Nursing

At Orange Park the 1,500 clock hours cover anatomy and physiology I–II, pharmacology, medical-surgical nursing I–II, maternal-newborn, pediatric and mental health nursing, and end with a 120-hour Transition to Practice capstone. General education is online; labs and clinicals are in person, and clinical shifts can fall on days, evenings, nights or weekends, which matters for anyone working while studying. LPNs can transfer in up to 23 credits at Orange Park; there is no separate LPN-to-RN program.

Practical Nursing

Practical nursing runs through levels of fundamentals and medical-surgical nursing, with anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, care of older adults and a closing Transition to Practice course. Orange Park’s version counts 2,440 clock hours including homework over 60 weeks, delivered hybrid. Scranton awards an Associate in Specialized Technology instead of a diploma. Salt Lake City’s new program requires a minimum score of 19 on the Wonderlic SLE entrance test. Programs hold state board approval only; at Pensacola, Columbus, Norfolk and Richmond, ABHES has issued program-specific warnings.

Medical Assisting

Mobile’s 36-week diploma combines clinical and laboratory procedures, invasive procedures, electronic health records and insurance billing, and finishes with a 180-hour externship that is unpaid. Classes meet Monday to Thursday, either mornings (8:30 to 1:30) or evenings (5:30 to 10:30). Salt Lake City teaches a variant, Medical Assisting & Basic X-Ray Technician, that adds basic X-ray training and costs more ($22,787 against $18,572). The program prepares students for the NHA CCMA exam.

HVAC-R

Birmingham’s 48-week diploma is split into 16 courses moving from thermodynamics and basic electricity through controls to residential air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, gas heat and heat pumps. It counts 960 contact hours within 1,600 total hours. Sessions run 8 to 1 or 6 to 11, Monday to Thursday. Students must pass the EPA Section 608 refrigerant exam. At Cuyahoga Falls the program is taught at the Stow satellite, not the main campus.

Dental Hygiene

Birmingham’s 120-week dental hygiene degree (141.5 quarter credits, 2,412 hours) is hybrid, with morning classes Monday to Thursday and patient care in the campus clinic. Graduates sit the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination plus a regional or state clinical exam and a jurisprudence exam before they can be licensed. All five programs are CODA-accredited; Birmingham’s and Scranton’s carry reporting requirements. At Scranton, 61% of the July 2023 to June 2025 cohorts graduated and 77% of graduates found jobs.

Truck driving at Scranton

Scranton offers a 24-week Commercial Truck Driver Training diploma (880 total hours, 20 hours a week in morning or evening sessions) and a 4-week Class A CDL Preparatory course of 172 hours, 82 in theory and 90 in the yard and on the road. Applicants need a high school diploma or equivalent and an admissions interview. The course aims at a Class A CDL for 80,000-lb tractor-trailers. Scranton’s reported cohort was small: 3 of 4 graduated and all were employed.

Cost and paying for it

Fortis prices are largely the same from campus to campus. Totals below include tuition plus fees and supplies, which cover administration and technology fees, kits, certification exams, background checks, drug screens, books or e-books and a laptop. Charges are billed by quarter.

• Medical assisting $18,572 (tuition $16,686), at Cincinnati from 6 July 2026 and at Orange Park, Landover and other campuses.
• HVAC-R $23,759 (tuition $21,140); dental assisting $23,849; welding $24,401.
• Practical nursing $29,182 to $29,520 (2026–27); Cincinnati’s is hybrid at $315 a credit.
• Associate degree in nursing $54,877 (Cincinnati, full-time) to $56,269 (Orange Park flex), 2026–27.
• Surgical technology $43,457; radiologic technology $54,222 to $54,711; dental hygiene $63,058 (Birmingham, 2025–26) to $65,720 (Landover, 2026–27).

Niche, using federal data, lists average net prices a year of $23,748 (Cuyahoga Falls) to $28,544 (Centerville). Every campus takes federal grants and loans through the FAFSA. For veterans’ benefits, Mobile and Montgomery are approved by the Alabama State Approving Agency, Orange Park by the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, and Smyrna says VA educational benefits are available. We found no Fortis scholarships with published amounts.

Admissions and schedule

Applicants need a high school diploma or equivalent, fill in a personal information sheet and have an interview with admissions. Niche lists 100% acceptance and no application fee. Some programs add entrance requirements: Salt Lake City’s practical nursing program asks for a Wonderlic SLE score of at least 19. Program fees include background checks and drug screens.

Most diploma programs meet Monday to Thursday, in a morning session (8:00 or 8:30 to 1:00 or 1:30) or an evening session (5:30 or 6:00 to 10:30 or 11:00). Many programs are hybrid, with general education online. Nursing clinicals are scheduled around the clinical sites and can fall on days, evenings, nights or weekends.

Accreditation and outcomes

Each Fortis campus holds its own institutional accreditation. ACCSC accredits 9 campuses (Cutler Bay, Indianapolis, Centerville, Cuyahoga Falls, Scranton, Cookeville, Houston North, Houston South, Salt Lake City); ABHES accredits the other 19. Orange Park moved from ACCSC to ABHES: ABHES accredited it on 7 November 2024, and its ACCSC withdrawal took effect on 31 March 2026. Programmatic accreditation covers some programs: ACEN for most associate degrees in nursing, CODA for dental hygiene (and dental assisting at Richmond), JRCERT for radiologic technology at Landover and Cookeville, CAAHEP for surgical technology at five campuses, NAACLS for the Baton Rouge MLT program and ASHP for pharmacy technician at Baton Rouge.

NCLEX first-time pass rates, 2025

Fortis publishes a pass-rate sheet for each nursing campus (dated 15 March 2026; for example, Orange Park). Figures are for calendar year 2025 unless noted; “tested” is the number of graduates sitting the exam for the first time.

Campus	ADN (NCLEX-RN): tested → pass rate	Practical nursing (NCLEX-PN): tested → pass rate
Orange Park, FL	29 → 82.76%	30 → 93.33%
Pensacola, FL	83 → 83.13%	25 → 100%
Port St. Lucie, FL	48 → 81.25%	42 → 85.71%
Cutler Bay, FL (not enrolling)	68 → 52.94%	12 → 75.00%
Indianapolis, IN (ADN teach-out)	29 → 51.7%	–
Centerville, OH	49 → 77.55%	43 → 74.42%
Cincinnati, OH	38 → 76.32%	20 → 95.00%
Cuyahoga Falls, OH	53 → 81.13%	31 → 93.55%
Columbus (Westerville), OH	68 → 80.88%	31 → 100%
Scranton, PA (Oct 2024–Sep 2025)	–	30 → 96.67%
Columbia, SC	43 → 88.37%	none tested
Cookeville, TN	35 → 91%	–
Nashville, TN	18 → 88.89%	none tested
Salt Lake City, UT	46 → 84.78%	none tested
Norfolk, VA (ADN teach-out)	59.4%	81.3%
Richmond, VA	–	20 → 95.0%

Cookeville’s and Nashville’s figures match the Tennessee Board of Nursing’s lists. Norfolk’s ADN rate has ranged from 47.8% to 71.1% since 2021.

ADN completion (ACEN disclosures)

Fortis’s ACEN disclosures report two completion figures, an on-time completion rate and an overall completion rate, for the students who started the ADN in 2023. The disclosures give no job placement rates.

Campus	2023 starts	On-time completion	Overall completion
Pensacola, FL	152	31.6%	67.1%
Cutler Bay, FL	114	37.7%	64.0%
Centerville, OH	52	28.8%	65.4%
Nashville, TN	48	14.6%	31.3%

Graduation and placement

Accreditor reports for 2025 give program-level figures for some campuses. Mobile, AL reported placement of 70% to 74% across its five programs. Wayne, NJ reported 49% placement for electrical systems technician, under ABHES’s 70% benchmark, and 64% to 86% for its other programs. Scranton, PA reported graduation and employment for its July 2023 to June 2025 cohorts: practical nursing 25% graduation (19 of 77) and 95% employment, medical assisting 59% and 67%, dental hygiene 61% and 77%. Niche, using federal data, lists graduation rates of 40% (Columbus) to 47% (Landover and Cuyahoga Falls).

State board and accreditor actions

As of October 2026, according to Fortis’s campus pages and state documents:

• Cutler Bay, FL: the associate degree in nursing is on probation with the Florida Board of Nursing, and the campus no longer enrolls new students.
• Indianapolis, IN: the Indiana State Board of Nursing placed the ADN on conditional status in May 2024; Fortis stopped enrolling and planned a teach-out through March 2026.
• Norfolk, VA: the ADN has admitted no new students since 18 November 2025, and state approval is withdrawn effective 31 October 2027, with a teach-out for current students. In January 2026, WAVY-TV reported Norfolk ADN students’ complaints that Fortis was not arranging enough clinical hours for them to finish; the college president said Fortis was “actively working with students to ensure we resolve all issues”.
• ABHES program-specific warnings with required teach-out plans (2026): practical nursing at Pensacola, Columbus (Westerville), Norfolk and Richmond, and cosmetology at Pensacola.
• Cincinnati, OH: practical nursing and the ADN hold provisional approval from the Ohio Board of Nursing.
• CODA: dental hygiene at Birmingham and Scranton is accredited with reporting requirements.
• Port St. Lucie, FL: the ADN holds ACEN “Continuing Accreditation with Conditions”.

Campus closures and teach-outs

Fortis has closed several campuses that older listings, including this page until October 2026, still showed. Forty Fort, PA (166 Slocum Street) closed in 2025; an October 2025 news item said the Luzerne Intermediate Unit would use the former Fortis building. Foley, AL closed in 2022. Earlier closures were Ravenna, OH (2018), Erie, PA (new enrollment stopped in July 2018), Phoenix, AZ (2019) and Grand Prairie, TX (2019), so Fortis no longer has a campus in Arizona. A second Montgomery, AL address on Eastdale Circle is no longer on Fortis’s campus list.

Cutler Bay, FL is no longer enrolling new students; the Norfolk ADN and massage therapy at Towson and Wayne are being taught out; and the Indianapolis ADN teach-out was planned to run through March 2026 (see above). On the other side, Salt Lake City added practical nursing in 2026, Columbia, SC’s ADN became an ACEN candidate in July 2025 and Nashville’s ADN gained ACEN initial accreditation on 1 April 2026.

Career help and exam fees

Fortis has no student housing at any campus. Fortis’s Career Services Center offers graduates placement assistance. Certification exam fees are included in program fees, and Houston North’s radiologic technology program pays for one attempt at the ARRT exam. Several programs end with an externship, such as the 180-hour unpaid externship in medical assisting, the 420-hour externships in sterile processing and medical laboratory technology, and 40 hours for EMT.

Before you enroll

• Check the exact campus. Fortis campuses have separate accreditation, programs and results; the ADN’s first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2025 ranged from 51.7% to 91% across campuses.
• ADN completion rates are low at some campuses: for students who began the ADN in 2023, ACEN disclosures report on-time completion of 14.6% at Nashville and 28.8% to 37.7% at Centerville, Pensacola and Cutler Bay, and overall completion of 31.3% at Nashville.
• Several nursing programs are under state board conditions or ABHES warnings, and two ADNs (Indianapolis and Norfolk) are closing. Ask the campus for the program’s current approval status in writing.
• Costs are high for the credentials: $18,572 for a medical assisting diploma and about $55,000 to $56,000 for an associate degree in nursing. Compare with your local community college before signing up.
• Job placement differs by program as well as by campus. In 2025 accreditor reports, Wayne’s electrical systems technician program placed 49% of graduates, against ABHES’s 70% benchmark, while its billing and coding program placed 86%. Ask for the placement rate of your program at your campus.

What students say

Fortis has no single review page. Four of its campus pages on Niche have 25 or more reviews (checked October 2026): Centerville, 4.12 out of 5 from 113 reviews; Norfolk, 3.8 from 76; Smyrna, 3.91 from 33; and Cuyahoga Falls, 3.57 from 28.

• Praise: friendly, supportive staff and instructors who help students who are struggling; small classes and hands-on labs; quick enrollment and accelerated programs.
• Complaints: uneven instructor quality and staff turnover; disorganisation, poor communication and slow financial aid processing; high cost compared with community colleges. Reviews of the Columbus campus describe aggressive enrollment tactics.

These four pages cover only four of 28 campuses, and the ratings differ widely between them. Smyrna’s reviews lean heavily to five stars (18 of the 26 we tallied); we could not confirm whether any reviews were invited by the school. We did not check Trustpilot or GradReports.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Fortis campus locator · Fortis campus catalogs · Our legacy · History and ownership (Salt Lake City catalog) · ACCSC withdrawals and closures · Indiana BPE: Fortis Indianapolis · WAVY-TV (Jan 2026) · National Law Review (2015 settlement)

Fact	Genesis Career College
Type	Private, for-profit career school (Genesis Career Group, Inc.); campus programs plus a few online programs
Campuses	4 in 2 states: Cookeville and Nashville, TN; Dalton and Atlanta (Tucker), GA. Lebanon, TN stopped teaching on 31 August 2026
Credentials	Programs are measured in clock hours or quarter credits; the catalogs do not name a credential type
Program length	20 to 50 weeks full-time; part-time beauty programs up to 75 weeks
Accreditation	Council on Occupational Education (COE); authorized by THEC in Tennessee and by the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission
Federal aid	Yes: Pell Grants, Direct Loans and PLUS loans; VA benefits and Vocational Rehabilitation accepted
2026 prices	$10,970 to $20,995 per program, set by campus
Facts checked	14 October 2026

A four-campus beauty, health and HVAC school

Genesis Career College is a private, for-profit career school owned by Genesis Career Group, Inc., which lists a corporate office in Atlanta. It teaches licence-track beauty programs, medical and dental assisting, massage therapy and HVAC-R at four campuses: Cookeville and Nashville in Tennessee, and Dalton and Tucker in Georgia. The school has changed shape in 2026. The Tucker campus, formerly Woodruff Medical and Wellness Training, now carries the Genesis name; the Lebanon, Tennessee campus stopped teaching on 31 August 2026; and the Dalton and Tucker catalog added fully online HVAC-R, electrician, facility maintenance and data center programs. Each campus teaches only part of the program list.

Lebanon campus closed in 2026

According to the school’s Lebanon campus page, the last day of instruction at Lebanon was 31 August 2026, and active students moved to the Nashville Airport campus. Lebanon had taught cosmetology and medical assisting, which continue at Cookeville (and, for medical assisting, Dalton).

Genesis programs and where each is taught

Program	Hours or credits	Full-time / part-time	Delivery	Campuses	Exam or licence	2026 catalog total
Cosmetology	1,500 clock hours	50 / 75 weeks	Campus	Cookeville	Tennessee State Board exam	$20,995
Master Barber	1,500 clock hours (web page says 1,000)	50 / 75 weeks	Campus	Nashville; Atlanta (Tucker)	State barber exam	$20,995 Nashville; $17,795 Tucker
Esthetician	900 clock hours	30 / 45 weeks	Campus	Cookeville (Nashville: ask)	Tennessee State Board exam	$16,440
Nail Technology	600 clock hours	20 / 30 weeks	Campus	Cookeville; Nashville	Tennessee State Board exam	$10,970
Massage Therapy	720 clock hours	24 weeks	Campus; 96-hour intern clinic	Cookeville	MBLEx; Tennessee licence	$13,145
Medical Assistant	53 quarter credits	36 weeks	Campus; 80-hour externship	Cookeville; Dalton	None named	$16,440
Dental Assistant	51 quarter credits	36 weeks	Campus; 80-hour externship	Cookeville	Registered dental assistant; dental radiology	$16,440
HVAC-R Technician	54 quarter credits	36 weeks	Hybrid: 12 hours a week on campus, 8 online	All four campuses	Competency exam in the final course	$16,780
HVAC-R, Facility Maintenance or Data Center Facility Technician (online)	54 (HVAC-R) or 52 (Facility Maintenance) quarter credits; Data Center not stated	36 weeks (HVAC-R, Facility Maintenance)	100% online	Dalton and Tucker catalog	Not stated	$16,880
Electrician (online)	52 quarter credits	36 weeks	Online plus a supervised externship	Dalton and Tucker catalog (Tucker)	Licensure varies by state	Not in the tuition tables
Instructor Training	Not stated	Not stated	Campus	Cookeville; Nashville	Requires a current licence	Not stated

Hours, lengths and totals come from the two 2026 catalogs, both dated 1 January 2026 and revised 27 February 2026: one for Cookeville and Nashville, the other for Dalton, Tucker and the closed Lebanon campus. The school’s program pages give no hours or prices. Beauty programs at the Tennessee campuses are approved by the state Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, and Massage Therapy by the Tennessee Board of Massage. The online programs are delivered through Interplay Learning; the HVAC-R course uses virtual-reality goggles.

What the main programs cover

Cosmetology, esthetics and nail technology

Cosmetology’s 1,500 hours split into 300 general, 600 chemical and 600 physical hours. Full-time students attend Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 3:00, about 30 hours a week; part-time schedules stretch the course to 75 weeks. Esthetician (900 hours) and Nail Technology (600 hours) follow the same beauty schedule and both end with the Tennessee State Board exam. The school lists state-board test preparation and mock exams among its career services. An adverse criminal background check may hinder licensure, the catalog warns.

Master Barber

Master Barber is taught at Nashville and Tucker. The catalogs give 1,500 clock hours, while the program’s web page calls it a 1,000-hour course, so ask which figure your campus enrolls under. At Tucker the hours divide into 240 general, 360 chemical and 900 physical. Full-time students finish in 50 weeks and part-time students in 75. Career help listed on the program page includes résumé and cover-letter classes, mock interviews and guest speakers.

Medical Assistant

The 53-credit program runs Monday to Thursday, 8:30 to 2:00, about 20 hours a week, at Cookeville and Dalton. Courses include anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, medical office procedures, emergency medical procedures with CPR, patient preparation, administration of medicine, clinical laboratory procedures, phlebotomy and diagnostic procedures. It includes MAA350, an 80-hour externship. The catalog does not name a CMA or RMA exam, so ask which certification, if any, the program prepares for.

Dental Assistant

Dental Assistant is taught only at Cookeville. Its 51 quarter credits run over 36 weeks and include an 80-hour externship. The Tennessee Board of Dentistry approves it as a registered dental assisting program, and graduates are eligible for dental radiology certification. Students must be 18 before any x-ray exposure, even though the school’s general minimum age is 17. The catalog does not mention CODA accreditation or DANB exams.

HVAC-R Technician, on campus and online

The campus program covers nine courses, HVAC 100 to HVAC 108, over 36 weeks. Students attend two days a week, Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, from 8:30 to 3:00, and do about 8 hours a week online; the last course ends with a nationally recognized competency exam. The catalog does not name EPA Section 608. The online version, listed in the Dalton and Tucker catalog, uses Interplay Learning with virtual-reality goggles.

Massage Therapy

Massage Therapy is taught only at Cookeville, where a cohort was scheduled to start in July 2026; the school plans two starts a year rather than monthly starts. The 720-hour program takes 24 weeks full-time and includes a 96-hour intern clinic. It is approved by the Tennessee Board of Massage and prepares students for the MBLEx and a Tennessee licence. Applicants must be 18, a year older than the minimum for other programs, and the same background-check warning about licensure applies.

Cost: one price per program and campus

Genesis sets one price per program and campus, with no in-state or out-of-state rates, and the price is guaranteed for the whole enrollment. Part-time students pay the same total as full-time students. In the Cookeville and Nashville catalog (January 2026, revised February 2026), Cosmetology and Master Barber cost $20,995 each ($16,495 tuition plus $4,500 in fees, supplies, books and kit); Esthetician, Medical Assistant and Dental Assistant $16,440; HVAC-R $16,780, including $995 for tools and $1,395 for the learning system; Massage Therapy $13,145; and Nail Technology $10,970.
The Dalton and Tucker catalog (same dates) prices Medical Assistant at Dalton at $16,440, campus HVAC-R at $16,780, Master Barber at Tucker at $17,795, and the online HVAC-R, facility maintenance and data center programs at $16,880. It gives no price for the online Electrician program. Totals exclude transportation, housing and personal costs. No down payment is required, but books and kits cannot be refunded once received.
Genesis takes federal student aid: Pell Grants and Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and PLUS loans, which require the FAFSA. It has net price calculators for Cookeville, Nashville and Dalton, and accepts VA education benefits, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and Vocational Rehabilitation. We found no named scholarships.

Admissions, start dates and weekly hours

• Minimum age 17, with written parental consent under 18. Massage Therapy requires 18, and dental assisting students must be 18 before any x-ray work.
• Proof of high school completion or an equivalent, received within 30 days of the class start. Genesis does not admit students without one.
• An interview, a campus tour and a photo ID. Instructor Training also requires a current licence.
• The catalog warns that an adverse criminal background result may hinder licensure.

Most programs start monthly; Massage Therapy starts twice a year. Beauty programs run Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 3:00, with part-time options. Medical and dental assisting run Monday to Thursday, 8:30 to 2:00. HVAC-R meets on campus Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30 to 3:00, plus online work.

COE accreditation and state approval

The Council on Occupational Education (COE) accredits Genesis. Its April 2026 member list shows both Genesis main campuses, Cookeville and Lebanon, as accredited with a next visit in 2030; the other campuses are branches of those two. We found no COE warning or probation in its June 2026 or September 2026 action lists. In Tennessee, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) authorizes the campuses to operate; it is a state authorizing agency, not an accreditor. In Georgia, the catalog lists authorization from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission.
Genesis does not publish completion, job-placement or licensure pass rates on its website. It points readers to THEC, which lists annual performance reports with completion and placement figures for the Cookeville, Nashville Airport and Lebanon campuses on its authorized institutions page; we could not open those spreadsheets, so no rates are given here. Genesis has no nursing programs, so there are no NCLEX results to report.

Before you enroll

• Programs differ by campus. Medical assisting is only at Cookeville and Dalton, dental assisting and massage therapy only at Cookeville, and cosmetology, esthetics and nail technology only in Tennessee. Check the campus before you apply.
• The catalog lists the Georgia campuses as branches of the Lebanon campus, which stopped teaching on 31 August 2026. Ask how accreditation and federal aid for Dalton and Tucker are organized now.
• Genesis publishes no completion or placement rates. Ask your campus for its most recent THEC (Tennessee) or COE figures before you sign.
• Master Barber costs $3,200 more at Nashville ($20,995) than at Tucker ($17,795), and its web page says 1,000 hours while the catalogs say 1,500. We did not find Georgia barber board approval stated for the Tucker program.
• The online programs do not say which states they accept students from, and the Electrician program notes that licensure varies by state.

Genesis’s four teaching campuses

• Cookeville, TN: 880-A East 10th Street, Cookeville, TN 38501
• Nashville, TN: 520 Royal Parkway, Suite 250, Nashville, TN 37214
• Dalton, GA: 2104 Fiber Park Drive, Dalton, GA 30721
• Atlanta (Tucker), GA: 1927 Lakeside Parkway, Tucker, GA 30084

Cookeville is the main campus and Nashville its branch. The Dalton campus page shows both 2103 and 2104 Fiber Park Drive; the catalog uses 2104. The Dalton and Tucker catalog also lists an Atlanta branch in Smyrna whose only program, Arbor Technician, is marked “TBA”; it has no campus page and no programs running, so it is not counted here. The corporate office on Roswell Road in Atlanta is an office, not a campus.

Externships and career help

Genesis has no on-campus housing. Its Master Barber program page lists externships, résumé and cover-letter classes, mock interviews, state-board test preparation and mock exams, and guest speakers. Medical assisting, dental assisting and the online electrician program include externships; the beauty programs prepare for state board exams on campus.

What students say

None of the review sites we could check has the 25 or more reviews of Genesis we need for a summary. When we checked on 14 October 2026, the Niche page for Cookeville had 17 reviews, the newest from November 2023, and Niche’s other Genesis pages had three more between them, 20 in all.

Facts checked October 2026.

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Type	Campus-based career school; many programs blend online theory with shop or lab time
Campuses	22 in 12 states (CO, CT, GA, IL, IN, MD, NJ, NY, PA, RI, TN, TX); 3 more announced for 2026–27
Credentials	Certificates and diplomas; associate degrees in automotive, diesel, HVAC, electrical and collision management
Program length	Diplomas and certificates 27–104 weeks; most trade programs 44–57 weeks on a day schedule
Accreditation	ACCSC (institutional); ACEN for practical nursing at Lincoln, RI; program accreditations vary by campus
Federal aid	Yes (Pell Grants, Direct Loans); GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon
Owner	Lincoln Educational Services Corp. (NASDAQ: LINC), Parsippany, NJ. Founded 1946 in Newark, NJ
Facts checked	October 2026

About Lincoln Tech

Lincoln Tech opened in Newark, New Jersey in 1946 to train returning World War II veterans. It now runs 22 campuses in 12 states, mostly in the Northeast, Midwest, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, and had about 18,900 students in mid-2026. Campuses operate under three names: Lincoln Technical Institute (mainly the Northeast), Lincoln College of Technology (mainly the Midwest, South and West) and Nashville Auto Diesel College.

Lincoln has narrowed and moved in recent years. It sold its Las Vegas beauty school (Euphoria Institute) at the start of 2025 and closed Somerville, Massachusetts in 2023, and it no longer teaches culinary arts or cosmetology anywhere. At the same time it opened East Point, Georgia (2024) and Houston (2025–26), moved Nashville to a new site and Philadelphia to Levittown, Pennsylvania (2025), and has announced campuses in Hicksville, New York, Rowlett, Texas and Suitland, Maryland.

Programs and where they are taught

Programs differ a lot by campus: some campuses teach only trades, some only health and IT. Hours and total costs below come from Lincoln’s campus catalogs and 2025 tuition sheets (the latest published); totals include tuition, fees, books and tools.

Program	Credential	Clock hours (about)	Campuses	Prepares for	Sample total cost
Automotive Service Technology	Diploma/certificate (management degree option)	1,320 (57 weeks, day)	13	ASE Education Foundation accredited (e.g. Mahwah, Nashville)	$38,112 (Mahwah, Feb 2025)
Diesel & Truck Service Technology	Diploma/certificate (management degree option)	1,320 (transport refrigeration version at South Plainfield)	6	Entry-level diesel and truck technician	$38,191 (South Plainfield, Apr 2025)
Collision Repair & Refinishing	Diploma (management degree option)	1,000	4	I-CAR Pro Level 1 (Non-Structural, Refinish)	–
Heavy Equipment Service Technology	Diploma (degree option)	1,320	Nashville, South Plainfield	Heavy equipment technician	$41,838 (South Plainfield, Apr 2025)
HVAC (Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating)	Certificate/diploma (management degree option)	1,200 (52 weeks, day)	17	EPA Section 608 testing encouraged	$32,770 (Mahwah, Feb 2025)
Electrical & Electronic Systems Technology	Certificate/diploma (management degree option)	1,200 (52 weeks, day)	Most trade campuses	NCCER-accredited (Mahwah); apprentice or helper roles	$32,904 (Mahwah, Feb 2025)
Welding & Fabrication	Certificate/diploma	720–1,200 (960 hours is about 44 weeks, day)	13	AWS SENSE certificate of completion; OSHA 10	$33,627 (Mahwah, Feb 2025)
Advanced Manufacturing with Robotics (machining)	Certificate	990 (46 weeks)	Mahwah only	NIMS credentials; Haas CNC machines	$26,597 (Mahwah, Feb 2025)
Practical Nursing	Certificate/diploma	1,425–1,500 (52 weeks day, 90–104 evening)	7	NCLEX-PN (LPN licence)	$36,539 (Iselin, Feb 2025)
Medical Assistant	Diploma/certificate	880 (about 37 weeks)	12	RMA (AMT) at some campuses	$23,697 (Iselin, Feb 2025)
Dental Assistant	Certificate	960 (about 42 weeks)	Iselin only	DANB RHS and ICE exams	$22,976 (Iselin, Feb 2025)
Patient Care Technician	Certificate	600 (about 27 weeks)	Iselin, Paramus	EKG, phlebotomy and patient care technician exams	$16,832 (Iselin, Feb 2025)
Computer Systems Support Technician	Certificate	990 (about 42 weeks)	Iselin, Paramus	CompTIA A+, Network+	$27,449 (Iselin, Feb 2025)

Lincoln works with employers and manufacturers on some programs: Audi, Mazda and Tesla in automotive at some campuses, Johnson Controls and Hussmann in HVAC and refrigeration, Republic Services in diesel, and Haas in machining. Which partnerships are available varies by campus.

What the main programs cover

Automotive Service Technology

At Mahwah the certificate is 1,320 clock hours over about 57 weeks: eleven 120-hour courses, each half lecture and half lab, covering shop practices, gasoline engines, electrical systems and powertrain electronics, transmissions, air conditioning, advanced diagnostics, brakes, steering and suspension, and service shop management. Nashville’s 1,560-hour diploma adds fuel and emissions and driveability diagnosis, and a 1,920-hour version adds high-performance engines. Mahwah and Nashville hold ASE Education Foundation accreditation, and Lincoln requires its auto instructors to hold ASE certifications. Management versions of about 1,545 to 1,785 hours add general education and lead to an associate degree.

HVAC (Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating)

The HVAC certificate is 1,200 clock hours over about 52 weeks: ten 120-hour courses, half lecture and half lab, covering climate control systems, electricity, two heating courses, basic refrigeration, air conditioning, energy conservation, commercial refrigeration and commercial troubleshooting, and advanced electrical troubleshooting. Students learn refrigerant recovery and recycling and are encouraged to take the EPA Section 608 test, which is required to buy and handle refrigerants; Lincoln’s catalogs don’t say whether the test is included. Mahwah’s program is accredited by HVAC Excellence.

Electrical & Electronic Systems Technology

This 1,200-hour certificate has ten courses: an introduction to the trades, materials, electronic and electrical principles, basic electricity, wiring principles, electrical controls and PLCs, then four low-voltage courses on fiber optics and networking, security and CCTV, fire alarms, and home theater and system integration. Mahwah’s program is NCCER-accredited and Lincoln says it prepares students for New Jersey apprenticeships. A state electrician’s licence still requires years of supervised work and an exam.

Welding & Fabrication

The 960-hour program at Mahwah and South Plainfield (about 44 weeks by day, 52 on weekends at South Plainfield) has eight courses: welding and cutting fundamentals with a 10-hour OSHA safety orientation, arc welding procedures, stick (SMAW) plate, MIG/flux-cored plate, TIG, stick and MIG pipe welding, and fabrication. Nashville runs a 720-hour version without pipe, and Grand Prairie a 1,200-hour version with an introduction to pipefitting. Students can earn an AWS SENSE certificate of completion; this is not an AWS certified-welder test, so ask which weld tests you can take.

Practical Nursing

At Iselin the program is 1,500 clock hours (about 52 weeks by day, 104 in the evening) with 575 clinical hours spread across four clinical courses. Coursework covers anatomy and physiology, nursing fundamentals, pharmacology, mental health, maternity and pediatric nursing, and adult nursing across the lifespan, and prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN. Lincoln, RI’s version is 1,425 hours with about 495 clinical hours. Clinical times are set by the sites, and students pay their own travel and meals. Applicants take a nursing entrance assessment and a background check; Lincoln, RI also interviews applicants.

Medical Assistant

The program is 880 clock hours, about 37 weeks, with day, afternoon or evening classes. Six courses cover an introduction to allied health, cardiopulmonary procedures, the musculoskeletal system and medication administration, clinical lab techniques, laboratory and surgical procedures, and the administrative medical office, including vital signs, EKG, phlebotomy and injections. It ends with a 160-hour internship in daytime hours, about five weeks full time, even for evening students. Lincoln, RI and Indianapolis name the RMA exam from American Medical Technologists.

Cost and paying for it

Lincoln publishes a tuition sheet for each campus. The latest available are dated 2025: core trade programs total about $32,000 to $42,000, practical nursing about $36,500, medical assisting about $23,700, and the most expensive on the sheets we found, Diesel & Truck with Transport Refrigeration at South Plainfield, $46,161. Totals include fees, books and tools. Lincoln’s annual report gives diploma tuition of $14,500 to $44,000 and associate degree tuition of $34,000 to $43,000.

Lincoln is eligible for federal student aid; about 85% of its 2025 revenue came from federal aid programs. It accepts the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bill, takes part in the Yellow Ribbon program and offers SkillBridge for service members in their last months of duty. Lincoln says it is awarding $25 million in scholarships in 2026, including the American Hero Scholarship of up to $1,000 for military members and veterans who enroll before 31 December 2026.

Admissions and schedule

Applicants need a high school diploma or an equivalent such as the GED or HiSET and must complete Lincoln’s assessment. Health programs add a background check, and practical nursing adds a nursing entrance assessment. New classes start roughly monthly. Trade programs run in morning, afternoon and evening shifts, four or five days a week, and practical nursing has day and evening tracks. Some coursework is delivered online through Lincoln’s blended format, with shop and lab time on campus.

Accreditation and results

All Lincoln campuses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), and the practical nursing program at Lincoln, RI also holds ACEN accreditation. Lincoln’s federal Student Right-to-Know disclosures for full-time students who started in 2020–21 show graduation within 150% of normal time of 72% at Grand Prairie, 53% at Indianapolis and 51% at Iselin. First-time NCLEX-PN pass rates in 2025 were 83% at Iselin, 92.5% at Moorestown and 95% at Paramus (January to September), and 96% day and 92% evening at New Britain and 93% day and 100% evening at Shelton.

Lincoln was one of 153 schools named in the Sweet v. Cardona borrower-defense settlement and asked the Supreme Court to block it; the Court refused in April 2023.

Internships, career help and housing

Lincoln offers career services to help graduates with job searches and employer connections. Health and IT programs include an internship or clinical placement, and students pay their own transport and meals; medical assisting internships run in daytime hours even for evening students. Lincoln has no dormitories but partners with EduRent to help relocating students find housing at eight campuses, including Nashville, Grand Prairie, Houston, Denver and Indianapolis.

Before you enroll

• Check that your campus teaches your program. Union, NJ, for example, now teaches only automotive, electrical and HVAC, and Brooklyn is an admissions office, not a campus.
• Most trade programs total about $32,000 to $42,000. Community college programs in the same trades are usually cheaper.
• The electrical program prepares you for an apprenticeship or helper role, not a licence.
• Paramus’s practical nursing program was on Board of Nursing probation in 2024 for low pass rates. It improved in 2025 and resumed enrolling in January 2026, but ask about its current status.
• Older listings may show culinary, cosmetology or massage programs or the Las Vegas, Somerville and Philadelphia campuses; none of these exist any more.

What students say

Lincoln has no single school-wide review page with enough reviews, so we looked at its campus pages on Niche. Seven campuses have 25 or more reviews, about 800 in total, with averages from 3.75 (Indianapolis) to 4.2 (Marietta) out of 5 (checked October 2026). The largest are Lincoln, RI (3.95, 262 reviews), Denver (3.83, 157) and Nashville Auto Diesel College (3.96, 132).

• Praised: hands-on shop time, instructors with industry experience, small classes and helpful staff, and career services support.
• Criticized: instructor turnover in some programs, unexpected charges and financial-aid problems, equipment and tools below expectations, more online coursework than expected, and some reviewers who felt the tour oversold the program.

Sources

Lincoln Tech campuses · Program areas · Lincoln FY2025 annual report (10-K) · Mahwah tuition sheet · Iselin tuition sheet · NJ NCLEX-PN results · Scholarships · Niche (Lincoln, RI)

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Fact	Detail
Type	Career college: campus, hybrid and online programs
Campuses	7 in Georgia (2), North Carolina (3), Oklahoma (1) and Tennessee (1), plus the Miller-Motte Driving Institute (CDL only) in Summerville, SC. Online programs run through the Chattanooga campus
Credentials	Certificates and diplomas (10–15 months; CDL 4–8 weeks), associate degrees (about 18 months), online bachelor’s degrees (about 30–33 months)
Accreditation	ACCSC (institutional); Chattanooga is the main campus and the others are branches
Federal aid	Yes at the seven campuses; no at the Driving Institute
Founded	1916, Wilmington, NC (that campus closed in 2024)
Owner	Ancora Education, owned since 1 April 2025 by Lindenwood Education System, a non-profit
Facts checked	October 2026

Seven campuses, an online division and a driving school

Miller-Motte College started in 1916 in Wilmington, NC, as a school for stenographers. Today it has seven campuses in Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee teaching CDL, skilled trades and allied health programs such as medical and dental assisting. The new programs it announced in 2025 and 2026 were in the trades: welding, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and construction management. Its online division, run through the main campus in Chattanooga, TN, offers diplomas, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees in healthcare support, business and IT. A separate Miller-Motte Driving Institute in Summerville, SC teaches only truck driving and does not take federal aid.

The college has shrunk: our page used to list 12 campuses, and five of them have closed or dropped off the school’s list (see below). Programs start every five weeks, and a program offered at one campus is often not offered at the next, so check the campus before you apply.

Who owns Miller-Motte

Miller-Motte is run by Ancora Education, which also runs Arizona Automotive Institute, Berks Technical Institute and South Texas Vocational Technical Institute. Ancora bought the college from Delta Career Education in 2018. On 1 April 2025 Ancora was acquired by Lindenwood Education System, a non-profit corporation in St. Charles, Missouri that also owns Lindenwood University and Dorsey College. Lindenwood says the schools “continue to operate independently with their own accreditations”. Federal IPEDS data still list the Miller-Motte campuses as private for-profit, and we could not confirm whether they have changed tax status.

Programs and where they are taught

The school says it offers 22 career training programs. Each campus teaches a different subset, taken here from each program page’s “available at” line and the campus pages (October 2026).

Program	Credential	Length	Delivery	Where taught	Prepares for
CDL: Class A Tractor Trailer	Certificate, 160 clock hours	4 weeks full-time or 8 part-time	In person, range and road	Augusta, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Chattanooga; Driving Institute (SC)	State CDL skills and knowledge tests
Combination Welding	Diploma, 56.5 credits	10 months	Hybrid	Augusta, Fayetteville, Raleigh	NCCER credentials
Electrical	Certificate or diploma, 50 credits	10 months	In person	Augusta, Columbus, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Raleigh, Tulsa, Chattanooga	NCCER; not an electrician licence exam
HVAC & Basic Refrigeration	Diploma (GA, OK, TN) or certificate (NC)	About 10 months	Hybrid	Augusta, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Raleigh, Tulsa, Chattanooga	EPA Section 608; NCCER
Plumbing	Not confirmed	About 10 months	In person	Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Raleigh	NCCER; not a plumbing licence exam
Construction & Trades Management	AAS, 92 credits	18 months	In person or online	Fayetteville, Jacksonville; online	–
Medical Clinical Assistant	Diploma, 60 credits in TN and OK; 72 in NC	13 months in TN and OK; 15 in NC	Hybrid	All campuses except Augusta	No exam named
Dental Assisting	Diploma, 68 credits, or degree track, 92 credits	15 months (18 for the degree)	Hybrid	Chattanooga, Tulsa (diploma); Raleigh (degree)	No exam named
Medical Billing & Coding	Diploma, 72 credits	15 months	Online or in person	Tulsa, Chattanooga; online	CBCS
Healthcare Information Technology	AOS or AAS	About 18 months	Online or in person	Augusta, Chattanooga; online	Coding and health information work
Surgical Technology	AAS	18 months	In person with clinical rotations	Chattanooga only	CST exam
Practical Nursing	90 credits	14 months	In person with clinicals	Tulsa only	NCLEX-PN (school’s statement)
Pharmacy Technician	AAS, 92 credits	18 months	Online	Online	PTCB or ExCPT
Early Childhood Education	AAS, 92 credits	About 18 months	Online, hybrid or in person	Augusta, Columbus; online	Not a teaching licence
IT Support Specialist	AOS, 92 credits	About 18 months	Online or in person	Augusta; online	–
PC & Network Support Technician	Diploma, 60 credits	13 months	Online	Online	CompTIA A+, Linux+, Network+
Business Administration	AAS, 92 credits, or BS, 186 credits	18 or 30 months	Online	Online	–
Bachelor’s degrees: Healthcare Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing, IT Management, Cyber Security	BS, 186–188 credits (Marketing not confirmed)	About 32–33 months (Marketing not confirmed)	Online	Online (IT Management listed as full)	–

Miller-Motte publishes a few limits that matter: its electrical and plumbing programs state that they do not prepare students for the state licensing exam, and early childhood education states that it does not prepare students for any teaching licence. The school says it “cannot guarantee job placement, salary, or employment” and does not guarantee third-party certifications. Practical nursing and surgical technology are each taught at a single campus.

What the main programs cover

CDL Class A

The 160-hour course is taught in person on a practice range and on the road. It covers pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspection, basic control skills, non-driving activities and preventive maintenance, which the school describes as the material commonly tested for the CDL. Full-time students finish in four weeks and part-time students in eight. At the Summerville Driving Institute, applicants must be 18 or older, hold a valid licence, have a clean motor vehicle record and no DUI or DWI in five years, and day or evening/weekend classes are offered.

Combination Welding

The 10-month diploma teaches the four main processes, shielded metal arc (stick), gas metal arc (MIG), flux-cored and gas tungsten arc (TIG), on both plate and pipe, including V-groove joints and reading welding symbols. Theory is partly online and the welding is done in the campus shop. The school says the program is designed to prepare students for NCCER credentialing; it does not mention American Welding Society certification tests. It is taught at Augusta, Fayetteville and Raleigh.

Electrical and HVAC

Both programs run about 10 months and follow NCCER standards; electrical is 50 credits, as is HVAC at Fayetteville. Electrical covers the National Electrical Code, conduit bending, motors and troubleshooting; the school states it does not prepare students for the electrician licensing exam. HVAC & Basic Refrigeration prepares students for the EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification and NCCER credentials. HVAC is a diploma in Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee and a certificate in North Carolina.

Plumbing

Taught only at the three North Carolina campuses, the program’s courses are Introduction to Plumbing; Basic Craft Skills; Piping and Valves; Installation and Testing; Sizing, Venting and Storm Systems; Service Plumbing and Sump Pumps; Hydronic and Solar Heating and Plumbing Codes; and Private Water and Waste, Pools, Hot Tubs and Mobile Homes. It follows NCCER materials, and the school states that it does not prepare students to take the plumbing licensing exam.

Surgical Technology

This 18-month associate of applied science degree at Chattanooga combines classroom and campus training with clinical rotations, and the school says it includes training in robotic surgery. Miller-Motte says the program is accredited by CAAHEP and prepares students for the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) exam. No other Miller-Motte campus teaches it. Exam pass rates and employment for recent cohorts are in the results table below.

Practical Nursing

Tulsa’s 90-credit, 14-month program combines classroom study with clinical placements and, the school says, leads to eligibility for the NCLEX-PN licensing exam. It is on the school’s licence from the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools (August 2026 list). It is Miller-Motte’s only nursing program; the college offers no RN program. See the note on board approval under “Before you enroll”.

Cost and paying for it

Miller-Motte does not publish prices on its program pages (“program costs vary based on campus”), and the catalogs that hold tuition sheets could not be read. The figures below are tuition and fees for each campus’s largest programs as reported to the federal government (College Navigator, 2024-25). Books, supplies and later price changes are not included. Augusta also reported prices for medical assisting and medical coding, and Columbus for medical coding and business administration; we leave these out because those campuses no longer list the programs.

Campus	Program (credits or hours)	Tuition and fees, 2024-25
Fayetteville, NC	CDL (160 clock hours)	$5,000
Fayetteville, NC	HVAC (50 credits)	$18,790
Columbus, GA	Medical/clinical assistant	$22,540
Fayetteville, NC	Medical/clinical assistant (60 credits as reported; the program page gives 72 in NC)	$27,040
Chattanooga, TN (incl. online)	Medical insurance coding	$27,040
Chattanooga, TN (incl. online)	Business administration (92 credits), pharmacy technician, early childhood education	$33,620 each
Augusta, GA	Health information / medical records technology (92 credits)	$35,000

Niche’s federal-data estimates of average net price per year, after grants, run from about $22,200 (Augusta) to $26,000 (Fayetteville). Ways to pay:

• Federal aid: FAFSA, Pell Grants and federal loans at the seven campuses. The Driving Institute does not take part in federal aid. The school’s default-rate notice gives a 0% cohort default rate for FY2020 to FY2022.
• Other funding: workforce agency (WIOA) funding, vocational rehabilitation, third-party lenders and payment plans.
• Scholarships (paid in equal parts per term; cannot be combined with other discounts): Early Childhood Education Scholarship, up to $2,500, up to 1,000 a year, online; Empowering Equality in Trade Professions (Fayetteville, with Raleigh and Chattanooga versions), up to 15 awards of $2,500 a year for electrical, HVAC, plumbing and welding; Compassionate Care Scholarship, Raleigh, up to 15 awards of $2,500 for medical clinical assisting; Jacksonville High School Scholarship, 25 awards of $5,000 a year for graduates since January 2020 of five nearby school districts.
• Military: Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30), Yellow Ribbon, Tuition Assistance, MyCAA and SkillBridge. The school notes that “VA approvals vary by campus”; Jacksonville’s electrical program is approved by North Carolina’s State Approving Agency.

Admissions and schedule

Applicants must meet the requirements in their campus catalog, which we could not read; the IT Support Specialist page asks for a high school diploma or equivalent and an admissions interview, and applicants without a diploma are told to ask admissions about their options. The school’s FAQ says California residents cannot apply. CDL applicants at the Driving Institute must be 18 or older with a valid licence and clean driving record.

Programs start every five weeks on campus and every five to ten weeks online. The school offers “day, evening, and weekend scheduling for select in-person and online classes”. Online programs are run through the Chattanooga campus; residents of other states should confirm with admissions that their state is eligible.

Accreditation and results

Miller-Motte is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), with Chattanooga as the main campus and the others as branches. ACCSC renewed accreditation for Augusta, Fayetteville and Raleigh in a September 2025 notice, and the ACCSC notices we checked (June, September and December 2025 and March 2026) showed no Miller-Motte campus on probation. The three North Carolina campuses are licensed by the University of North Carolina System, Tulsa by the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools, and the Driving Institute by the SC DMV; the college takes part in NC-SARA through Tennessee, which covers its online programs. The school says its Chattanooga surgical technology program is CAAHEP-accredited and its pharmacy technician program is PTCB-recognized.

The 2025-26 Student Right-to-Know disclosures on the consumer information page give these federal (IPEDS) figures: graduation within 150% of normal time for first-time, full-time students, retention and the share of students receiving Pell Grants. Check the original PDFs before relying on a figure. For Columbus, College Navigator gives a 13% graduation rate for students who started in 2021-22.

Campus	Graduation rate (cohort)	Retention, fall 2024 to fall 2025	Pell recipients
Chattanooga, TN	51% (2019 starters)	64%	67% (2019-20)
Augusta, GA	64% (2022)	59%	62%
Columbus, GA	60% (2022)	47%	96%
Fayetteville, NC	83% (2022)	64%	35%
Jacksonville, NC	91% (2022)	65%	29%
Raleigh, NC	66% (2022)	65%	64%
Tulsa, OK	73% (2022)	65%	62%

Program results below are graduation, employment and licensure or exam rates as Miller-Motte reported them to ACCSC (annual report of 1 July 2025, ACCSC definitions) and published in the same disclosures; the cohort is the one in that report unless shown.

Program and campus	Graduation	Employment	Licensure or exam
CDL Class A, 1 month, Jacksonville	97% (56 of 58)	73% (34 of 48)	96%
CDL Class A, 1 month, Fayetteville	88%	73%	91%
CDL Class A, 1 month, Chattanooga	90%	74%	98%
CDL Class A, 1 month, Augusta	95% (35 of 37)	34% (12 of 35)	81%
Combination Welding, Raleigh	46% (32 of 70)	63% (19 of 30)	–
HVAC, Raleigh	67% (31 of 46)	76%	–
Medical Clinical Assistant, by campus	33% (Fayetteville) to 53% (Columbus)	69% (Augusta) to 89% (Tulsa)	–
Surgical Technology, Chattanooga (2022 cohort)	56% (15 of 27)	93% (13 of 14)	CST 58% (7 of 12)
Practical Nursing, Tulsa (July 2022–June 2023 cohort, 2024-25 disclosure)	86%	58%	NCLEX-PN 70%
Medical Billing & Coding, online	30% (293 of 970)	19% (19 of 139)	–
Pharmacy Technician, online	33% (127 of 390)	13% (10 of 76)	–
IT Support Specialist, online	17%	14%	–

Before you enroll

• Electrical and plumbing do not lead straight to a licence. Miller-Motte says neither program prepares students for the state licensing exam, and early childhood education does not prepare students for a teaching licence.
• Check practical nursing approval. We could not confirm Tulsa’s program on the Oklahoma Board of Nursing’s undated list of approved practical nursing programs, although the school reported a 70% NCLEX-PN pass rate for a 2022–23 cohort. Ask the school for written proof of its current Board of Nursing approval.
• Results vary widely by program and campus. In the 2025 ACCSC figures in the table above (check the campus PDFs), Augusta’s one-month CDL course reported 34% employment against 73% at Jacksonville; the online medical billing and coding (19%) and pharmacy technician (13%) programs reported very low employment for programs costing about $27,000 to $34,000 in tuition and fees.
• The Driving Institute is a different school. It carries the name Miller-Motte Driving Institute, not Miller-Motte College, and takes no federal aid, so ask the institute how its students pay before you apply.
• Confirm what your campus teaches. Raleigh announced CDL training for February 2025 but no longer lists it, Columbus’s disclosure lists CDL and HVAC with no student starts, and the school’s own FAQ page still lists campuses that have closed.

Campuses that closed or are no longer listed

• Wilmington, NC (5000 Market St), the original campus: the school’s history page says it closed in 2024. Its campus page no longer exists.
• Cary, NC (2205 Walnut St): closed; it is on the North Carolina State Archives list of closed schools (July 2025). We found no closing date.
• Charleston (North Charleston) and Conway, SC: still open in March 2022, but missing from Ancora’s 2024 campus security report and from South Carolina’s January 2025 list of licensed schools, so closed by 2024. We found no closing dates. The Summerville Driving Institute is now Miller-Motte’s only South Carolina location.
• Macon, GA (175 Tom Hill Sr Blvd): no longer on the school’s list of campuses and has no 2025-26 disclosure, after reporting for 2024-25. We could not confirm whether or when it closed.

Three campuses have moved: Augusta to Deans Bridge Road (2022), Jacksonville to New Frontier Way, and Chattanooga to Brainerd Road (January 2025). Tulsa was Platt College before taking the Miller-Motte name.

Housing and career help

Miller-Motte lists no student housing, and College Navigator shows none at Fayetteville. Career services help with résumés and interview preparation and draw on employer partnerships, and externships are available in medical clinical assisting; the catalogs that set out externship hours and who arranges placements could not be read. In July 2026 the Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Raleigh and Tulsa campuses were named on the USA TODAY/Statista list of “America’s Top Vocational Schools”.

What students say

Two Miller-Motte campuses have 25 or more reviews on Niche (checked October 2026): Tulsa, 3.92 out of 5 from 75 reviews, and Chattanooga, 4.73 from 26. The other campuses have four reviews or fewer, and Trustpilot has one.

• Praise: instructors who check in on students, flexible online classes for working parents, helpful advisors, and CDL instructors at Jacksonville.
• Complaints: old or broken equipment and little lab time (Tulsa, 2024), financial aid and disbursement problems (Fayetteville and Tulsa), high cost for short programs, and harsh grading and slow advisors online (Chattanooga, January 2025).

How far to trust them: most of Tulsa’s reviews were written in 2015–2016, when it was Platt College, with another cluster in August 2024. At Chattanooga, 23 of 26 reviews give five stars and most come from online students in 2023–2024, a burst that may reflect reviews the school invited.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Miller-Motte College · Consumer information and disclosures · Online programs · Miller-Motte Driving Institute · Lindenwood acquisition (Apr 2025) · ACCSC notice (Sep 2025) · UNC System licensed institutions · College Navigator, Chattanooga

Fact	Detail
Type	Private nonprofit two-year technical college; campus-based, no online programs
Campuses	3, all in Memphis, Tennessee: main campus (Poplar Avenue), Welding Campus (N. Bellevue Blvd) and Auto Campus (S. Mendenhall); a fourth was announced for fall 2026
Credentials	Associate of Applied Technology (AAT), diplomas and certificates
Program length	1 or 2 years; day programs lead to the AAT or a diploma, night programs to a certificate
Calendar	Trimesters
Accreditation	Council on Occupational Education, since 1971; next review due 31 December 2027
Federal aid	Pell Grants, yes; federal Direct Loans, not accepted
Cost	$9,900 tuition and fees, books included (2025-26 College Financing Plan); tools $225 to $400
Students	461 in fall 2023, 46% full-time (federal data)
Founded	1939
Facts checked	October 2026

Moore Tech: a nonprofit trade college in Memphis since 1939

William R. Moore College of Technology, known as Moore Tech, is a private, nonprofit technical college run by a board of trustees. It opened on 11 April 1939 as the William R. Moore School of Technology, paid for by a bequest from the Memphis merchant William R. Moore, who died in 1909. It teaches seven trades: air conditioning and heating, welding, automotive service, industrial electricity, machining, property maintenance and plumbing.

The school is small, with 461 students in fall 2023, and most of them (54%) study part-time. It runs on trimesters, with day classes for associate degrees and diplomas and two-night-a-week evening classes for certificates. It accepts Pell Grants and Tennessee Promise but does not take part in the federal student loan program. A fourth campus, at Northside Square, has been announced for fall 2026.

Seven trade programs, by day and by night

Most Moore Tech programs come in three versions: a two-year Associate of Applied Technology (AAT) or a diploma for day students, who attend Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and a certificate for night students, who attend Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The school says night classes are offered subject to availability. Where a cell shows a dash, we could not verify the figure.

Program	Credential	Length	Schedule	Where	Prepares for	Published cost
Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating (HVAC)	AAT or diploma (day); certificate (night)	2 years	Day or two nights a week	Memphis campuses	Service technician jobs; no certification named	–
Welding / Welding – Advanced	Diploma or certificate (1 year); diploma or AAT (2 years)	1 or 2 years	Day; one-year certificate at night	Welding Campus, N. Bellevue Blvd	No certification named	–
Automotive Service Technology	AAT	2 years	Day; ends with a dealership internship	Auto Campus, S. Mendenhall	ASE student certification (2018 announcement)	–
Industrial Electricity & Plant Maintenance	AAT or diploma (day); certificate (night)	2 years	Day or two nights a week	Memphis campuses	Industrial and plant maintenance work; no licence named	–
Machine Shop / Machining Technology	AAT or diploma (day); certificate (night)	2 years	Day or two nights a week	Memphis campuses	Manual and CNC machining; no certification named	–
Property Maintenance / Property Maintenance – Advanced	Diploma or certificate (1 year); diploma or AAT (2 years, day)	1 or 2 years	Advanced track by day	Memphis campuses	No certification named	–
Plumbing	Certificate	1 year, 3 courses	Tuesday and Thursday nights	Memphis campuses	One year of credit toward a three-year registered apprenticeship	–

Credits from the AAT can carry on to a bachelor’s degree: under a 2023 agreement, Mississippi State University counts 60 credits of a Moore Tech AAT, up to 45 of them technical, toward its 120-credit Bachelor of Applied Science. We could not read the school’s 2026-27 fee schedule, so the table shows no program prices; the only verified cost figure is college-wide.

What the main programs cover

Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating

All three versions of the HVAC program take two years. The courses named are Electricity for HVAC, Basic Domestic Heating, Commercial Heating, Introduction to Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Commercial Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning. Day students study for the AAT or a diploma; evening students for a certificate. The school’s stated outcome is employment as a service technician, and its program page lists no outside certification. HVAC students can apply for the EGIA Foundation’s HVAC HERO scholarship and TechForce scholarships, both outside awards.

Welding and Welding – Advanced

Welding classes meet in their own building on N. Bellevue Blvd. The first year covers introductory, intermediate and advanced welding and leads to a diploma by day or a certificate at night. Students who stay a second year, in Welding – Advanced, add robotic welding, CNC plasma cutting and advanced pipe welding and finish with a diploma or an AAT. The school also mentions a two-year night certificate but publishes no schedule for it. Welding students can apply for outside TechForce scholarships.

Automotive Service Technology

This two-year AAT has its own campus on S. Mendenhall, in a building that the Greater Memphis Auto Dealers Association owns and Moore Tech operates, and its own online application. Students finish the degree with a full-time internship at a new-car dealership, which the Council on Occupational Education described in a 2021 profile of the school, and member dealers recruit graduates. Ask the school whether a shorter diploma or certificate is also offered, since only the AAT is listed.

Industrial Electricity & Plant Maintenance

This program is aimed at maintenance electricians in factories and plants. Its courses include an introduction to programmable logic controllers, industrial fluid power, electric motor control and industrial electronics, along with commercial wiring under the National Electrical Code and the residential code. Day students earn an AAT or a diploma in two years, and night students a certificate in the same time. The program page names no electrician licence or exam, so students aiming for an electrician licence should ask the school how the program fits that path.

Machine Shop / Machining Technology

The two years split cleanly: one year on manual machines, one year on CNC equipment. The courses are Basic Machining Technology, Machining Metals, CNC Lathe and Milling, Machine Shop Practice and Precision Medical Machining, which the school ties to medical-device manufacturers in the Memphis area. The program leads to an AAT or a diploma by day and a certificate at night. The program page does not mention NIMS credentials, so ask whether any are offered.

Plumbing and Property Maintenance

Plumbing is an evening certificate of three courses (PM113-C, PM114-C and PM115-C) taught to the ICC plumbing and gas codes with the Memphis Area Plumbers Association; it counts for one year of a three-year registered apprenticeship, and no employer sponsorship requirement is mentioned. Property Maintenance teaches electricity, carpentry and plumbing in its first year, leading to a diploma or certificate. The two-year Advanced track, by day, adds advanced carpentry, basic domestic heating and an introduction to air conditioning, and can end in an AAT.

Cost: Pell and Tennessee Promise, no federal loans

Moore Tech’s College Financing Plan for 2025-26 lists $9,900 a year in tuition and fees, with books and supplies included, plus $225 to $400 for a tool kit; the estimated cost of attendance for a student living off campus is $10,125. Federal data list 2024-25 tuition and fees of $9,723. The school has published a 2026-27 fee schedule, but we could not read it.

Since fall 2025 students pay a $500 tuition deposit each trimester and can spread the rest over a two- or three-month payment plan; accounts behind on the plan are charged a $100 late fee in week 7. The application fee was $25 in 2024-25.

Federal Direct Loans are not accepted, and 0% of first-time, full-time students borrowed in 2022-23. That year 54% of those students received a Pell Grant, averaging $5,190, and 54% received a grant from the school, averaging $1,821. Moore Tech is on the Tennessee Promise list of eligible institutions (June 2026). The school’s own awards are the William R. Moore Scholarship, which weighs a 2.0 GPA, attendance, payment history and need, and the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis Scholarship for women; no amounts are published.

Veterans can use the Post-9/11 GI Bill (29 students did in 2022-23), and the school takes part in the Yellow Ribbon program, gives credit for military training and has a student-veteran organization.

Open admission, trimester starts and night classes

Admission is open. There are two online applications, one for automotive and one for every other program. The fall 2026 trimester runs from orientation on 1 September to 11 December, with day and Monday/Wednesday evening classes starting 2 September and Tuesday/Thursday evening classes on 3 September. The winter 2027 trimester runs from 4 January to 9 April.

Accreditation and results

Moore Tech has been accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE) since 11 November 1971 and was among the first group of schools the agency accredited; its next review is due 31 December 2027. In 2021 COE wrote that the school had consistently kept good standing and had never been placed on a restrictive status. We found no accreditation actions, lawsuits or regulatory actions involving Moore Tech from 2023 to 2026. We found no programmatic accreditation for any program.

According to College Navigator, 47% of the full-time, first-time students who started in fall 2020 graduated within 150% of normal program time, and 64% of full-time and 56% of part-time students who started in fall 2022 returned in fall 2023. The school’s employment page says it “works hard to maintain its 97% placement rate”, but gives no year, group of graduates or definition for that figure.

Before you enroll

• No federal student loans: Moore Tech does not take part in the Direct Loan program, so students who cannot cover the cost with grants, Tennessee Promise or the payment plan need another way to pay.
• Fewer than half graduate: 47% of full-time, first-time students who started in fall 2020 graduated within 150% of normal time. The 97% placement figure is the school’s own and comes with no year or definition.
• Neither the electrical nor the plumbing program names a licence: Industrial Electricity & Plant Maintenance names no electrician licence, and the plumbing certificate covers one year of a three-year apprenticeship.
• No certification exams are named: the HVAC page does not mention EPA Section 608 certification, the welding pages do not mention AWS certification and the machining page does not mention NIMS. Ask which exams, if any, are offered or paid for.
• Evening classes are not guaranteed: the school offers night classes “subject to availability”, so confirm your section before planning around it.

Three Memphis campuses

Campus	Address	What is taught there
Main campus	1200 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104	Headquarters; the school does not say which programs meet here
Welding Campus	475 N. Bellevue Blvd, Memphis, TN 38105	Welding and Welding – Advanced
Auto Campus	2785 S. Mendenhall, Memphis, TN 38115	Automotive Service Technology (AAT)

Moore Tech has also announced a fourth campus in the basement of the former Northside High School at Northside Square, 1212 Vollintine Avenue, for HVAC, welding and property maintenance, planned to welcome students in fall 2026, according to We Are Memphis (February 2026). We could not confirm that classes have started there.

Career help, and no housing

Moore Tech has no student housing; its cost estimates assume students live off campus. A workforce development office helps graduates find jobs, and the school describes a “lifetime placement opportunity” for graduates while stating that employment is not guaranteed. Automotive students finish with a full-time dealership internship, and dealers in the Greater Memphis Auto Dealers Association recruit from the program.

Facts checked October 2026.

Fact	Detail
Type	Private, for-profit aviation maintenance school; campus-based
Campus	1, in Clarksville, Tennessee, across from Fort Campbell
Credentials	FAA Part 147 certificate, Associate of Applied Science, short A&P prep and FCC licence courses
Main program length	AMT 147: about 17 months (days) or about 34 months (nights)
Accreditation	Council on Occupational Education; FAA-certificated Part 147 mechanic school
Federal aid	Yes (school code 030791); GI Bill approved
Founded / owner	1988; a subsidiary of SkyWarrior Aviation Academy, LLC since summer 2023
Students	61 in 2024 (IPEDS), 45 of them full-time
Facts checked	October 2026

An FAA-certificated mechanic school beside Fort Campbell

North Central Institute (NCI) trains aviation maintenance technicians. It was founded in 1988 in Clarksville, Tennessee, and its catalog places its campus of about 30,000 square feet across from Gate 1 of Fort Campbell, Kentucky; military records such as the DD-214 are accepted for admission to its mechanic programs. Since summer 2023 NCI has been a subsidiary of SkyWarrior Aviation Academy, LLC, part of the SkyWarrior flight-training business in Pensacola, Florida.

The core program is a 1,960-hour certificate taught under the FAA’s Part 147 rules for mechanic schools, which leads to the FAA tests for the airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic certificate. NCI also runs a short A&P prep course for people who already have qualifying experience, an associate degree in aviation technology and FCC radio-licence courses.

Programs at NCI

The mechanic programs and FCC courses are taught at the Clarksville campus; the AAS does not require residency at NCI. Where a cell shows a dash, the school does not say.

Program	Credential	Length	Schedule	Prepares for	2026-27 tuition
Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT 147)	Certificate (FAA Part 147)	56 semester hours, 1,960 clock hours; about 17 months (days) or 34 months (nights)	On campus, Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. or 6:00-9:30 p.m.	FAA General, Airframe and Powerplant tests for the A&P certificate	$17,920 ($320 per course)
Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT 65)	Certificate of completion (prep course)	5.5 semester hours, 88 hours	On campus, nights and weekends	FAA A&P tests, for people already eligible through experience	$902 ($164 per semester hour)
Associate of Applied Science in Aviation Technology	AAS degree	62 semester hours; about 24 months	Residency at NCI not required	A degree, not a separate licence	$320 per semester hour
FCC radio-licence courses	Course	–	On campus	FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License; radar endorsement	$150 to $500 per course, plus exam fees

Beyond these, the 2026-27 catalog lists Private Pilot, Instrument and Multi-Engine continuing-education flight courses, worth 6 credit hours each. Partner flight schools teach them at their own sites in Pensacola, Florida, and the Phoenix area. NCI holds no programmatic accreditation beyond its FAA certificate.

What the main programs cover

Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT 147)

The 56 courses fall into three sections: General (12 semester hours, 420 clock hours), Airframe (22 semester hours, 770 hours) and Powerplant (22 semester hours, 770 hours). The catalog puts the mix at roughly 40% lecture and 60% lab. Graduates take the three FAA written tests at the school’s testing center, then arrange an oral and practical exam with an FAA Designated Mechanic Examiner. The catalog lists 13 January 2027 as the next start.

Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT 65)

This 88-hour course is a refresher for people who already meet the FAA’s experience rule for mechanics (14 CFR 65.77): 18 months of practical experience for one rating, or 30 months for airframe and powerplant, usually military. It covers General (28 hours), Airframe (30 hours) and Powerplant (30 hours) and meets on nights and weekends. It ends in a certificate of completion and prepares students for the FAA A&P tests, but it does not by itself make anyone eligible to test. The school describes its length in two different ways, so ask for the dates of the next session.

Associate of Applied Science in Aviation Technology

The AAS adds a degree on top of mechanic training; it is not a separate licence. It requires 62 semester hours: 24 in general education, 21 in an aviation concentration and 17 in open electives, and the school estimates about 24 months. FAA certificates and military or civilian aviation experience can count toward the aviation concentration, and at least 18 semester hours must come from NCI, another accredited institution, or DANTES or CLEP exams. Residency at NCI is not required, so ask how the general-education courses are delivered.

2026-27 costs and how students pay

NCI charges one rate to every student, with no in-state or out-of-state pricing. Its tuition and cost page, effective 1 May 2026, lists these charges for the AMT 147 certificate:

AMT 147, 2026-27	Amount
Tuition: 56 courses at $320	$17,920
Lab/technology fee (mandatory, non-refundable)	$2,000
Books	Up to $675
Application fee	$75
Graduation fee	$250
T-shirt	$15 to $20

Adding these items gives about $20,940. That is our sum: NCI publishes no 2026-27 total. FAA testing is extra: the three written tests cost up to $200 each, and the catalog puts the examiner’s fee for the oral and practical exam at $1,200 to $2,000.

AMT 65 costs $164 per semester hour, or $902 for the full 5.5-semester-hour course, plus up to $675 for books and the $75 application fee. The AAS is $320 per semester hour, which would come to $19,840 if all 62 hours were taken at NCI (our arithmetic). The FCC courses cost $400 for Elements 1 and 3, $500 with the radar endorsement or $150 for radar alone, plus FCC exam fees.

NCI takes federal student aid (Pell Grants, Direct loans and PLUS loans; school code 030791), and Tennessee state grants are handled through TSAC. Payment plans are available for AMT 147 and the AAS. The school is approved for GI Bill chapters 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 1606 and 1607, has a page on military Tuition Assistance, and charges $150 to update a military credit evaluation or $300 for an official evaluation with transcript. Five institutional scholarships (eight awards of $250 to $1,000 in all) are given each year, most of them for AMT 147 students with a minimum GPA; applications run from 1 April to 1 July.

Entry requirements and class times

Applicants need a high school diploma, GED or HiSET; for the mechanic programs, military records (DD-214 and STP) are also accepted. They must show English and math proficiency through ACT or SAT scores, transfer credit, CLEP or DSST exams, or NCI’s own proficiency exam, and pay a $75 non-refundable application fee. NCI does not currently accept international applicants. High school students in grades 9 to 12 have an “escrow” option, and students who are not in a program may take up to 9 semester hours. AMT 147 runs on weekdays in a day or a night shift; AMT 65 meets on nights and weekends.

Accreditation and published results

NCI is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education. Its catalog says the accreditation was reaffirmed through 2026, and the Council’s September 2026 member list lists a 2026 visit year. The catalog also lists FAA Air Agency Certificate N4IT070K for a Part 147 mechanic school with airframe and powerplant ratings, with ratings effective 10 April 1998. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission authorizes the school to operate.

On its gainful employment page, NCI reports these figures for its 2024-25 AMT 147 completers: 74% finished within the normal time, 74% were placed in a related field, and their median federal loan debt was $5,444. The school does not say how placement was measured. We found no FAA test pass rates published by NCI.

Federal College Scorecard data shown on Niche (checked October 2026) put median earnings at $54,777 five years after entry. IPEDS reported 61 students in 2024 and an average net price of $30,044 a year.

Before you enroll

• AMT 65 only helps people who already meet the FAA’s experience rule. Without that experience, AMT 147 is the NCI program that leads to the A&P tests.
• The published charges for AMT 147 come to about $20,940, and the FAA written tests and the examiner’s oral and practical exam are paid on top of that.
• The night schedule takes about twice as long as the day schedule: about 34 months against about 17.
• NCI changed hands in summer 2023 and is now a subsidiary of SkyWarrior Aviation Academy, LLC. Its flight courses are taught by partner flight schools, not by NCI.
• The catalog says NCI’s accreditation was reaffirmed through 2026, so the Council’s renewal falls this year. Ask the school where that review stands.

One campus, across from Fort Campbell

The AMT 147, AMT 65 and FCC courses are taught at 168 Jack Miller Blvd., Clarksville, TN 37042. The partner flight-training locations named in the catalog, in Pensacola, Florida, and Mesa, Arizona, are run by partner flight schools, including NCI’s affiliate SkyWarrior Flight Training, and are not NCI campuses.

Testing and career help

The FAA written tests can be taken at the testing center on campus. NCI advertises career placement assistance and has an alumni and employer partners page, but it publishes no placement figure beyond the 74% above. The school’s website lists no student housing.

Facts checked October 2026.

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

Type	Campus-based beauty schools; Columbus, OH and Salt Lake City offer hybrid options
Schools	92 open in 36 states (Paul Mitchell’s locator, October 2026); one more announced in Monroe, LA
Ownership	Each school is an independently owned franchise or partner school; some operating companies run several schools
Programs	Cosmetology at every school; esthetics, barbering, nails, instructor training and makeup at some
Program length	Cosmetology 1,000–1,600 clock hours, set by state rules; other programs from about 50 to 1,500 hours
Accreditation	NACCAS, school by school (two schools name COE instead); several schools disclose NACCAS probation
Federal aid	Pell Grants and federal loans; each school checked has its own FAFSA code
Founded	Paul Mitchell hair-care brand 1980; first Paul Mitchell school 2000
Facts checked	October 2026

How the Paul Mitchell schools work

Paul Mitchell The School is not one college but a network of franchised beauty schools that carry the Paul Mitchell brand of John Paul Mitchell Systems. In Paul Mitchell’s words, “each Paul Mitchell School location is an independently owned and operated franchise.” Each school has its own accreditation and federal aid code, and its own prices, schedules and results, so figures from one school say little about another. Some operators run several schools; Von Curtis, Inc., for example, runs six. Seven schools are partner schools under their own names, such as The Temple in Maryland and Bella Capelli Academy in Pennsylvania.

The hair-care brand dates from 1980; the first school opened in 2000. Paul Mitchell’s own pages variously say “90+” or “over 100” locations; its locator listed 92 open schools in 36 states in October 2026.

Programs across the 92 schools

Which programs a school teaches, and for how many hours, depends on the school and on its state’s licensing rules. Counts below come from each school’s page on paulmitchell.edu (October 2026). Totals include tuition, kit, books and fees, as shown on school program pages.

Program	Schools	Clock hours (examples)	Prepares for	Sample total cost
Cosmetology	All 92	1,000 (CA, NY, TX); 1,250 (OK, PA, UT); 1,500 (most other states); 1,600 (ID, NM, NV, WA)	State cosmetology licence	$17,308 (Costa Mesa, CA, through Oct 2026) to $23,034 (Columbus, OH, Sep 2026 starts)
Esthetics	70	400 (PA) to 1,000 (KS; Roswell, GA); master esthetics 1,200 (UT, WA)	State esthetician licence	$13,507 (Costa Mesa, from Sep 2026); $18,101 (Tinley Park, IL, Nov 2026 start)
Barbering	46 enrolling	615 (Schenectady, NY) to 1,500 (SC; Sherman Oaks, CA)	State barber licence	$16,029 (Fort Myers, FL, 2026); $17,081 (Costa Mesa, through Oct 2026)
Nails	47 enrolling	100 (North Haven, CT) to 600	State nail technician or manicurist licence	$5,796 (Staten Island, NY, Sep 2026 starts)
Instructor (teacher training)	45	250 (DE) to 1,000 (ID, IL, IN, NM)	State instructor licence	–
Makeup	9	80 to 245; film make-up 600 (Albuquerque, NM)	No state licence in most states	–

A few schools teach programs found almost nowhere else in the network: massage therapy at North Haven, CT (850 hours) and Rapid City, SD (750), film hairstyling at Albuquerque, braiding at Hackensack, NJ, and eyelash and eyebrow courses at four schools. Graduates of the 1,500-hour cosmetology program at Columbus and Cleveland, OH get 30 credit hours toward a Kent State University Associate of Technical Studies.

What the main programs cover

Cosmetology

Paul Mitchell teaches cosmetology in three levels. Core covers fundamentals on mannequins; Adaptive moves students onto live models; Creative adds advanced techniques, speed and preparation for the state board exam. Paul Mitchell’s national program page also describes an optional Phase Two, an intensive salon-style stage with accelerated guest booking. Instructors are called Learning Leaders and students Future Professionals, and every student gets a kit with mannequin heads, shears, clippers and trimmers. Hours follow state rules: 1,000 in California, 1,600 in Idaho. Some schools also teach shorter hair design programs, such as Columbus’s 1,000-hour Hair Designer.

Barbering

Barbering uses the same Core, Adaptive and Creative levels and ends with preparation for the state barber exam. Lengths range from 615 hours at Schenectady, NY to 1,500 hours in South Carolina, and several states have more than one level: Provo, Salt Lake City and St. George, UT teach a 1,000-hour master barber/master hair design program, Idaho schools a 1,500-hour barber stylist option and Virginia schools dual barber/master barber programs. Sacramento’s Campus school and Albuquerque teach crossover programs between cosmetology and barbering. Fort Myers, FL lists a restricted barber program that is not offered at this time.

Esthetics

Esthetics follows the same three levels, moving from skin-care basics to work on live models and state board preparation. Most programs are 600 or 750 hours; Kansas schools and Roswell, GA teach 1,000 hours, and the two Pennsylvania partner schools 400. Some Utah and Washington schools add master esthetics of 1,200 hours or more, and Salt Lake City offers hybrid versions. Some schools add short courses: eyelash extensions at North Haven, CT, eyelash and eyebrow technology at Provo and Salt Lake City (270 hours), and waxing on Staten Island. Tinley Park, IL also has an esthetics refresher course.

Nails

Nail programs are short, from 100 hours at North Haven, CT and 180 hours of manicuring at Fort Myers, FL to 600 hours at schools in Washington, Nevada and Tennessee. Several schools offer two levels, such as 400-hour nail care and a 600-hour advanced program at Missouri Columbia. Staten Island teaches its 250-hour course part-time, by day or by night. Programs at Wichita, KS and Hackensack, NJ were not enrolling when checked, and Overland Park, KS says nails are coming in 2027.

Instructor training

Instructor programs, offered at 45 schools, cover teaching theory, evaluating students and preparing students for state board exams. Lengths follow state rules, from 250 or 500 hours in Delaware to 500 and 1,000 hours in Chicago, which has separate cosmetology and barber teacher programs. Roswell, GA and Tinley Park, IL add esthetics instructor programs, and Nevada schools teach a 500-hour provisional instructor course. In Michigan, applicants need a current Michigan cosmetology licence to enrol.

Cost and paying for it

Each school sets its own prices. The totals below were listed on school program pages in fall 2026 and include tuition, kit, books, fees and tax:

• Costa Mesa, CA: cosmetology (1,000 hours) $17,308 through October 2026 (tuition $14,500, kit $1,765), rising to $17,424 in November and $18,924 from 1 January 2027; barbering $17,081 through October 2026; esthetics (600 hours) $13,507 from September 2026.
• Houston, TX: cosmetology (1,000 hours) $18,805 from 1 September 2026 (tuition $15,500).
• Provo, UT: cosmetology (1,250 hours) $20,990 for October–November 2026 starts.
• Columbus, OH: cosmetology (1,500 hours) $23,034 and Hair Designer (1,000 hours) $16,989 for starts from September 2026.
• Staten Island, NY: cosmetology $20,169 and nails (250 hours) $5,796 for starts from September 2026.
• Tinley Park, IL: esthetics (750 hours) $18,101 for the 4 November 2026 start.

Niche, showing federal data, gave net prices of $21,491 a year at Phoenix and $24,635 at Provo (October 2026). Transfer and re-entry students at Costa Mesa pay $14.50 per clock hour.

Paul Mitchell’s national aid page lists Pell Grants and Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and PLUS loans, applied for through the FAFSA. Each school has its own FAFSA code (Costa Mesa 016984, Houston 016749, Provo 030650, for example). Paul Mitchell’s military page mentions the Post-9/11 GI Bill, MyCAA for military spouses and Tuition Assistance, but approval is school by school. Scholarships are also set by each school: Salt Lake City lists $1,000 scholarships, including ones for recent high school graduates and military students; Sterling Heights, MI offered nine $1,500 tuition scholarships in 2025; and North Haven, CT a $500 cosmetology scholarship for 2026.

Admissions and schedule

Applicants need a high school diploma, a GED or HiSET, completed homeschooling, or at least 60 transferable college credits. Tampa’s catalog, for example, also requires applicants to be past the state’s compulsory school age and says it does not admit ability-to-benefit students. In Michigan, applying involves a $25 fee, an interview with an admissions advisor, photo ID and verified proof of high school completion.

Classes start often: Tulsa starts full-time classes about every seven weeks and part-time evening classes about every 16 weeks. Schedules vary by school. At Costa Mesa, full-time cosmetology is 35 hours a week (Tuesday–Saturday or Monday–Friday, 9:00 to 4:30), with part-time evening options of 20 or 27 hours. Houston runs full-time weeks of 28 or 32 hours and part-time day or evening schedules, and Columbus offers 3- and 4-day options with 20% hybrid distance education. Schools publish hours rather than weeks; at 35 hours a week, a 1,000-hour program takes about 29 weeks.

Accreditation and results

Most Paul Mitchell schools are accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS), each separately; the pages of the Dallas (Carrollton) and Roanoke schools name the Council on Occupational Education (COE) instead. NACCAS schools must publish yearly graduation, placement and licensure rates. Rates reported for calendar year 2024 on the schools’ consumer pages (no cohort sizes given):

School	Graduation	Placement	Licensure
Costa Mesa, CA	80%	60%	95%
Orlando (Oviedo), FL	68%	87%	99%
Tinley Park, IL	78%	96%	93%
Columbus, OH	81%	90%	94%
Houston, TX	79%	72%	94%
Provo, UT	96%	85%	100%
Salt Lake City, UT	64%	74%	100%

Paul Mitchell advertises a 94% average licensure rate and 79% average placement rate across its schools, based on 2022 NACCAS data. Rates for other schools are on each school’s consumer information page.

Accreditor actions at individual schools

Several schools disclose NACCAS actions on their own pages, and others appear on NACCAS action lists republished by California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). As of October 2026:

• Probation under NACCAS Financial Reporting Requirements, disclosed on the school’s page: Birmingham (Hoover, AL), notified 22 Jan 2026; Clear Lake (Webster), TX, Memphis, TN and Milwaukee (Wauwatosa), WI, notified 18 Feb 2026; Houston, TX, date not confirmed; Wichita, KS, notified 15 Jul 2026; Salt Lake City, placed on 23 Jan 2025; Schenectady, NY and Rapid City, SD, no date given.
• Murfreesboro and Nashville (Hendersonville), TN: both pages show “Accreditation on Probation”, while a NACCAS list dated 11 Aug 2026 shows both removed from financial monitoring.
• Albuquerque, NM: show-cause order on 19 Dec 2025 for unpaid required fees.
• Modesto, CA: placed on probation on 18 Jul 2024; we could not confirm its current status.
• Knoxville, TN (closed): placed on probation in June 2024 and its accreditation revoked in August 2024 for failing to maintain sound finances; it closed at the end of April 2025, according to New America.

Openings, closures and moves since 2024

Paul Mitchell’s Tysons Corner, VA school closed on 15 May 2024 after 18 years, and Knoxville closed in April 2025. Federal Way, WA, the former Gene Juarez Academy, held its grand opening in September 2024, and a school in Monroe, LA is listed as coming soon. The Columbia, SC, Logan and Provo, UT and Milwaukee schools have moved (Milwaukee to Wauwatosa, Columbia to West Columbia). Older listings, including ours, showed schools in Madison, AL, Atlanta, Ardmore, OK, Portland, OR, Ogden, UT, Woodbridge, VA, Madison, WI and Gastonia, NC that Paul Mitchell’s locator no longer lists as separate schools (October 2026).

Housing and career help

The schools generally do not provide housing. San Diego’s catalog says it has no dormitories and does not help students find housing; Rapid City keeps a file of local housing information. The exception is Chicago, which sits on the University of Illinois Chicago campus and mentions access to housing options and discounted campus parking. Career help described in school catalogs includes résumé and job-search help and information on state licensing and reciprocity. Grand Rapids describes “an aggressive job placement program” with salon-owner surveys and guest artists, and says it does not guarantee employment.

Before you enroll

• Treat each school as a separate business. Check that school’s own catalog, total cost, outcome rates and accreditation status; network averages such as the 94% licensure rate say little about the school you would attend.
• At least 12 of the 92 schools show NACCAS probation on their own pages or received a NACCAS show-cause order (Albuquerque, December 2025), and the Knoxville school closed in 2025 after its accreditation was revoked. Ask the school about its current status.
• Only about half the schools teach barbering, and about half teach nails, and some listed programs (barbering in Chicago, nails at Wichita and Hackensack) were not enrolling in October 2026.
• Makeup courses are mostly 80 to 245 hours and most states do not license makeup artists, so they do not lead to a state licence.
• Our page and others have shown schools that Paul Mitchell no longer lists. Confirm a school appears on paulmitchell.edu/locations before applying.

What students say

No review platform we checked has 25 or more student reviews for any Paul Mitchell school (October 2026). Niche’s school pages hold between 1 and 10 reviews each, and the reviews on Indeed are from employees, not students. With so few reviews, we do not give a rating or summarise them.

Sources

Paul Mitchell school locator · Our story · Franchise page · Cosmetology program · Costa Mesa consumer information · NACCAS show-cause list (Dec 2025, via BPPE) · New America on Knoxville (Feb 2025) · Tysons Reporter (May 2024)

Type	Nonprofit career college: campus programs with hands-on labs, plus an online division
Campuses	10 in 5 states (AL, LA, OH, TN, TX), plus Remington College Online, run from the Dallas campus
Credentials	Diplomas; associate degrees (AAS, AS, AOS); a few bachelor’s degrees, some of them completion degrees
Program length	Diplomas as few as 7–9 months; associate degrees as few as 18–24 months
Accreditation	ACCSC (institutional, every campus); CODA for Dental Hygiene (Nashville); ASHP/ACPE for Pharmacy Technician (Lafayette)
Federal aid	Yes (Title IV); FY2022 cohort default rate 0.0%
Owner	A group of affiliated nonprofit colleges using the Remington College name; headquarters at the Dallas campus
Facts checked	October 2026

About Remington College

Remington College is a nonprofit career college. Its 10 teaching campuses are in Mobile, Alabama; Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Shreveport, Louisiana; Maple Heights (Cleveland), Ohio; Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; and Dallas, North Richland Hills (Fort Worth) and League City (Houston), Texas. An online division, run from the Dallas campus, teaches IT, creative, management and bachelor’s completion programs. Each campus is separately accredited by ACCSC, with Dallas as the main campus.

The campus list has changed in recent years. The Knoxville, Tennessee and Columbia, South Carolina campuses have closed, and Remington now lists a single Houston-area campus in League City instead of Greenspoint and Webster. Dallas moved from Garland to the LBJ Freeway in about 2022, Lafayette moved in 2021 and Cleveland (now Maple Heights) by early 2025, and the Fort Worth and Mobile campuses are at new addresses.

Programs at Remington’s 10 campuses

Each campus teaches its own mix of programs, so a program offered at one Remington campus is often not offered at the next. Lengths below are Remington’s “as few as” figures from its program pages; tuition is program-total tuition from the 2026 campus catalogs, with the campus and catalog date.

Program	Credential (length)	Where taught	Prepares for / notes	Sample tuition
HVAC	Diploma; associate at some campuses	Mobile, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, Nashville, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston	EPA Section 608 (Type I, II, III, Universal)	$17,850 diploma (Nashville, 2026); $23,500 (Dallas, Jul 2026)
Construction & Building Maintenance	Diploma (9 months); AOS at Memphis, Nashville	All campuses except Mobile and Houston	Facility and building maintenance technician	$16,795 (Dallas, Jul 2026)
Electrician	Diploma	Fort Worth	No exam named	$16,800 + $398 kit (Fort Worth, Feb 2026)
Combination Welding	Diploma (8 months)	Cleveland (Maple Heights)	AWS Certified Welder test (first attempt included)	$15,000 (Cleveland, 2026)
Process Technology	AAS (18 months)	Mobile, Baton Rouge	Curriculum built with NAPTA support	$36,324 (Mobile, 2026)
Medical Assisting	Diploma (9 months); associate at Fort Worth, Shreveport	Mobile, Shreveport, Cleveland, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston	No exam named on the program page	$17,519 (several campuses, 2026)
Medical Assisting with X-Ray Technician (limited scope)	Diploma and AAS	Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston; Mobile (AAS only)	Texas Medical Board-approved Non-Certified Technician training (Dallas)	$23,867 diploma, $31,500 AAS (Dallas, Jul 2026)
Patient Care Technician	Diploma (8 months)	Memphis, Nashville	Includes EKG and phlebotomy	$9,975 (Memphis, Nashville, 2026)
Dental Assisting	Diploma (8 months)	Cleveland, Nashville, Houston	CPR included	$17,519 (Cleveland, Nashville, Houston, 2026)
Dental Hygiene	AAS (24 months); bachelor’s completion	Nashville	CODA-accredited; national board exam (first attempt included)	$56,873 AAS (Nashville, 2026)
Pharmacy Technician	Diploma and AS	Lafayette	ASHP/ACPE-accredited	$23,384 diploma (Lafayette, 2026)
Laboratory Assistant	Diploma (7 months)	Lafayette	Externship required to graduate	$9,975 (Lafayette, 2026)
Medical Office Administration	Diploma	Nashville	–	$9,500 (Nashville, 2026)
Cosmetology	Diploma	Mobile	Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering exam	$22,500 (Mobile, 2026)
Culinary Skills Essentials / Culinary Management	Diploma / associate	Diploma: Cleveland, Memphis, Dallas, Houston. Associate: Memphis, Dallas, Houston	–	$17,393 diploma, $30,739 associate (Dallas, Jul 2026)
Baking & Pastry	Diploma	Nashville	–	$13,697 (Nashville, 2026)
Business Administration	AS / AAS	Shreveport, Nashville	Bookkeeping, Executive Assistant, or Marketing & Sales	$15,228 (Nashville, 2026)
Paralegal	Associate (18 months full time)	Dallas (Shreveport not enrolling)	Legal research, writing and ethics	$24,228 (Dallas, Jul 2026)
Cybersecurity	AAS	Dallas and online	–	Tuition not confirmed; $1,325 kit fee (Dallas, Jul 2026)
Gaming Design & Esports Management	Bachelor’s	Dallas and online	–	$58,580 + $1,500 kit (Dallas, Jul 2026)
Criminal Justice	Bachelor’s completion	Online, Shreveport	Needs a prior associate degree	–
Online only: Beat Production & Recording Arts Technology, E-Commerce Management, Database Management & Administration, Digital Graphic Art, Restaurant, Hospitality & Retail Management, Organizational Management	Diploma, associate or bachelor’s completion	Online (Digital Graphic Art and the restaurant degree are also listed at Memphis)	–	–

The two Medical Assisting with X-Ray Technician programs train limited-scope X-ray operators. The Texas Medical Board approves the Dallas program as Non-Certified Technician training; it is not a radiologic technologist program. Prices change, so check the current catalog for your campus before you rely on them.

What the main programs cover

Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning

The HVAC curriculum works through how heating and cooling systems are built and repaired: evaporators, compressors, condensers and expansion devices, residential and light-commercial heating, refrigeration and freezer equipment, domestic air-conditioning appliances, and indoor air quality standards. Students prepare for all four levels of the EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification (Type I, II, III and Universal). Mobile, Lafayette, Dallas and Fort Worth add an associate degree, and Fort Worth’s diploma is a refrigeration version “with Smart Technology”. Ask each campus for the program length, clock hours and schedule.

Construction & Building Maintenance

This diploma, of as few as 9 months, prepares students to keep buildings running rather than to build them. Courses cover electrical systems, plumbing, carpentry and finishing, small power equipment and appliance repair, OSHA safety and LEED (green building) principles. Remington lists facility maintenance technician, building maintenance technician and general maintenance technician as the target jobs and names no certification exam. Memphis and Nashville offer a longer CBM Technology associate (AOS). It is taught at eight of the ten campuses, everywhere except Mobile and Houston.

Combination Welding

Taught only at the Cleveland campus in Maple Heights, Ohio, this diploma takes as few as 8 months. It starts with construction-trades safety and welding fundamentals and moves on to structural welding in four processes: shielded metal arc (stick, SMAW), gas metal arc (MIG, GMAW), gas tungsten arc (TIG, GTAW) and flux-cored arc (FCAW). Tuition includes the student’s first attempt at the American Welding Society’s Certified Welder test.

Medical Assisting

The diploma, of as few as 9 months, combines clinical and administrative training: health science procedures, anatomy and physiology, clinical procedures, pharmacology, medical terminology, and medical insurance, billing and coding. Remington’s program page doesn’t say whether an externship is included or which certification exam graduates can sit, so ask. Fort Worth and Shreveport also offer an associate degree. At the three Texas campuses and Mobile, students can choose Medical Assisting with X-Ray Technician, which adds limited-scope X-ray training.

Patient Care Technician

Taught only at Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, this diploma takes as few as 8 months. It starts with an introduction to health care and the PCT role, medical terminology and anatomy and physiology, then trains students in electrocardiography (EKG), phlebotomy and rehabilitative care. Remington lists patient care technician, nursing assistant, nurse aide, mental health technician and phlebotomist among graduates’ jobs, but names no certification exam. Phlebotomy and EKG are parts of this program; Remington has no standalone phlebotomy or EKG program.

Dental Hygiene

Remington’s only programmatically accredited dental program is the CODA-accredited associate degree in Dental Hygiene at Nashville, which takes about 24 months. Courses cover dental hygiene theory and clinical practice, oral pathology, pain and anxiety control, community dental health, oral radiology, dental materials and head and neck anatomy. Graduates take the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, with the first attempt included in tuition, plus a state or regional clinical exam. Graduates can continue to a bachelor’s completion degree in dental hygiene at Nashville.

Cost and paying for it

Remington publishes program-total tuition in a catalog addendum for each campus, and prices differ by campus. In the 2026 catalogs, most diplomas cost about $9,500 to $23,900: Medical Office Administration $9,500 at Nashville, Patient Care Technician and Laboratory Assistant $9,975, Construction & Building Maintenance $16,795 at Dallas, Medical Assisting $17,519 at most campuses, and HVAC from $16,800 at Mobile to $23,500 at Dallas and Lafayette. Associate degrees run from about $15,200 (Business Administration at Nashville) to $56,873 (Dental Hygiene at Nashville), and the Gaming Design & Esports Management bachelor’s at Dallas is $58,580. Some programs add kit fees, such as $535 for building maintenance. The catalogs we read don’t make clear whether books and fees are included. Federal data on Niche put the average net price, after grants, at about $23,700 a year at Cleveland to $30,100 at Shreveport.

Remington takes part in federal student aid, and its official FY2022 three-year cohort default rate was 0.0%. Its named scholarships are the Academic Achievement (merit), New Career Success (need-based), Career Ready (for first responders, law enforcement, military members, reservists and other public employees) and Invitation Homes scholarships, and the catalogs list Bridging the Gap, Michael Seltzer and Vantage awards; Remington publishes no amounts. Its financial-aid page does not mention the GI Bill or Yellow Ribbon, so veterans should confirm VA approval for their program and campus before enrolling. A net price calculator is on Remington’s site.

Admissions

Applicants sign an application and enrollment agreement, show proof of high school graduation or an equivalent such as the GED before enrolling, and complete Remington’s Career Path Assessment and Online Risk Profile. Health programs have vaccination requirements. The bachelor’s completion programs in criminal justice, organizational management and dental hygiene require a prior associate degree; for criminal justice, one with at least 90 quarter credits. Ask the campus for start dates and class times for the program you want.

Accreditation and results

Every Remington campus is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), each under its own school number, with routine renewals in 2023–2025 (Dallas in March 2023, Memphis in May 2024 after meeting stipulations, Maple Heights in February 2025) and no probation or warning in ACCSC’s public notices. The Dental Hygiene associate is CODA-accredited, and the Lafayette pharmacy technician programs are ASHP/ACPE-accredited.

Remington publishes ACCSC graduation and employment rates for each campus. For the Dallas campus (published June 2026; start dates vary by program):

Program (Dallas)	Starts	Graduated	Employed (of graduates counted)
HVAC diploma	Apr 2023–Apr 2024	58% (22 of 38)	76% (16 of 21)
Construction & Building Maintenance	Mar 2023–Feb 2024	69% (31 of 45)	88% (23 of 26)
Medical Assisting	Mar 2023–Feb 2024	60% (38 of 63)	74% (28 of 38)
MA with X-Ray Tech diploma	Oct 2022–Sep 2023	69% (24 of 35)	74% (17 of 23)
Culinary Skills Essentials	Oct 2023–Sep 2024	66% (21 of 32)	94% (17 of 18)
Beat Production (online)	Oct 2023–Sep 2024	49% (46 of 94)	65% (30 of 46)

At Nashville, reported graduation rates range from 87% in Dental Assisting (39 of 45) and Dental Hygiene (26 of 30) down to 57% in Patient Care Technician (16 of 28) and 47% in Business Administration (7 of 15). On licensing exams, 23 of 26 Nashville dental hygiene test takers from the 2021–22 cohort passed the national board and CITA exams (88%), and all 9 Mobile cosmetology graduates tested from the 2022–23 cohort passed Alabama’s written and practical exams. Federal graduation rates shown on Niche, which use a different measure, run from 33% at Shreveport to 55% at Cleveland.

Complaints raised by veterans’ advocates

In January 2024, the advocacy group Veterans Education Success wrote to ACCSC about complaints it had received from student veterans at the Dallas, Shreveport and Nashville campuses. The complaints alleged that criminal justice credentials were not accepted by local law-enforcement agencies, that a recruiter claimed 90% of students found work in their field within 6 to 10 months, that loan documents were signed without explanation, and that one student’s attendance was misreported to the VA. The group asked ACCSC for an independent audit before renewing Remington’s accreditation. These are allegations. We found no public ACCSC action in response; its later notices show only routine renewals.

Before you enroll

• Check that your campus teaches your program. Welding is taught only at Cleveland, electrician only at Fort Worth, cosmetology only at Mobile and dental hygiene only at Nashville, and Memphis and Baton Rouge don’t teach medical assisting.
• Medical Assisting with X-Ray Technician trains limited-scope X-ray operators. It is not a radiologic technologist program.
• The criminal justice program is a bachelor’s completion degree that needs a prior associate degree, and a veterans’ group has reported complaints from student veterans that local agencies did not accept the credential.
• Prices vary by campus for the same program: in 2026 catalogs, HVAC diploma tuition ranged from $16,800 at Mobile to $23,500 at Dallas and Lafayette.
• Older listings may show campuses in Knoxville, Columbia (SC), Greenspoint or Webster, or old addresses in Garland and Fort Worth; none of these is current. Shreveport’s Paralegal program is not enrolling, and its pharmacy technician program’s status is unclear.

What students say

Five Remington campus pages on Niche have 25 or more reviews, 287 in all, with an average of about 4.2 out of 5 weighted by review count (checked October 2026): Dallas 4.36 (154 reviews), Fort Worth 4.51 (37), Cleveland 3.62 (34), Mobile 4.06 (32) and Nashville 3.87 (30). Niche’s overall grades for these campuses are C− or D+. Dallas has far more reviews than any other campus, possibly because it includes online students.

• Praised: small classes and instructors who know students by name, hands-on training and externships, morning, afternoon and evening class options, and helpful admissions and financial-aid staff.
• Criticized: billing errors, including double charges that were not fixed, students who misunderstood what accreditation their credential carried, online coursework that was weak or not explained up front, and uneven instructor quality.

Sources

Remington College campuses · Consumer information and catalogs · Dallas catalog (2026) · Dallas placement rates (June 2026) · Nashville graduation rates (June 2026) · ACCSC public notice (Mar 2025) · Veterans Education Success letter (Jan 2024) · Niche (Dallas)

Fact	Detail
Type	Campus-based truck driving school; one program, Class A CDL
Locations	20 training locations in 13 states: AL, AZ, CA, FL (3), GA (3), MS, NC, NE, OH, PA, SC, TN and TX (4)
Credential	No degree; the course prepares students for their state’s Class A CDL tests, and the state issues the license
Program length	160 clock hours over 18 weekdays in the Florida and California catalogs effective fall 2025 (180 hours, 200 at Columbus and Dunn, in the January 2025 catalog); other state catalogs not checked
Accreditation	None; licensed in each state where it operates and listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry
Federal aid	No (not approved for Title IV)
Tuition	$7,495 in the Florida and California catalogs (2025–26), plus fees
Owner	Career Path Training Corp., a subsidiary of Werner Enterprises since 2014
Founded	1992, in Tampa, Florida; headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida (no classes there)
Facts checked	October 2026

A Werner-owned CDL school with 20 locations

Roadmaster Drivers School trains people for a Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL), the license needed to drive tractor-trailers. It started in 1992 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa and opened its second school, in Columbus, Ohio, in 1995. Its parent, Career Path Training Corp., is a subsidiary of Werner Enterprises, the Omaha truckload carrier that bought Roadmaster in May 2014. Werner is also one of the carriers that offers Roadmaster graduates tuition reimbursement.

Every location teaches the same full-time day course. Roadmaster’s Florida and California catalogs effective fall 2025 cut it from 180 to 160 clock hours and drop the classroom general-knowledge course: applicants must now complete federally required entry-level driver training (ELDT) theory before they start. The Atlanta location moved to a new site in late 2025.

One program: Class A CDL training

Program	Credential	Length	Delivery	Where offered	Prepares for	Sample cost
Commercial Truck Driver Training (Class A CDL)	Training only; the state issues the CDL	160 clock hours over 18 days (FL and CA catalogs, fall 2025); other state catalogs not checked	In person, full-time days	All 20 locations	State Class A CDL knowledge (permit) and skills tests	$7,535 total at the Florida locations (Oct 2025); $7,695 at Fontana, CA (Sep 2025)

What the 160-hour course covers

The current course has three parts: CTD 101 Vehicle Inspections (45 hours, lab and pad), CTD 102 Basic Control Skills (85 hours, pad and road) and CTD 103 Road Driving (30 hours, pad and road). Classes run Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. A score of 80 to 100 is a pass.

The earlier 180-hour version, still described on parts of Roadmaster’s website, included 40 hours of classroom general knowledge plus hours of service and trip planning, pre-trip inspection, backing and road driving. That classroom theory is now a prerequisite, and we could not find who provides it or what it costs, so ask before you enroll.

Location pages stress automatic-transmission trucks, and the catalog warns that taking the skills test in an automatic puts an automatic-transmission restriction on the CDL. Third-party CDL skills testing is available on site at some locations, including Columbus, Dallas, Dunn and Millington. The catalogs list no Class B, hazmat or refresher programs.

Cost and paying without federal aid

Catalog	Tuition	Fees	Total
Florida (Tampa, Jacksonville, Apopka), effective 20 Oct 2025 to 31 Dec 2026	$7,495	$40 consumer report fee	$7,535
California (Fontana), effective 29 Sep 2025 to 31 Dec 2026	$7,495	$200 registration fee; $0 STRF	$7,695

Neither total includes the DOT physical and drug screen (about $160), lodging, meals, travel or CDL test retakes. We did not find catalog prices for the other 11 states. Under the California catalog, students get a full refund, less the $200 registration fee, within seven business days or through the first day of class, then a pro rata refund by hours completed.

Roadmaster is not approved for federal student aid (Title IV). Its cost page describes Workforce Pell Grants for short CDL programs from 1 July 2026, but only for programs of 8 to 15 weeks and 150 to 599 hours; Roadmaster’s course is about four weeks, so ask before counting on a Pell Grant. Ways students pay instead:

• School financing. Roadmaster offers financing of up to 100% of tuition for qualified applicants. At Fontana, institutional loans made up 84% of non-government aid in 2024, according to its BPPE annual report.
• Carrier tuition reimbursement. Partner carriers, including Werner, Covenant, Stevens and May Trucking, reimburse up to 100% of tuition after graduation, paid in monthly installments while the graduate works for them.
• WIOA and vocational rehabilitation. Roadmaster accepts WIOA workforce funding, and Fontana also records vocational rehabilitation funding.
• Veterans. Roadmaster says it is approved for veterans’ education benefits and accepts the Post-9/11 GI Bill at multiple locations; ask whether yours is one. Fontana received $88,163.73 in VA benefits in 2024.

Admissions and the daily schedule

Applicants must be at least 18 to drive within their state and 21 to drive across state lines. They need a valid driver’s license, an acceptable DOT physical and drug screen, and, under the fall 2025 catalogs, Class A ELDT theory already recorded on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. The January 2025 Florida catalog also requires enough English for safety compliance.

New classes start every week; the catalog lists 52 sessions a year. The course is full time on weekdays only, with no evening or weekend option, and time lost to holidays is made up. Attendance is strict: a first unexcused absence can lead to dismissal at the location manager’s discretion, and a second means dismissal.

State licenses and Fontana’s published results

Roadmaster is not accredited at any location; its catalog says so. Each location is licensed by its state, for example by the Florida Commission for Independent Education, California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), the Texas Workforce Commission and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. All locations are on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, and Roadmaster is a member of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association.

The only published results we found are Fontana’s BPPE School Performance Fact Sheet, for the earlier 180-hour program:

Fontana, CA (BPPE)	2023	2024
Students who began	427	410
Completed within 150% of program length	350 (81%)	345 (84%)
Graduates employed in the field	328 of 356 (92%)	340 of 352 (97%)
CDL-A licensure exam pass rate	218 of 352 (62%)	215 of 331 (65%)

BPPE’s 2024 annual report records 338 graduates placed “with institution or affiliated employer” and puts all 340 employed graduates’ pay in the $45,001 to $50,000 band. We found no completion or placement figures for the other 19 locations.

Invalid CDLs at Bethlehem and the 2024 settlement

In about July 2022, PennDOT told graduates of Roadmaster’s Bethlehem, PA location that their CDLs had been “improperly issued” and that they had to retest or lose them. A class action filed in federal court in Pennsylvania later in 2022 alleged that training documents had been signed by instructors who were not certified by the state. Roadmaster denied wrongdoing and settled for $400,000, about $800 per class member, paid automatically to students who paid tuition between 26 October 2016 and 10 May 2024. The final approval hearing was set for 18 September 2024, and the court granted final approval.

Closed and moved locations

Roadmaster’s Grandview (Kansas City) and St. Louis, Missouri, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma locations were in its September 2024 location list but are not in its September 2025 catalog or on its website, and we treat them as closed. We previously also listed a North Las Vegas, Nevada location, but we found no evidence that Roadmaster ever operated there. Three locations have moved: Columbus to Frank Road in 2020, Orlando to West Orange Avenue in Apopka, and Atlanta from Lithia Springs to Mendel Court SW in late 2025.

Before you enroll

• Roadmaster is not accredited at any location and cannot offer federal grants or loans, so tuition is paid by the student, a school loan, a carrier, a workforce agency or VA benefits.
• The 160-hour course assumes you have already completed ELDT theory. Ask how and where you will do it and what it costs, since that is not in the tuition the catalogs list.
• If you take your skills test in an automatic truck, your CDL will carry an automatic-transmission restriction, which limits the trucks you can drive.
• Carrier tuition reimbursement is paid in monthly installments only while you work for that carrier. Read the terms of any school loan and reimbursement plan before you sign.
• Fontana’s reported CDL-A pass rate was 62% in 2023 and 65% in 2024, and the website and some location pages still describe the older 180-hour course. Ask your location for its current hours and recent results.

Housing and job placement

Roadmaster has no dorms. The California catalog says the school keeps a relationship with a local hotel, that students use hotels and private rentals within about 25 miles, and that it has no responsibility to find or help with housing. Placement staff give career guidance at no charge, but the catalog states that Roadmaster does not guarantee employment. Graduates may choose among carriers, and employers can verify graduation through DriveriQ SingleCheck.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Roadmaster locations · Fontana, CA catalog (Sep 2025) · Florida catalog (Oct 2025) · BPPE 2024 annual report, Fontana · Werner Enterprises release on the Roadmaster acquisition · Roadmaster cost page · Roadmaster tuition reimbursement · Bethlehem class action settlement

Type	Campus-based health career school; Ohio nursing is hybrid, and some programs are fully online
Campuses	43 in 8 states (MI 19, OH 7, IN 7, KY 4, TN 2, WV 2, AL 1, IA 1)
Institutions	Ross Medical Education Center (most campuses) and Ross College (6 campuses, 3 satellite centers and the online programs)
Credentials	Diplomas; associate degrees (AAS) in nursing, veterinary technology, occupational therapy assisting and several online fields
Program length	Most diplomas 30–36 weeks; practical nursing 48 weeks; nursing, OTA and vet tech degrees 92–96 weeks; nursing assistant 2–4 weeks
Accreditation	ABHES (institutional); program approvals and accreditations listed below
Federal aid	Yes; also GI Bill, MyCAA and WIOA
Owner	Ross Education Holdings, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 2021, Clinton Township, MI; approved as a nonprofit for federal aid in July 2026. Founded 1969 in Michigan
Facts checked	October 2026

About Ross Education

Ross was founded in Michigan in 1969 and now runs 43 campus locations in eight states, most of which teach only medical and dental assisting. It operates as two ABHES-accredited institutions: Ross Medical Education Center, which runs most campuses, and Ross College, which runs six campuses, three satellite centers and the online programs, and delivers the online lectures for the hybrid Ohio nursing programs.

The big recent change is ownership. Ross was owned by JLL Partners from 2011 until 2021, when its parent became a Michigan nonprofit. In July 2026 the U.S. Department of Education approved all Ross campuses as private nonprofit institutions for federal aid purposes, completing a conversion Ross began in 2019. Ross is not connected to Ross University’s medical and veterinary schools.

Programs and where they are taught

Medical assisting is the only program taught everywhere. Nursing and veterinary technology are taught only in Ohio, occupational therapy assisting only in Kentucky (Iowa is in teach-out), and nursing assistant training only in Michigan. Tuition below is from Ross’s 2023–24 cost-of-attendance page, the latest we could check.

Program	Credential	Length	Where	Prepares for	2023–24 tuition
Medical Assistant	Diploma	30 weeks day, 36 evening, incl. 6-week externship	All 43 campuses	RMA (AMT); Ross reimburses the fee	$15,990 + $307 tech fee
Dental Assistant	Diploma	36 weeks (30 day at Cincinnati), incl. 6-week externship	Most campuses in 7 states (not Iowa)	DANB ICE and RHS; Ohio radiography certificate in Ohio	$15,990 + $307
Veterinary Assistant	Diploma	36 weeks, incl. 6-week externship	Huntsville AL, Erlanger KY, Canton, New Baltimore, Portage and Warren MI, North Canton OH	NAVTA Approved Veterinary Assistant (Ross pays)	$14,200 + $307
Nursing Assistant	Training course	2–4 weeks	Brighton, Grand Rapids, Midland, Portage (MI)	Michigan nurse aide exam (Prometric)	–
Practical Nursing	Diploma	48 weeks, 398 clinical hours	6 Ohio campuses (hybrid)	NCLEX-PN	$19,562
Nursing (RN)	AAS	96 weeks for non-LPNs, 315 clinical hours	6 Ohio campuses (hybrid)	NCLEX-RN; provisional Ohio BON approval (see below)	$15,120 + $775 books*
Veterinary Technology	AAS	96 weeks, 3+ month externship	North Canton, OH	VTNE	–
Occupational Therapy Assistant	AAS	92 weeks, incl. two 8-week fieldwork rotations	Hopkinsville, KY (Quad Cities, IA in teach-out)	NBCOT COTA (first attempt paid); ACOTE probation	$14,796 + $475 books*
Pharmacy Technician	Certificate or diploma	36 weeks, incl. 6-week externship	Online (Ross College Sylvania)	PTCB (voucher)	$15,990 + $150 tech fee + $475 books
Medical Insurance Billing & Office Administration	Diploma	30 weeks, incl. 5-week externship	Online	NHA CBCS (fee reimbursed)	$15,990 + $150 + $475
Medical Office Administration	Diploma	–	Online	–	$9,600 + $150 + $475
Health Care Administration; Medical Billing Administrative Specialist	AAS	–	Online	–	$8,500 + $103 + $475
Medical Assistant (degree)	AAS	40 weeks at Grand Rapids; online version also offered	Grand Rapids, MI; online	–	$8,610 + $198 + $475 (online)

*Ross’s page doesn’t say whether these figures cover the whole degree or one year of it.

Ross College Hopkinsville also offers business management, and Ross’s program index also lists an online Human, Social & Health Services AAS.

What the main programs cover

Medical Assistant

Six classroom modules mix front-office and clinical work: an office lab, phlebotomy and hematology, injections, billing and coding, and cardiopulmonary procedures including EKG. Students then complete a six-week externship. Day students finish in 30 weeks; evening students take 36, with the same hours and credits as the day shift. Applicants must be 18 by the time the externship begins. Graduates can sit American Medical Technologists’ Registered Medical Assistant exam, and Ross reimburses the fee.

Dental Assistant

The 36-week diploma (30 weeks on Cincinnati’s day schedule) has six modules taught in day or evening classes, followed by six weeks in a dental office. What the course prepares students for depends on the state: outside Ohio, students work toward DANB’s Infection Control and Radiation Health and Safety exams, while Ohio students work toward the state’s dental assistant radiography certificate. Students should ask which credential exams are included at their campus.

Veterinary Assistant

This 36-week diploma has six modules and a six-week externship. All the campuses teaching it hold NAVTA approval, and students take NAVTA’s Approved Veterinary Assistant exam on campus at Ross’s expense. At some Michigan campuses part of the program is delivered in a hybrid format with Ross College North Canton. An approved veterinary assistant is not a credentialed veterinary technician; in Ross’s system that takes the separate 96-week Ohio degree and the VTNE.

Practical Nursing and Nursing (RN) in Ohio

Both nursing programs are hybrid. Lectures are delivered online from Ross College North Canton, while skills labs run at the six Ohio campuses and clinical rotations at local healthcare facilities. Practical nursing has 12 classes over 48 weeks, with 398 clinical contact hours, and leads to the NCLEX-PN. The RN associate degree has 24 classes over 96 weeks for students who are not already LPNs, with 315 clinical contact hours, and leads to the NCLEX-RN.

Veterinary Technology

Taught only at North Canton, this 96-week associate degree has 24 courses and ends in an externship of three months or more. Students must have pre-exposure rabies vaccination. Ross states that the program holds full AVMA accreditation, and it prepares graduates for the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE). First-time VTNE results have been weak: 48.28% of 29 candidates passed from January 2023 to December 2025.

Occupational Therapy Assistant

The 92-week associate degree, now enrolling only at Hopkinsville, KY, combines coursework with 30 hours of Level I fieldwork and two eight-week Level II fieldwork rotations. Graduates take the NBCOT exam for the COTA credential, and Ross pays for the first attempt. Ross reported graduation rates for 2022–2024 of 88% at Hopkinsville (29 students) and 73% at Quad Cities (11), which no longer enrolls OTA students. It does not publish an NBCOT pass rate.

Cost and paying for it

Ross’s most recent cost-of-attendance page we could read is for 2023–24. It listed tuition of $15,990 for medical assisting, dental assisting, pharmacy technician and medical billing, $14,200 for veterinary assisting and $19,562 for practical nursing, plus technology fees of $103 to $307 and $475 for books on online programs. Ross says it has not raised tuition since 2019, but its 2026–27 tuition table wasn’t available to us, so confirm current prices with admissions. On Niche, which uses federal data, average net price per year ranges from about $19,000 (Flint, Lansing, Taylor) to $28,128 at Ross College North Canton.

Ross takes federal student aid, GI Bill benefits, MyCAA funding for military spouses and WIOA workforce funding. Its 2026–27 catalog lists institutional grants including an Active Military and Spouse Grant, a Recent High School Graduate Grant, a Financial Hardship Grant, a Foster Care Grant and alumni grants. Ross also pays or reimburses several certification exam fees (RMA, CBCS, PTCB, NAVTA and the first NBCOT attempt).

Admissions and schedule

Applicants need a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as the GED, and must be 18 by the start of their externship. Some programs require the Accuplacer Next-Generation test in reading, writing and arithmetic, with minimum scores set by program. Veterinary technology students need rabies pre-exposure vaccination. Classes run on day, afternoon and evening schedules with the same hours and credits on each shift; medical assisting takes 30 weeks by day and 36 in the evening.

Accreditation, approvals and results

All Ross campuses are institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Program-level status varies:

• Nursing (RN): the Ohio Board of Nursing has given the program only provisional approval since March 2021 because of low NCLEX results. In May 2025 the board issued a notice proposing to withdraw provisional approval and deny full approval; we could not confirm the outcome. Ross reports a 93.75% licensure pass rate for 2025. The program has no ACEN accreditation.
• Practical nursing: Ross states it has full Ohio Board of Nursing approval at North Canton and Sylvania, and reports a 91.78% NCLEX-PN pass rate for 2025.
• Occupational therapy assistant: on probationary accreditation with ACOTE since 23 March 2024. ACOTE’s December 2025 disclosure says the program was still out of compliance on the exam pass-rate standard and five other standards.
• Veterinary technology: Ross states it has full AVMA accreditation (older pages, including ours, said probationary). The three-year first-time VTNE pass rate was 48.28% (29 candidates, 2023–2025).
• Veterinary assistant: NAVTA-approved at every campus teaching it. NAVTA approves programs; it is not an accreditor.
• Pharmacy technician: Ross states the online program at Sylvania is ASHP/ACPE-accredited.

At the institution level, Niche shows federal figures for Ross College North Canton of a 46% graduation rate, 94% employed after one year and median earnings of $30,902 after five years; these cover all programs, not one course. Ross is not on the Sweet v. Cardona borrower-defense settlement list.

Externships and career help

Every diploma program ends in an externship of five to six weeks, the veterinary technology degree in one of three months or more, and the OTA degree in two eight-week fieldwork rotations. Ross says it arranges pharmacy technician externship sites; for other programs, ask how placements are found and how far you may need to travel. Ross has no student housing.

Before you enroll

• If you want to become an RN, check the Ohio Board of Nursing’s current status for Ross College’s program first: approval has been provisional since 2021, and in May 2025 the board proposed withdrawing it and denying full approval.
• The OTA degree is on accreditor probation, and the Quad Cities campus no longer enrolls OTA students. Ask for the program’s latest ACOTE status and NBCOT results.
• Fewer than half of North Canton’s veterinary technology candidates passed the VTNE on their first try in 2023–2025.
• Ross’s Tennessee disclosure warns that its credits may not transfer to other colleges. Ask any school you may transfer to later whether it accepts Ross credits.
• Most campuses teach only medical and dental assisting. Older listings, including earlier versions of this page, showed nursing and therapy programs at campuses such as Knoxville that don’t offer them.

What students say

We found no review platform with 25 or more reviews of Ross (checked October 2026), so we don’t summarize reviews or give a rating. Niche has a separate page for each campus; the largest we found, Brighton, had 21 reviews, and Ross has no reviews on Trustpilot.

Sources

Ross campus locations · 2026–27 Ross Education catalog · Accreditation · Cost of attendance 2023–24 · Consumer information · Muncie Journal on the nonprofit conversion · Ohio Board of Nursing RN program list (Aug 2025) · ACOTE disclosure, Ross College OTA (Dec 2025)

Type	Campus-based creative media school; classes mix on-campus studio sessions with online sessions
Campuses	5 in the US: Nashville TN (main), Atlanta GA, Chicago IL, Miami (North Miami Beach) FL and New York NY. New York was not accepting applications in October 2026
Credentials	Diplomas; associate of applied science (AAS) degrees; a bachelor of applied science (BAS) in audio at Nashville
Program length	Diplomas 12 months; AAS 16 months (19 at Atlanta); BAS 32 months full time
Accreditation	ACCSC (institutional), all US campuses. Atlanta (Feb 2026) and Chicago (Sep 2026) are on ACCSC Warning
Federal aid	Yes (Pell Grants, Direct Loans, Parent PLUS); GI Bill accepted
Owner	SAE Institute Group, Inc., owned by Navitas (Perth, Australia) since 2010. SAE was founded in Sydney in 1976
Facts checked	October 2026

About SAE Institute in the US

SAE Institute was founded in Sydney, Australia in 1976. Its US schools belong to SAE Institute Group, Inc., which is owned by the Australian education company Navitas; Navitas bought SAE in 2010 and in 2022 sold SAE’s UK and European schools to AD Education, keeping the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The US campus in Nashville is the main school, and Atlanta, Chicago, Miami and New York are its branches. Audio is taught at all five; entertainment business, digital film and digital content creation only at some. SAE’s US schools no longer teach animation, game design or graphic design: those were programs of SAE Expression College in Emeryville, California, which stopped enrolling in 2021 and closed in 2022. Los Angeles and San Francisco are not current SAE campuses. The New York campus page said in October 2026 that it is not accepting applications for enrollment.

Audio, entertainment business, film and content programs by campus

Costs are the totals in SAE’s campus catalogs effective August 2026 (tuition, technology package, technology fee and administrative fee). SAE’s program web pages show lower figures for some programs; see the cost section.

Program	Credential	Length	Campuses	Sample total cost
Audio	Diploma (44 credits)	12 months	Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Nashville; New York (not enrolling)	$27,134 (Nashville)
Audio	AAS (64 credits)	16 months; 19 at Atlanta	Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Nashville	$38,659 (Nashville)
Audio	BAS completer (after an AAS)	32 months full time	Nashville	Ask SAE
Audio Technology (also in Spanish at Miami)	Diploma (900 clock hours)	About 48 weeks	Miami; New York (not enrolling)	$26,520 (Miami)
Entertainment Business	Diploma (44 credits)	12 months	Atlanta, Chicago	$27,515 (Chicago)
Entertainment Business	AAS (64 credits)	16 months; 19 at Atlanta	Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville	$38,540 (Nashville)
Digital Content Creation	Diploma	12 months	Nashville	$26,635 (Nashville)
Digital Content Creation	AAS	16 months	Nashville	$38,540 (Nashville)
Digital Film	AAS (64 credits)	19 months	Atlanta	$41,005 (Atlanta)

None of these programs leads to a state licensing exam, and the catalogs build in no internship or externship. SAE runs on trimesters; a typical course has about seven sessions on campus, seven online, and one self-paced hour a week, though some audio courses are mostly on campus.

What the main programs cover

Audio diploma and AAS

The 44-credit diploma (40 audio credits plus 4 of career preparation) takes 12 months. Courses run from Principles of Sound and Music Theory through Studio Production, Signal Processing and Electronic Music Production to Studio Maintenance & A/V Tech, Live Sound & Lighting, Audio Post Production and Game Audio, with Career Preparation and an Introduction to Entertainment Business. The 64-credit AAS takes the same audio core and adds general education over 16 months (19 at Atlanta). Sessions are split between campus studios and online, though some audio courses are taught mostly on campus.

Bachelor of Applied Science in Audio (Nashville)

The BAS is a completer program for students who already hold SAE’s AAS in Audio or a comparable accredited associate degree; SAE lists it as 128 credits and 32 months of full-time study. Upper-level courses include Advanced Studio Production, Sound Design, Advanced Live Sound & Lighting, Advanced Audio Post, Audio Programming for Interactive Media, Mastering, Audio Scripting, Intermedia Composition and Advanced Game Audio, alongside eight general education courses. It ends with a capstone and an audio portfolio.

Audio Technology diploma (Miami)

Miami’s Audio Technology diploma is 900 clock hours over about 48 weeks, made up of four 225-hour courses (AT101 to AT104). It covers recording basics, digital audio workstations, multitrack session work, and then sound design, live sound and music production. Miami also teaches the program in Spanish as the Diploma en Tecnología de Audio. Graduates who go on to Miami’s AAS in Audio can apply for an alumni scholarship. New York’s catalog lists its 12-month audio diploma at 912 clock hours.

Entertainment Business

The 44-credit diploma (Atlanta, Chicago) takes 12 months and the 64-credit AAS (Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville) 16 months, or 19 at Atlanta. Courses include Introduction to Entertainment Business, Survey of the Entertainment Industry, Introduction to Entertainment Law, Media Production, Marketing & Social Media, Event Management & Touring, Entertainment Business Models, Web Design & Development, and Management & Entrepreneurship, ending with an Entertainment Business Project. The AAS adds general education. This is a business program for the music and media industries, not a recording program.

Digital Content Creation (Nashville)

The diploma takes 12 months and the AAS 16 months. Courses are Content Creation Fundamentals, Editing for Digital Platforms, Copywriting for Digital Media, Social Media Content Strategy, Digital Marketing Essentials, Digital Storytelling, Advanced Content Creation, Branding & Visual Identity, Client Communications, Project Management for Digital Media and Career Preparation. The AAS adds English Composition, Speech, College Math, Modern & Contemporary Art and Environmental Science, and ends with a capstone portfolio.

Digital Film AAS (Atlanta)

The AAS in Digital Film is taught only at Atlanta: 64 credits in 16 courses over 19 months, ending in a capstone project. SAE’s program page describes work in film production, mobile media, commercials and advertising, and film funding and distribution. SAE’s online program index also lists a bachelor’s in digital film, but the Atlanta catalog offers film only as an associate degree, so check before applying.

Cost and paying for it

SAE publishes a catalog for each campus. In the catalogs effective 3 August 2026 (New York: 4 August), total costs, including tuition, the technology package, technology fee and administrative fee, are:

Program	Atlanta	Chicago	Nashville	Miami	New York
Audio diploma	$28,674	$28,014	$27,134	$26,694	$26,360
Audio Technology diploma	–	–	–	$26,520	$26,360
Audio AAS	$41,124	$39,939	$38,659	$38,019	–
Entertainment Business diploma	$28,175	$27,515	–	–	–
Entertainment Business AAS	$41,005	$39,820	$38,540	–	–
Digital Content Creation diploma	–	–	$26,635	–	–
Digital Content Creation AAS	–	–	$38,540	–	–
Digital Film AAS	$41,005	–	–	–	–

Repeating a course costs $585 per credit at Chicago and $565 at Nashville. SAE’s program web pages show lower prices for some programs: the audio diploma at $24,200 (Nashville) to $25,858 (Miami), the AAS in Entertainment Business at $34,944 to $36,992, Digital Film at $36,992 and the Spanish Audio Technology diploma at $23,799. Ask which figure applies and check the total in your enrollment agreement.

SAE is eligible for federal student aid: Pell Grants, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and Parent PLUS loans. It also offers private credit-based loans, payment plans and a net price calculator for each campus. Veterans can use the GI Bill; students submit a Certificate of Eligibility and DD214. SAE lists these scholarships:

Scholarship	Amount	Who can apply
Atlanta Diploma in Audio Needs-Based	Up to $1,500	Atlanta audio diploma students with financial need
Nashville Merit-Based	$500–$2,500	Nashville AAS Audio students with at least a 2.0 GPA
Miami Alumni	Up to $5,000	Miami Audio Technology diploma graduates entering the AAS in Audio
New York Need-Based	$500–$2,500	New York Audio Technology students (campus not enrolling, Oct 2026)
High School Class of 2026	$2,500	2026 high school graduates

Admissions and schedule

SAE admits applicants who meet its requirements: age 17 or older, a high school diploma, GED or equivalent, a government photo ID, English proficiency, a score of at least 14 on the Wonderlic SLE-Q, and the Wonderlic Distance Learning Assessment. Domestic students must be US citizens or eligible non-citizens; some campuses, including Chicago and Nashville, accept international students on F-1 or M-1 visas. The BAS requires an SAE AAS in Audio or a comparable accredited associate degree.

Programs start about every two months, in January, March, May, July, September and November; 2026 associate and bachelor’s starts were 12 January, 9 March, 11 May, 6 July and 8 September, with diploma starts also on 2 November 2026 and 11 January 2027. Morning, afternoon and evening sessions are offered. Classes run Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. at Chicago and Nashville and 9 a.m. and 11:15 p.m. at Atlanta and Miami.

Accreditation, ACCSC warnings and graduation rates

All SAE campuses in the US are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC); no programmatic accreditation is listed. Each is also authorized in its state: the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Georgia’s Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Florida’s Commission for Independent Education and the New York State Education Department’s Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision.

ACCSC placed the Atlanta campus on Warning on 24 February 2026 and the Chicago campus on Warning on 11 September 2026. Both warnings cite ACCSC’s student achievement standard, meaning graduation and employment rates; the notices don’t give the rates.

SAE’s own outcomes page reports ACCSC rates for students who started associate and bachelor’s programs between April 2022 and March 2023 and diplomas between October 2022 and September 2023. Graduation rates range from 33% to 69%:

• Audio diploma: 38% graduated at Nashville (185 students), 47% at Atlanta (187), 58% at Chicago (131) and 59% at New York (368); employment rates were 49% at Chicago and 71–74% elsewhere.
• Audio AAS: 46% graduated at Atlanta, 62% at Nashville and 65% at Chicago, with employment rates of 58–70%.
• Miami Audio Technology diploma: 69% graduated (140 students) and 80% were reported employed.
• Nashville BAS in Audio: 55% graduated (24 students); 73% employed.
• Entertainment Business: 36–42% graduated in the AAS at Nashville and Atlanta, and 33% in Atlanta’s diploma (17 students). Chicago’s cohorts were small (7 students each) and reported 0% employment.

Before you enroll

• Two of the five campuses, Atlanta and Chicago, are on ACCSC Warning over graduation and employment rates. Ask the campus what it is doing about it and what happens to your program if the accreditor takes further action.
• Fewer than half of the students in several programs graduated, including the audio diploma at Nashville (38%) and Atlanta (47%) and Entertainment Business at Nashville (36%).
• Catalog totals ($26,360 to $41,124) are higher than the prices SAE’s program pages show for some programs. Confirm the full cost in writing.
• New York’s campus page said in October 2026 that it is not accepting applications. Check with SAE before planning to study there.
• Older listings still show programs in animation, game design and graphic design, and some leftover SAE web pages still show Emeryville (SAE Expression College) and its animation and game art degrees. None of these is offered at any SAE campus in the US.
• SAE provides no housing; students arrange their own.

Career help

SAE offers career services for life to graduates, with one-to-one advising, resume and portfolio help, the Portfolium portfolio platform, and regular workshops and job fairs. SAE names Apple, Universal Audio and iZotope among past hiring partners. There is no built-in internship; SAE lists internships as something career services can help with.

What students say

We found no review platform with 25 or more reviews of SAE’s US campuses (October 2026), so we don’t summarize reviews. Niche’s Nashville page has 6 reviews, and Trustpilot and GradReports have no US SAE pages.

Sources

SAE accreditation and regulatory information · SAE campus catalogs · SAE campus performance outcomes · SAE consumer disclosures · SAE financial aid · SAE New York campus page · Wikipedia: SAE Institute

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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

Fact	Detail
Type	Public community college in the Tennessee Board of Regents system; day, evening, online and hybrid credit classes
Locations	Two campuses and two centers, all in Memphis, Tennessee
Credentials	Associate of Applied Science degrees, technical certificates, and A.A./A.S. transfer pathways
Typical length	Two semesters (machining and pharmacy technology certificates); AAS degrees are 60 to 70 credits
Tuition 2026-27	$197 per credit hour for Tennessee residents, $342 out of state
Accreditation	The Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC), reaffirmed June 2025 with no sanctions
Federal aid	Yes (Title IV)
Admission	Open admission; nursing, allied health and professional pilot have extra entry requirements
Students	About 7,000 (6,980 in fall 2023)
Founded	1 July 2000, by merging Shelby State Community College and State Technical Institute at Memphis
Facts checked	October 2026

Memphis’s public community college, formed from two older schools

Southwest Tennessee Community College, usually called Southwest, opened on 1 July 2000 when Shelby State Community College merged with State Technical Institute at Memphis. It is part of the Tennessee Board of Regents system and teaches at four sites in Memphis. The college’s program list filed with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in September 2024 counts 66 active degree and certificate programs.

For career students the main draws are the health programs at the Union Avenue Campus, led by an ACEN-accredited nursing degree and a paramedic program whose graduates passed the National Registry exam at 100% in 2023 to 2025, and the technical programs at Macon Cove. The aviation degree gained FAA Part 141 provisional certification in June 2025. Two health programs lost their accreditation in 2023 and 2024; see below.

Career programs and where they are taught

Credit counts come from the college’s program pages and its September 2024 program list; results are as each program page reports them. Business and legal programs are run from the Macon Cove Campus, but the college does not say on its department pages which site teaches each course.

Program	Credential	Length and schedule	Where	Prepares for / accreditation	Published results
Nursing (RN)	AAS, 67 credits	Day (fall start), evening/weekend (spring start); LPN and paramedic mobility (summer)	Union Avenue	NCLEX-RN (ACEN)	86% NCLEX-RN pass (2024)
Medical Laboratory Technician	AAS, 62 credits	–	Union Avenue	National MLT certification (NAACLS, per the college)	90% certification pass (2024-25)
Laboratory Phlebotomy Technician	Technical certificate, 18 credits	–	Union Avenue	Phlebotomy certification	100% certification pass (2023-24)
Pharmacy Technology	Technical certificate, 32 credits	2 semesters, fall or spring start	Union Avenue	Pharmacy technician certification (ASHP, Advanced Level)	–
EMT / AEMT	Technical certificates, 16 credits each	–	Union Avenue; EMT also at Smith Center	National Registry EMT / AEMT	–
Paramedic	Technical certificate, 43 credits; EMS-Paramedic AAS, 60	–	Union Avenue	National Registry paramedic (CAAHEP)	100% NREMT cognitive pass (2023, 2024, 2025)
Radiologic Technology	AAS, 69 credits	–	Union Avenue	JRCERT withdrew accreditation in July 2023; no current accreditation claimed	33% ARRT first-attempt pass (class of 2021, latest posted)
Physical Therapist Assistant	AAS, 70 credits	First class fall 2026, graduating May 2028	Union Avenue	CAPTE candidate for accreditation (not yet accredited)	None yet
Funeral Service Education	AAS, 63 credits	–	Whitehaven	Funeral service (ABFSE)	–
Aviation Operations Technology	AAS, 60 credits	Professional Pilot, Flight Dispatch, Aviation Administration	Macon Cove (department), Smith Center	FAA pilot certificates (Part 141, provisional)	–
Machining / CNC Operator	Technical certificates, 16 to 19 credits	As little as 2 semesters each	Macon Cove	Machinist work to NIMS standards	–
Mechatronics Technology	AAS, 60 credits; certificate, 18	–	Macon Cove	Automation and PLC technician work	–
Computer Information Technology	AAS, 60 credits; certificates, 18 to 24	–	Macon Cove; Cyber Defense also at Smith Center	IT support, networking, programming, cyber defense	–
Hospitality Management / Culinary Arts / Baking	AAS, 60 credits; technical certificates	–	Macon Cove (Culinary Institute)	Culinary and hospitality work (not ACF-accredited)	0% ACF certification (2022 to 2024)
Accounting, Logistics, Paralegal, Criminal Justice	AAS degrees and technical certificates	–	Macon Cove (department)	Office, legal and justice careers	–

The college’s four engineering technology degrees (Electrical, Computer, Mechanical and Architectural) are ABET-accredited and train engineering technicians; the Electrical Engineering Technology AAS covers PLCs, microcontrollers, robotics and three-phase power, but it is not electrician training. Other career programs include Automotive Service Technology, Administrative Professional Technology, Early Childhood Education, Graphic Arts Technology and Biotechnology. The Business AAS has concentrations in management, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources and logistics, and the department page still links the finance, human resources and logistics ones to the 2025-26 catalog. Information Systems is offered only as a transfer pathway.

What the main programs cover

Nursing AAS (RN)

The 67-credit nursing degree has three ways in. The generic track admits in fall for a day schedule or in spring for an evening and weekend schedule, the only weekend schedule we could confirm. Licensed practical nurses and paramedics use mobility tracks that admit in summer and run by day. Admission uses prerequisite grades, GPA and the NLN entrance exam. Students should know that the program’s graduation rate has been low: 48% for 2024, after 39% for 2023, against an 86% NCLEX-RN pass rate for 2024.

EMT, AEMT and paramedic

Emergency medical services training is built as a ladder. The EMT and Advanced EMT certificates are 16 credits each; the paramedic certificate is 43 credits, and the 60-credit EMS-Paramedic AAS embeds it in a degree. The paramedic program is accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of CoAEMSP. The college reports that every paramedic candidate passed the National Registry cognitive and psychomotor exams in 2023, 2024 and 2025, but that only 72% to 81% of students stayed in the program.

Aviation Operations Technology

The aviation AAS launched in 2022 and splits into three concentrations: Professional Pilot, Flight Dispatch and Aviation Administration. Professional Pilot students fly as part of the degree and must be admitted full-time to the degree and arrive with a private pilot license and an FAA medical certificate. Under the program’s Part 141 provisional certification, granted in June 2025, the college says graduates can qualify for an airline transport pilot certificate at 1,250 hours instead of 1,500. Flight fees are not on the tuition page; ask the department for them.

Machining and CNC certificates

Machining is taught in the Fulton Building at Macon Cove as three short certificates that can each be finished in as little as two semesters. Machining Fundamentals covers manual machining with an introduction to CNC; Advanced Machining moves to advanced CNC and CAD/CAM; CNC Operator is a 16-credit route focused on running CNC machines. Instruction follows OSHA safety rules and the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) standards. The CNC Operator and mechatronics certificates are also taught to high school students at Arlington High School.

Pharmacy Technology

The pharmacy technology certificate takes two semesters, 15 credits and then 17, and students can start in fall or spring but must finish within 12 months. The program holds ASHP accreditation at the Advanced Level, and a 200-hour clinical rotation is part of the course, so students should plan for placement hours on top of class time. Classes are in the Allied Health Building at the Union Avenue Campus, and the college links a pass-rate report for its 2023-24 students from the program page.

Cost and paying for it

Credit tuition for Fall 2026 to Spring 2027, from the college’s tuition page:

	Per credit hour	Full-time semester (12 credits), with fees
Tennessee resident	$197	$2,542
Out of state	$342	$4,294

Tennessee has no separate in-district rate. Above 12 credits, residents pay $44 and out-of-state students $68 for each extra credit hour. Nursing and allied-health courses add a program fee of $25 per credit hour, and online courses taken through TN eCampus have their own rates. Professional Pilot students also pay flight fees, which the tuition page does not list; the Southwest Foundation may help with them.

Southwest takes part in federal student aid, and Niche (using federal data, checked October 2026) reports that 91% of students receive aid and that the average net price is $5,396 a year. Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect are standard at Tennessee Board of Regents community colleges; check the college’s financial aid office for how they apply at Southwest and for deadlines.

Admission and schedules

Southwest has open admission, so applicants who meet the general requirements are admitted. Several programs choose students separately: nursing uses the NLN exam, GPA and prerequisite grades; radiologic technology uses the TEAS; and Professional Pilot requires a private pilot license and an FAA medical. Allied-health application deadlines are in the catalog. Credit classes run by day, in the evening, online and in hybrid formats; nursing has an evening and weekend track, and pharmacy technology starts in fall or spring. High school students can take courses through dual enrollment, including at the Smith Center.

Accreditation and results

Southwest is accredited to award associate degrees by The Commission on Colleges and Universities, the agency known until September 2026 as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The college’s accreditation was reaffirmed in June 2025 with no sanctions and no further reporting requirements. Programs with their own accreditation include nursing (ACEN), medical laboratory technician (NAACLS, as the college states), paramedic (CAAHEP), pharmacy technology (ASHP), the engineering technology degrees (ABET) and funeral service (ABFSE). The aviation program has held FAA Part 141 provisional certification for its flight training since June 2025.

Two programs have lost accreditation. JRCERT involuntarily withdrew accreditation from the Radiologic Technology AAS on 27 July 2023, after a period of probation; the program page now describes it only as an affiliate of the ARRT. CAPTE withdrew accreditation from the old Physical Therapist Assistant program in 2024, final on 30 May 2024. A new PTA program was granted CAPTE Candidate for Accreditation status on 29 April 2026 and takes its first class in fall 2026; candidacy does not guarantee accreditation.

Published results, as each program page gives them:

Program	Measure	Result	Cohort	Source
Nursing AAS (RN)	NCLEX-RN pass	86% (78% in 2023, 67% in 2022)	2024	Nursing program page
Nursing AAS (RN)	Graduation	48%	2024	Nursing program page
Medical Laboratory Technician	National certification within 1 year	90% (81% in 2023-24)	2024-25	MLT outcomes page
Laboratory Phlebotomy	Certification	100%	2023-24	MLT outcomes page
Paramedic	NREMT cognitive exam	100% each year	2023, 2024, 2025	EMS program page
Radiologic Technology	ARRT first-attempt pass	33% (5-year average 56.8%)	Class of 2021	Program outcomes page
Culinary Arts	ACF certification	0%	2022 to 2024	Culinary program page

Pharmacy technology links a 2023-24 pass-rate report from its program page; we found no published rates for funeral service, automotive or aviation. College-wide, Niche (using federal data, checked October 2026) shows a 23% graduation rate and median earnings of $42,293 five years after graduation.

Before you enroll

• Radiologic technology lost its accreditation. JRCERT withdrew the program’s accreditation in July 2023, and the latest pass rate the program posts is 33% on the ARRT exam for the class of 2021. Ask in writing whether current graduates can sit for the ARRT radiography exam before you apply.
• The physical therapist assistant program is starting over. The old program lost CAPTE accreditation in 2024. The new one is a candidate for accreditation, with a first class in fall 2026 and first graduates in May 2028, and candidacy does not guarantee it will be accredited.
• Electrical Engineering Technology does not train electricians. It is an ABET-accredited engineering technician degree (PLCs, instrumentation, industrial controls), not wiring or licensing preparation.
• The culinary program is not ACF-accredited, and the college reports that none of its students earned ACF certification in 2022, 2023 or 2024.
• Many students do not finish. Niche’s federal data show a 23% graduation rate college-wide, and the nursing program’s graduation rate was 48% for 2024.

Four places to study in Memphis

• Macon Cove Campus, 5983 Macon Cove, Memphis 38134: the main campus, with the technical, engineering technology, machining, mechatronics, computer, culinary and business programs.
• Union Avenue Campus, 737 Union Avenue, Memphis 38103: nursing and all allied-health and EMS programs.
• Maxine A. Smith Center, 8800 East Shelby Drive, Memphis 38125: aviation, cyber defense, EMT, entrepreneurial studies and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center.
• Whitehaven Center, 1234 Finley Road, Memphis 38116: funeral service education and general courses.

The Gill Center in Frayser was sold to Libertas School of Memphis in June 2024 because of low enrollment and poor transit access; classes continued in shared space through Spring 2025. An older college web page for a Millington center is still online, but Millington is not on the college’s current list of locations.

Child care, apprenticeships and small-business help

The Macon Cove, Union Avenue and Smith Center sites each have a child care center. Computer students can join an IT Apprenticeship that the college runs with the Greater Memphis IT Council and the University of Memphis. The Tennessee Small Business Development Center is based at the Smith Center. Pharmacy technology includes a 200-hour clinical rotation, and the paramedic program reports 100% positive placement for 2023 to 2025.

What students say

On Niche, Southwest has a 3.69 out of 5 average from 890 reviews (checked 9 October 2026) and an overall Niche grade of B-minus, and Niche ranks it 13th among community colleges in Tennessee. Reviewers most often praise supportive faculty and advisors, the low cost and small classes. The most common complaints are uneven teaching and grading, coursework some found less demanding than expected, and poor communication from administrative and financial aid offices; some mention the lack of activities outside class.

We could not see review dates, so we could not check whether reviews arrived in bursts, and we did not use Google reviews, which we cannot read or count directly. Because slow answers from offices are a common complaint, students who rely on financial aid may want to start the paperwork early.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Locations · Tuition, Fall 2026 · Accreditation reaffirmed, June 2025 · Nursing AAS · JRCERT decision, July 2023 · Physical Therapist Assistant program · FAA Part 141 certification, June 2025 · Niche

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Type	Mainly online university; more than 95% of students take all courses online (Strayer, Oct 2025). Campuses offer advising and select in-person courses
Campuses	25 on Strayer’s campus locator in 12 states and DC (Oct 2026), down from 58 in the 2023–24 catalog
Credentials	Certificates, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees; one diploma (LPN, Washington, DC campus only). No doctoral programs
Course format	11-week courses in a four-quarter year; a bachelor’s is 40 courses, an associate 20
Accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education, since 1981; reaffirmed 12 Mar 2026
Federal aid	Yes: Pell Grants and Direct Loans; GI Bill accepted
Founded / owner	1892, as Strayer’s Business College; owned by Strategic Education, Inc. (Nasdaq: STRA), Herndon, VA, which also owns Capella University
Facts checked	October 2026

An online university, not a trade school

Strayer University awards associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees, mostly online, to working adults: its 2025 fact sheet gave an average student age of 37 and said 91% study part-time. Enrolment was 33,553 in fall 2025, down from 37,090 at the end of 2024. Bachelor’s students make up 72% of enrolment, and business and technology programs 82% (Strategic Education, Aug 2026).

Most of what Strayer teaches is academic rather than trade training. The exception is new: a Licensed Practical Nurse diploma taught at the Washington, DC campus, approved by the DC Board of Nursing and with ACEN candidacy from 1 June 2026. Strayer has also cut its campus network sharply, from 58 campuses in the 2023–24 catalog to 25 on its locator in October 2026, and moved several of those that remain.

Online degrees and one campus-based LPN diploma

Tuition is from Strayer’s 2026–27 schedule; totals are our arithmetic before transfer credit and scholarships.

Program	Credential	Length	Delivery	Prepares for	2026–27 tuition
Licensed Practical Nurse	Diploma	49 credits	Washington, DC campus only	NCLEX-PN	$290 per credit (about $14,210)
Information Technology (8 concentrations)	BS; also associate	40 courses (bachelor’s), 20 (associate)	Online	IT careers; no licence	$1,555 per course ($62,200 for 40)
Business Administration, Accounting, Supply Chain Logistics, Marketing	Associate, BBA, Bachelor of Accounting	20 or 40 courses	Online	Business careers	$1,555 per course
Criminal Justice	BS	40 courses	Online	Not police-academy or POST training	$1,555 per course
Health Services Administration	Associate, BS, MS	20, 40 or 10–12 courses	Online	Healthcare management; not clinical	$1,555 per course (undergraduate); $1,715 (MS)
Cybersecurity; Information Systems	MS; graduate certificate	10 courses (MS); 3 (certificate)	Online	IT and security management	$2,540 per course (MS)
MBA; Jack Welch Management Institute MBA	MBA	10–12 courses	Online	Management	$3,045 per course ($2,540 for NC and PA residents); JWMI $3,925

Strayer also offers an MS in Accounting, MS in Management, MS in Human Resource Management, a Master of Educational Design and Technology (not a teacher-licensure program) and an MPA. The Media Design School at Strayer, which teaches mainly in Auckland, New Zealand, delivers an MFA in Screen Scoring and Music Design at the Atlanta campus ($585 per credit hour). The 2026–27 tuition schedule also lists an Associate of Applied Science in Radiologic Technology, but we could not confirm where it is taught or when it starts, so it is not included here.

What the main programs cover

Licensed Practical Nurse diploma (Washington, DC)

The 49-credit diploma combines nursing courses numbered NUR 100 to NUR 498 with Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Nutrition, and leads to the NCLEX-PN licensing exam. It is taught at the DC campus, not online. Admission is selective, unlike Strayer’s other undergraduate programs: applicants need a CNA certificate, CPR certification, a background check and drug screen, a high school GPA of 2.0 and an ACT score of 22 or SAT of 530. ACEN candidacy began on 1 June 2026 and runs to Spring 2028; the program is not yet ACEN-accredited.

BS in Information Technology

The BSIT is 40 online courses of 11 weeks, and Strayer estimates about 13.5 hours of work a week for each course. Students pick one of eight concentrations: artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, data management, IT project management, networking or software development. All coursework is online. Strayer also offers a 20-course associate in IT and, at graduate level, an MS in Information Systems and an MS in Cybersecurity.

BS in Criminal Justice

The criminal justice degree is an online bachelor’s with concentrations in crime and criminal behavior, criminal justice administration, digital forensics and cybersecurity, national security and emergency response, probation and parole, and AI. Strayer’s program page does not mention police-academy or state POST certification, so graduates who want to become police officers still need a separate academy. Like Strayer’s other bachelor’s degrees, it is 40 courses of 11 weeks.

Health services administration

Strayer’s health programs train managers, not clinicians. The BS in Health Services Administration offers concentrations including public health and health information management and analytics, and the same field is available as an associate, a BBA concentration, an MS (with concentrations including clinical care management and public health management) and an MBA concentration. Healthcare programs make up about 4% of enrolment (Strategic Education, Aug 2026).

Business and supply chain logistics

The Bachelor of Business Administration has ten concentrations, among them accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, human resource management, marketing, project management and supply chain logistics. Associate degrees cover accounting, business administration, marketing and supply chain logistics. The Bachelor of Applied Science in Management is for students who already hold an associate degree in a technical or STEM field, or 54 or more transferable quarter hours.

Cost and paying for it in 2026–27

Strayer charges by the course, not by the year. In its 2026–27 schedule:

• Undergraduate courses (associate and bachelor’s): $1,555 per course of 4.5 quarter credits. A full 40-course bachelor’s is $62,200 in tuition and a 20-course associate $31,100, before transfer credit and scholarships.
• Master’s: $1,715 per course for the MS in Accounting, MS in Health Services Administration and Master of Educational Design and Technology; $2,540 for the MS in Information Systems, Cybersecurity, Human Resource Management and Management; $2,040 for the MPA.
• MBA: $3,045 per course over ten courses, or $2,540 over twelve for North Carolina and Pennsylvania residents. The Jack Welch Management Institute MBA is $3,925 per course over twelve courses from Spring 2026.
• LPN diploma: $290 per credit, about $14,210 for 49 credits.
• Fees on the BSIT and BSCJ pages include a $65 technology fee each term and a $150 degree conferral fee.

College Navigator lists 2024–25 undergraduate tuition and fees of $13,920 a year and an average net price of $19,258 for full-time beginning students in 2023–24.

How the Learn and Earn scholarship works

New and readmitted bachelor’s students are enrolled automatically in the Strayer Learn and Earn Scholarship, which replaced the “Graduation Fund”. For every three courses a student passes at Strayer, they earn one tuition-free course, used against the last courses of the degree, up to ten free courses. Strayer says this can save up to 25% on a bachelor’s. By our arithmetic, a student who takes all 40 courses at Strayer would pay for 30, or $46,650 in 2026–27 tuition. Students who transfer in credit save less, because transfer, exam and developmental credits do not earn free courses. Earned courses are forfeited after two consecutive terms without attending. Associate, certificate, Jack Welch Management Institute and Media Design School students are not eligible, nor are Degrees@Work students, Strayer employees and some students whose employer pays tuition.

Federal aid, employers and other discounts

Strayer takes Pell Grants, Direct Loans and the GI Bill. Many students pay partly through an employer: Strategic Education reports 80 corporate agreements through its Workforce Edge platform, and employer-affiliated students made up 33.5% of its U.S. higher-education enrolment (August 2026). Strayer also accepts general-education credit from Sophia Learning, a low-cost, ACE-recommended course provider owned by the same company. For the LPN diploma, the DC Future LPN Scholarship capped tuition at $5,250 (no more than $1,312.50 a term) for the first 30 DC residents admitted to the July 2026 quarter; it cannot be combined with other awards.

Admissions and the quarter calendar

Undergraduate admission is open: applicants need a high school diploma or equivalent, a government photo ID and documentation of English and math proficiency. The LPN diploma and the radiologic technology associate listed in the tuition schedule are the exceptions, with test-score, GPA, background-check and drug-screen requirements. Strayer runs four 11-week quarters a year; the fall 2026 quarter starts on 5 October 2026. Courses are online, and campus pages say students “may be able to take select courses” in person, with priority for on-ground courses given to F-1 visa students.

Accreditation, results and federal claims

Strayer is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which reaffirmed its accreditation on 12 March 2026; the next self-study is due in 2032–33. MSCHE approves Strayer for one- to two-year postsecondary awards, associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees and distance education, but not doctoral degrees. After adding the Media Design School in New Zealand as a Strayer location in August 2025, MSCHE held a site visit in February 2026 and asked for a supplemental report due 5 October 2026, routine follow-up rather than a sanction.

Federal data split Strayer into several reporting units. For the Strayer University-Global Region unit, College Navigator reports:

Measure	Result	Cohort
Graduation rate, first-time full-time students, within 150% of normal time	14%	Started fall 2018
Bachelor’s within 8 years, first-time full-time	32% (plus 5% associate, 18% transferred)	Started 2016–17
Bachelor’s within 8 years, first-time part-time	5% (plus 3% associate, 29% transferred)	Started 2016–17
Retention to second year	60% full-time; 41% part-time	Fall 2023 to fall 2024
Cohort default rate	0.0%	FY2020 and FY2021

These rates cover only students starting college for the first time, a small share of Strayer’s mostly part-time, adult enrolment. Strayer publishes no job-placement rate.

Strayer was notified on 1 February 2024 that the U.S. Department of Education had received about 1,900 borrower defense applications from its students, filed between June and November 2022 (about 1,870 as of 30 September 2024). Strategic Education said the department might seek to recoup any discharged amounts; it had disclosed no determination in the filings we checked. We found no new state attorney general action or accreditor sanction for 2023–2026.

Why the campus list shrank from 58 to 25

Strayer’s catalogs listed 58 campuses in 2023–24, 47 in 2024–25 and 28 in 2025–26; its campus locator showed 25 in October 2026. When it closed its Killeen, Texas campus (reported 1 October 2025), Strayer said “more than 95% of Strayer students take all courses online”. Alexandria, Virginia closed on 15 December 2025. Several campuses moved to new sites in 2025–26, including the main Washington, DC campus, Center City in Philadelphia, Atlanta (from Chamblee) and Dallas Fort Worth (from Farmers Branch to Arlington, TX). Strategic Education recorded $4.6 million in restructuring costs, including severance and lease impairments, in the first half of 2026.

Many campuses are open only part of the week: Oklahoma City on Tuesdays only, Wilmington, Delaware on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Birmingham, Greensboro and Augusta on two days. Check a campus’s page before visiting. Little Rock, Arkansas and Piscataway, New Jersey still have campus pages and appear in the 2025–26 catalog, but they are not on Strayer’s locator, so we have not listed them as open campuses; we could not confirm whether they will stay open.

What the campuses offer

Strayer provides no student housing. Its campuses have Wi-Fi, a student lounge and local advisors for admissions and financial aid, and host the select in-person courses and the DC nursing program. No campus publishes its own program menu: apart from the LPN diploma in DC and the Atlanta MFA, every program is taught online and is open to students in any state.

Before you enroll

• Strayer is not a trade school. Apart from the DC LPN diploma, its programs are academic degrees taught online; the criminal justice degree, for example, is not police-academy training.
• A full bachelor’s costs $62,200 in 2026–27 tuition before the Learn and Earn scholarship. That scholarship pays only for courses at the end of the degree, is lost after two consecutive terms without attending, and is worth less if you transfer credit in.
• The LPN diploma is new: ACEN candidacy began on 1 June 2026 and the program is not yet accredited by ACEN. It is taught only in Washington, DC. Ask about clinical placements and NCLEX-PN results before enrolling.
• The campus you plan to use may have moved, may open only one to three days a week, or may have closed: 30 campuses dropped out of the catalog between 2023–24 and 2025–26.
• Federal graduation rates are low for first-time students (14% within 150% of normal time for the fall 2018 cohort at the Global Region unit), and Strayer publishes no job-placement rate.

What students say

On Niche, the “Strayer University-Georgia” page has 420 reviews averaging 4.07 out of 5 (checked October 2026). Reviewers praise the flexibility for working adults and supportive professors; complaints centre on slow financial-aid communication and verification problems, and on cost. On OnlineU (where GradReports now redirects), 68% of 411 reviewers would recommend Strayer and 59% say their career prospects improved, with reviews up to May 2026. Praise there is for flexibility, accessible professors, a practical curriculum and the free Sophia courses; complaints cover the price for the quality, outdated materials, financial-aid processing, weak placement support, discussion-board-heavy courses and slow transcripts. Niche’s figure belongs to one federal reporting unit, Strayer University-Georgia, rather than the whole university. We did not see an obvious burst of invited reviews, but did not check every review.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Strayer campus locator · Tuition and fees · 2026–27 catalog · Learn and Earn Scholarship · LPN diploma (catalog) · MSCHE accreditation status · College Navigator · Strategic Education 10-K, FY2025

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)

Fact	Detail
Type	Public land-grant research university; campus and online (Vols Online)
Location	Knoxville, Tennessee; flagship of the University of Tennessee System
Students	41,287 in fall 2026, including 33,001 undergraduates
Career credentials on this page	BSN (three routes), online RN to BSN, online Applied Cybersecurity BS, non-degree UT Culinary Certificate
Typical length	Bachelor’s degrees four years; Accelerated BSN 12 months; RN to BSN 12 to 36 months; culinary certificate 8 weeks
Accreditation	The Commission on Colleges and Universities (formerly SACSCOC), reaffirmed 2025; nursing CCNE through 31 Dec 2035
Federal aid	Yes for degree programs; the culinary certificate is not eligible
2026-27 tuition and fees	$14,024 in-state; $34,478 out-of-state (full-time undergraduate)
Facts checked	October 2026

Tennessee’s flagship university, and the parts of it that train for a trade

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT Knoxville) is the flagship of the University of Tennessee System and the state’s public land-grant research university. It enrolled a record 41,287 students in fall 2026 and lists more than 900 programs of study, almost all of them bachelor’s and graduate degrees. This page covers the few that train for a specific job: the nursing degrees, an online cybersecurity bachelor’s and a short culinary certificate. A September 2026 UT news headline said it had climbed in the U.S. News Best Value rankings and was the “No. 1 Public in Tennessee”. In-state tuition was held flat for 2026-27, the second year in a row.

Nursing, cybersecurity and culinary programs

Program	Credential	Length	Delivery	Prepares for	Published cost
Nursing, four-year	BSN	4 years	Knoxville campus	NCLEX-RN	Undergraduate tuition and fees (below)
BSN Scholars	BSN	4 years; early clinical entry	Knoxville campus and UT Medical Center	NCLEX-RN	Tuition help from UT Medical Center for a work commitment
Accelerated BSN	BSN (second degree)	12 months, full time	On campus	NCLEX-RN	Undergraduate tuition and fees
RN to BSN	BSN (post-licensure)	34 credits; 12 to 36 months	Online, asynchronous	Already licensed RNs	$740 / $815 per credit (in-state / out-of-state)
Applied Cybersecurity	BS	120 credits	Online, asynchronous	Not stated by UT	$490 / $565 per credit (in-state / out-of-state)
UT Culinary Certificate	Non-degree certificate	8 weeks, 200 hours	UT Conference Center, downtown Knoxville	ACF Education Foundation approved	$6,249 with books and materials

Per-credit online rates are as Vols Online listed them in October 2026. This page tags only the credentials above, but several other UT Knoxville bachelor’s degrees also lead toward a particular career. The Medical Laboratory Science BS spends three years on campus and a 50-week clinical year at UT Medical Center, with up to 12 students a year, after which graduates are eligible for the ASCP certification exam. Construction Science and Management is a bachelor’s with internships or co-ops. The university also offers a Graphic Design BFA, a Hospitality and Tourism Management BS and a Deaf Studies degree with an educational interpreting concentration.

What the main programs cover

Four-year BSN and BSN Scholars

Students enter either as freshmen (Early Action deadline 1 November, regular 15 December, fall start) or after completing 44 general-education credits, applying through NursingCAS by 1 October to start in late January. Upper-division applicants need a 3.2 GPA and a C+ or better in anatomy and physiology, microbiology and human development. BSN Scholars follow the same coursework but begin clinical work early in a pathway built with UT Medical Center, which helps with tuition in return for a commitment to work there after graduation. It is open only to US citizens and permanent residents.

Accelerated BSN

The accelerated route is for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. It runs 12 months full time and is taught on campus, not online, starting in late May each year. Applicants need a 3.0 GPA; the priority deadline is 1 November and the final deadline 1 December. Because the pace is full time for a whole year, applicants should plan their finances for 12 months of study. It leads to the same CCNE-accredited BSN as the four-year route, and graduates take the NCLEX-RN.

RN to BSN (online)

This degree-completion program needs an associate degree in nursing, an RN licence (new graduates can be admitted conditionally), a 2.0 GPA and 60 transferable credits. The 34 nursing credits are taught online and asynchronously, with no required campus visits, and students take 12 to 36 months depending on their pace. Clinical requirements are completed where the student lives, with virtual options. There are fall starts (final deadline 1 July) and spring starts (final deadline 1 December).

Applied Cybersecurity (online)

The Applied Cybersecurity BS is a full 120-credit bachelor’s, taught online and asynchronously by the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies, with starts in fall, spring and summer. It is one of 21 online bachelor’s programs Vols Online lists, and a cybersecurity minor and an undergraduate certificate are also offered. The program page does not say which industry certifications the courses map to, so students who need a specific one should ask before enrolling.

UT Culinary Certificate

Run by UT Knoxville’s Center for Professional Education and Lifelong Learning rather than an academic college, the certificate packs 200 hours into 8 full-time weeks in the UT Conference Center’s commercial kitchen in downtown Knoxville. There are two sessions a year, and students in the February session are offered internships. The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation approves the program. The $6,249 price covers books and materials, and students pay it without federal aid.

2026-27 costs and how students pay

2026-27, full-time undergraduate	Tennessee resident	Out-of-state
Tuition	$11,560	$31,672
Mandatory fees	$2,464	$2,806
Tuition and fees	$14,024	$34,478
On-campus housing	$9,572	$9,572
Food	$5,166	$5,166
Books and supplies	$1,598	$1,598
Transportation	$3,500	$3,500
Estimated cost of attendance	$36,994	$57,448

Figures are from UT Knoxville’s 2026-27 undergraduate cost of attendance (updated July 2026). In-state tuition is unchanged from 2025-26; out-of-state tuition rose about 5.1%, and mandatory fees rose $148 for residents and $174 for non-residents.
UT Knoxville takes part in the federal student aid programs, and the UT System’s June 2026 tuition notice says 93% of entering first-year students receive financial aid or scholarships. BSN Scholars receive tuition help from UT Medical Center in exchange for working there after graduation. Niche, using federal data, puts the average net price at $21,648 a year.
The culinary certificate is priced separately at $6,249 and cannot be paid with federal aid. The program page lists private loans (Sallie Mae), partial scholarships from the American Culinary Federation’s Smoky Mountain chapter, up to $5,250 for Blackberry Farm employees, and possibly VA education benefits through UT’s Office of Veteran Benefits Administration.

Admissions, nursing deadlines and online limits

Niche puts UT Knoxville’s overall acceptance rate at 42%. Nursing admission is separate and more selective: freshman direct admission, upper-division and BSN Scholars entry, and the Accelerated BSN each have their own deadlines (see above), and the RN to BSN admits in fall and spring. The College of Nursing’s undergraduate admissions page lists the current requirements.
The culinary certificate runs two 8-week, full-time sessions a year. Vols Online programs, including the RN to BSN and Applied Cybersecurity, are asynchronous with no required campus visits. UT Knoxville is a SARA member, but its state-authorization page closes online teacher-education programs to students outside Tennessee unless they plan to work there, and it does not mention the RN to BSN, so nurses outside Tennessee should confirm eligibility before applying.

Accreditation and results

UT Knoxville is accredited for bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degrees by the body now called The Commission on Colleges and Universities, the name the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) took in September 2026. Its accreditation was last reaffirmed in 2025, and it has been approved for distance education since 1998. CCNE accredits the BSN through 31 December 2035, after a review in February 2025. The Medical Laboratory Science program, run with UT Medical Center, is accredited by NAACLS through October 2027, according to UT’s programmatic accreditation list.

Measure	Result	Group and source
NCLEX-RN first-time pass rate	100% (52 of 52)	December 2025 BSN graduates; College of Nursing, March 2026
Six-year graduation rate	About 75%	UT Knoxville release, September 2025; cohort year not stated
Four-year graduation rate	67%	Same release
First-year retention	92.4%	Same release
Median earnings 5 years after graduation	$61,635	Niche, using federal data, checked October 2026

We found no published job-placement rates for the cybersecurity degree or the culinary certificate, and the Medical Laboratory Science pages we read give no certification-exam, graduation or placement figures.

Before you enroll

• Getting into UT is not getting into nursing. Admission to the university does not guarantee a BSN seat, and upper-division applicants need a 3.2 GPA and minimum grades in three science and development courses.
• The culinary certificate sits outside the degree system. It is a non-degree program of UT Knoxville’s continuing-education center, priced at $6,249 and not eligible for federal aid, so students pay directly or use private loans, partial scholarships or, where eligible, VA benefits.
• Some “University of Tennessee” training is not UT Knoxville’s, or is not trade training. Veterinary technology degrees are at UT Martin, a separate university; UT Knoxville teaches only the doctor of veterinary medicine. Police and forensic courses from the Law Enforcement Innovation Center belong to the UT System’s Institute for Public Service, not UT Knoxville, and Fire Protection Engineering is a UT Knoxville graduate engineering certificate, not firefighter training.
• Out-of-state online students should check eligibility. Online teacher-education programs are closed to students outside Tennessee unless they plan to work there, and the state-authorization page does not cover the RN to BSN.
• The cybersecurity degree is a full bachelor’s. It is a 120-credit bachelor’s, not a short certification course, and the program does not name the certifications it prepares for.

Housing and career links

On-campus housing is budgeted at $9,572 for 2026-27, but Niche reviewers often say housing is hard to find after the first year. The career links we could confirm are built into programs: BSN Scholars train at and are committed to UT Medical Center, Medical Laboratory Science students spend their final year there with rotations at CSL Plasma and a molecular pathology laboratory in Maryville, Construction Science and Management includes internships or co-ops, and culinary students in the February session are offered internships.

What students say

On Niche, UT Knoxville averages 3.75 out of 5 from 4,271 reviews, with an overall grade of A (checked 8 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise the campus community and school spirit, supportive faculty, and academic and career resources. The most common complaints are a shortage of housing after freshman year, high tuition and overall cost, and limited parking. The reviews cover the whole university rather than the nursing, cybersecurity or culinary programs, and we could not tell whether many were invited by the school or posted in bursts.

Sources

Checked October 2026: Cost of attendance 2026-27 · University accreditation · Programmatic accreditation · Quick Facts · College of Nursing undergraduate admissions · Vols Online RN to BSN · UT Culinary Certificate · Niche reviews

Fact	Detail
Type	Private trade school, campus-based; on-demand HVAC webinars online for working technicians
Campus	1, in Nashville, Tennessee
Credentials	A school Certificate of Achievement (61% or higher overall); no degrees or diplomas
Course length	100 hours (HVAC Service, Electrical, Plumbing); 40 hours (HVAC Replacement)
Accreditation	None; authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, renewed yearly
Federal aid	Does not appear to take it; ask the school
Veterans	Approved for VA training; Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 benefits
2026 prices	$2,600 to $5,225 per course, books and supplies included
Founded	2006; tied to a Nashville contracting company
Facts checked	October 2026

Total Tech: short HVAC, electrical and plumbing courses in Nashville

Total Tech, LLC is a private trade school in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 2006. It started in a garage, moved through two sites in Smyrna and now teaches at a Nashville site it shares with the contracting company it is tied to. Plumbing and electrical courses were added in early 2015.

The school sells four short residential courses to the public: HVAC Service, Electrical and Plumbing at 100 hours each, and a five-day HVAC Replacement course. It also trains technicians for that Nashville contracting company, and it has run the training for the Army’s Transition to Trades program, which in 2018 brought soldiers from Fort Campbell in their last six months of service to Nashville, with the GI Bill paying tuition. We could not confirm whether that program still runs.

Four short courses and a school certificate

All four courses are taught in person at the Nashville campus, and the 2026 brochure says a school Certificate of Achievement is awarded for an overall score of 61% or higher; ask whether it is given for each course or only after all four.

Course	Credential	Length	Schedule and class size	Exam included	2026 price with books
HVAC Service Protocol	Certificate of Achievement	100 hours (about 20 classroom, 80 lab)	2 weeks full-day or 4 weeks half-day; up to 12 students	EPA 608	$5,225
HVAC Replacement Protocol	Certificate of Achievement	5 days, 40 hours	Daytime lab plus evening online videos; up to 6 students	–	$2,600
Electrical Service Protocol	Certificate of Achievement	100 hours (about 20 classroom, 80 lab)	4 weeks half-day only; up to 12 students	–	$5,225
Plumbing Service Protocol	Certificate of Achievement	100 hours (about 20 classroom, 80 lab)	2 weeks full-day or 4 weeks half-day; up to 8 students	–	$5,225

The school counts training in contact hours, not credits. None of the courses has programmatic accreditation, and none prepares students for a Tennessee trade licence, and the school does not claim that they do. Total Tech also offers on-demand HVAC webinars online, but these are continuing education for working technicians, not an online way to take the courses above.

What the main programs cover

HVAC Service Protocol

The course is built on 24 service-call scenarios, worked through in about 20 hours of classroom teaching and 80 hours in the HVAC service lab, with one to three hours of homework a night. EPA 608 training and testing are part of the course, according to the 2026 brochure. Classes take up to 12 students and run either full days (7:00 am to 5:30 pm) for two weeks or half days for four weeks, mornings (7:00 am to noon) or afternoons (12:30 to 5:30 pm). The school lists mechanical aptitude as a requirement for its HVAC courses.

HVAC Replacement Protocol

This five-day, 40-hour course covers the installation side of HVAC work: reading gauges, refrigerant recovery, sizing line sets, silver brazing, sizing wire and breakers, superheat and subcooling, and airflow. Lab days run from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, and students watch online videos in the evenings from Monday to Thursday. Classes take at most six students, progress is checked with quizzes and lab work, and no absences are allowed.

Electrical Service Protocol

The electrical course covers residential installation and service: electrical theory and codes, 3-D simulators, load calculations, wire, boxes and panels, EMT and PVC conduit bending, service entrances and generator installation, with a whole-house troubleshooting trainer for diagnosis practice. It runs only as a four-week half-day course, with about 20 classroom and 80 lab hours and up to 12 students, and it ends with a written test and a lab test. It is one course, not a full electrician program.

Plumbing Service Protocol

The plumbing course teaches residential plumbing in five sections built around 24 service scenarios, with about 20 classroom and 80 lab hours. Classes take at most eight students and run on the same two-week full-day or four-week half-day schedules as HVAC Service. The course ends with a written test and a lab test. Students keep the textbook, the online resources and the course binder after they finish.

2026 prices: tuition plus books and supplies

Course (2026)	Tuition	Books and supplies	Total
HVAC Service Protocol	$4,825	$400	$5,225
Electrical Service Protocol	$4,725	$500	$5,225
Plumbing Service Protocol	$4,725	$500	$5,225
HVAC Replacement Protocol	$2,300	$300	$2,600

These are the 2026 prices, and the totals match the school’s online course catalog (checked October 2026). There are no in-state, member or early-bird rates, and books and supplies must be bought from Total Tech. Totals rose by $250 to $500 a course since the 2023 brochure.

Under the refund policy in the 2026 brochure, the school keeps a $100 administrative fee. Students who withdraw before or on the first day get everything else back; after that the refund is 75% before 10% of the course is done, 25% before 25%, and nothing later. Students using VA benefits get a pro-rata refund.

Total Tech does not appear to take federal student aid: it is not accredited, and neither its website nor its brochure mentions federal grants or loans. Ask the school before counting on a Pell Grant or a federal loan. Its programs are approved for veteran training, and it accepts Chapter 31 (Veteran Readiness and Employment) and Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) benefits; VA students verify their enrollment monthly and must keep a 61% average. We found no named scholarships or payment plans.

Admission: a diploma, a GED or a Wonderlic score

Applicants need a high-school diploma or GED, or a score of 15 or more on the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam. Students register online or by phone. Enrollment closes when a class fills or on the day before it starts, and late enrollment is not allowed. Students bring a laptop (preferred) or a tablet and must wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Each absence or late arrival costs 1% of the final grade.

Not accredited, but state-authorized and VA-approved

Total Tech holds no institutional or programmatic accreditation. It is authorized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) as a postsecondary institution, an authorization renewed every year, and its programs are approved for VA training. State authorization is not the same as accreditation.

The school publishes no completion, placement or licensing rates, and it says it does not guarantee employment. It files annual performance reports with THEC, which cover enrollment, completion and placement, but we could not read them for this update.

Before you enroll

• The courses are not accredited and don’t appear to qualify for federal aid. The school’s transfer disclosure says its contact hours generally won’t transfer to another school.
• The Certificate of Achievement is the school’s own credential. No course prepares students for a Tennessee electrical or plumbing licence, and Electrical and Plumbing are each a single residential course, not a full trade program.
• The two-week courses run full days, HVAC Service adds one to three hours of homework a night, Electrical is offered only as a four-week half-day course, and HVAC Replacement allows no absences.
• Books and supplies ($300 to $500) must be bought from the school, and the $100 administrative fee is kept even if you withdraw on the first day.
• The school is tied to a Nashville contracting company and also trains that company’s technicians. Ask how hiring by the company works if that is why you are enrolling.

One campus on Murfreesboro Pike

All teaching happens at 909 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37217. The building has an HVAC replacement classroom, HVAC service, plumbing and electrical labs and a student resource center. We found no teaching site at Fort Campbell: Transition to Trades soldiers came to Nashville for class.

Career help, no housing

A career services manager helps graduates look for work, with no job guarantee. The 2018 report on Transition to Trades said the contracting company tied to the school hired some graduates, mostly soldiers from that program. The school mentions no externships and offers no housing.

Facts checked October 2026.