Fisk University is a historically Black college and university (HBCU) that offers undergraduate education with a 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio and has maintained operations since 1866. The university enrolls over 1,000 students and emphasizes academic excellence across arts and sciences disciplines.

The University of Memphis is a public research university in Memphis, Tennessee.

Austin Peay State University is a public university in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Knoxville College is a historically Black college in Knoxville, Tennessee, founded in 1875 by the Board of Freedmen's Mission of the United Presbyterian Church.

Lipscomb University is a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee.

Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution of higher education located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee that offers more than 300 undergraduate and graduate majors and concentrations across its 500-acre campus. The university provides undergraduate, graduate, and online educational programs, with 80% of students receiving some form of financial aid.

Tennessee State University is a public historically Black university located in Nashville that offers undergraduate and graduate academic programs across various disciplines, including biotechnology, agriculture, and homeland security research. The university provides students with instruction, research opportunities, internships, study abroad programs, and athletic teams competing in NCAA Division I, while also conducting research through its Centers of Excellence.

Tennessee Technological University is a public university in Cookeville, Tennessee.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a public research university that offers over 900 undergraduate and graduate programs of study across multiple colleges and schools. The institution serves approximately 27,000 students on a 920-acre campus in Knoxville and emphasizes hands-on research, service-learning, and community engagement alongside traditional academic instruction.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The University of Tennessee at Martin is a public university in Martin, Tennessee.

Private research university in Nashville — medicine, engineering, sciences.