Best Online Colleges in Tennessee

Benefits of Studying Online in Tennessee

Tennessee, known as the ‘Volunteer State’, lies in the southeastern portion of the United States, within a stone's throw of iconic places such as Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Smoky Mountain National Park. Although it is the 16th most populous state, it is only the 36th largest based on land area. Despite the small size, Tennessee is home to over 6.9 million people, and makes up a healthy 2.1% of America’s population. While the land may be small, the opportunities for employment are definitely large.

Employment Stats

The average employed person in Tennessee can breathe easy knowing that the state ranks as the 15th most employed in the country, representing more than 3.2 million non-farm employees. To put this into perspective, the number is at least 1.3 million higher than the 10-state median, equaling an impressive 65% more employed people than the median. Even more surprisingly, Tennessee's increase of 3.93% (123,000) in the last year puts it at 12th place in terms of total change in employed persons. This just edges out the 3.90% increase of 14th place ranking Washington, and is a full percentage point higher than 15th place Indiana's stat (which totaled just 60,000 more employed people).

Although Tennessee was not able to catch the nation's leader (California), it still fell a respectable 82% below the state with the most available employment. And that's really not bad, considering Tennessee only accounts for 2.1% of the nation’s population.

Job Opportunities

Tennessee has more than 760 unique job positions available to its residents, granting it the 11th position in terms of job diversity. That puts the state about 5% above the national median of 722 occupations, giving you a much wider selection of career opportunities than most states. Louisiana is a great representation of the median figure, with exactly 722 jobs available currently. With that said, the state also employs nearly 3 million people, giving it the 15th spot in terms of total jobs. This translates to 2.12% of the nation’s workforce, or about 72% of states in terms of job availability.

Tennessee also has the benefit of being a large state with many different cities, cities just a short drive away. From its capital city of Nashville to the rocky city of Chattanooga, or the outdoor paradise of Knoxville, students have the opportunity to experience a variety of different cultures and lifestyles. Tennessee is also home to numerous Fortune 500 companies, including FedEx, Community Health Systems, and HCA Healthcare.

All in all, Tennessee offers an attractive environment for those considering studying online. It has a large population, a healthy economy, and a large workforce that is still growing year over year. As the Volunteer State will offer more and more job opportunities as the economy continues to expand, Tennesse is the an excellent option to consider studying online in.

*All data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023)