Tennessee: school, college and career rules
Tennessee requires 22 credits and an ACT or SAT for a regular diploma, classifies students by domicile rather than a fixed waiting period, and funds the lottery HOPE Scholarship and Tennessee Promise for in-state students.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
State Board of Education High School Policy 2.103 (Tennessee Diploma Project, 2009). All students enrolled in a Tennessee public school in grade 11 must take the ACT or SAT to receive a traditional diploma. TDOE
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| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English | 4 credits |
| Mathematics | 4 credits: Algebra I and II, geometry and a fourth higher-level course; enrolled in math at least three of four years (from 2024-25) |
| Science | 3 credits: biology, chemistry or physics, and a third lab course |
| Social studies | 3 credits: U.S. history and geography, world history and geography, U.S. government and civics, economics |
| Wellness | 1 credit |
| Physical education | ½ credit |
| Personal finance | ½ credit |
| World language | 2 credits (a district may waive them to widen the elective focus) |
| Fine arts | 1 credit (may be waived the same way) |
| Elective focus | 3 credits: math and science, CTE, fine arts, humanities, AP or IB |
22 credits. A computer science credit can replace the fourth math or third lab science credit.
State tests for the diploma
High school students take TCAP End of Course exams in core subjects, and their scores count toward the semester grade for the course. TDOE
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State test: TCAP
Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program. TCAP is meant to measure real understanding of the state standards, not memorization, and to show what schools can do to help students. TDOE
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| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| TCAP achievement | English language arts, mathematics and science | Grades 3–8 |
| TCAP achievement | Social studies | Grades 6–8 |
| TCAP End of Course | English I and II, Algebra I and II, geometry (or Integrated Math I–III), biology, U.S. history | High school courses |
Source: TDOE
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What the scores are used for
- End of Course scores factor into the student's semester grade for the course.
TDOE
Graduation RequirementsTennessee Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Results give feedback on progress toward grade-level expectations, compare students with peers in the district and state, and show colleges and employers how ready students are.
TDOE
Student Assessment in TennesseeTennessee Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- The University of Tennessee SystemUniversity system · Five campuses (Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin, Southern and the Health Science Center) and two statewide institutes.
- Tennessee Board of Regents (community and technical colleges)Community colleges · 35 community and technical colleges across the state with more than 400 programs of study; Tennessee Promise covers mandatory tuition and fees there for up to two years for eligible high school graduates.
Sources: UT System
View sourceTBR
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Every school in Tennessee, public and private, with cost and completion: 144 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 10 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- Board of Regents rule 0240-02-02: everyone whose domicile is in Tennessee is classified in-state for tuition and admission, with no fixed waiting period. Domicile means your true, fixed and permanent home.
TN SOS
Rules of the Tennessee Board of Regents, Chapter 0240-02-02: Classifying Students In-State and Out-of-State (PDF, revised Nov. 2014)Tennessee Secretary of State, Publications (Rules and Regulations)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 15 March 2024 (publications.tnsosfiles.com returns 403 to requests from India).
View source - An unemancipated student takes a parent's domicile (one parent is enough if the parents are divorced). A U.S. citizen who has lived in Tennessee for at least a year before admission and graduated from a Tennessee high school, or earned a Tennessee equivalency diploma, is also in-state.
TN SOS
Rules of the Tennessee Board of Regents, Chapter 0240-02-02: Classifying Students In-State and Out-of-State (PDF, revised Nov. 2014)Tennessee Secretary of State, Publications (Rules and Regulations)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 15 March 2024 (publications.tnsosfiles.com returns 403 to requests from India).
View source - Each public college's classification officer decides first, and each college has an appeal process.
TN SOS
Rules of the Tennessee Board of Regents, Chapter 0240-02-02: Classifying Students In-State and Out-of-State (PDF, revised Nov. 2014)Tennessee Secretary of State, Publications (Rules and Regulations)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
Read through the Internet Archive capture of 15 March 2024 (publications.tnsosfiles.com returns 403 to requests from India).
View source
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (College for TN). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Tennessee HOPE Scholarship
Lottery scholarship for Tennessee residents: entering freshmen need a 21 ACT (1060 SAT) or an overall weighted 3.0 high school GPA, and must file the FAFSA. Up to $2,250 per full-time semester as a freshman or sophomore and $2,850 as a junior or senior (UT Knoxville figures). Used because TSAC's own HOPE page (collegefortn.org) could not be opened; the award table is UT Knoxville's.UT Knoxville
Tennessee Promise
Last-dollar scholarship covering mandatory tuition and fees at a community or technical college for up to two years for Tennessee high school graduates. TBR
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Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Tennessee license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Tennessee board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Tennessee Board of Law Examiners | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 82). NextGen UBE from July 2027. NCBETennessee: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners Tennessee Board of Osteopathic Examination | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.); Tennessee has more than one board, as listed FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Tennessee State Board of Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Tennessee Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact Tennessee Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
TN.gov Careers (TeamTN)
State of Tennessee
- The State of Tennessee is the largest employer in the state, with more than 43,000 employees in jobs from accounting to forestry.
- The careers site explains the hiring process and benefits and links the job search.
Source: TN.gov
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Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Tennessee has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Apprenticeship TN (Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development)Tennessee is a State Apprenticeship Agency state. Each grand division has an Apprenticeship Director who meets employers to design, register and launch programs, and registered programs can join the state Eligible Training Provider List.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: TDLWD
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Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Tennessee: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Tennessee Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Graduation Requirements · Tennessee Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) · Tennessee Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Testing Times by Grade/Subject (TCAP achievement and End of Course) · Tennessee Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Student Assessment in Tennessee · Tennessee Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- The University of Tennessee System · The University of Tennessee System checked 2026-10-22
- Our Institutions · Tennessee Board of Regents checked 2026-10-22
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Regents, Chapter 0240-02-02: Classifying Students In-State and Out-of-State (PDF, revised Nov. 2014) · Tennessee Secretary of State, Publications (Rules and Regulations) checked 2026-10-22
- HOPE Lottery Scholarship · University of Tennessee, Knoxville, One Stop Student Services checked 2026-10-22
- Careers (State of Tennessee) · State of Tennessee, Department of Human Resources checked 2026-10-22
- Registered Apprenticeship · Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development checked 2026-10-22
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21