The Best Bachelor's in Entrepreneurship Programs in Tennessee for 2027
Key Points: Best Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee
- Lipscomb University ranks #1 in Tennessee on an 85.1 Program Score, with a 72% graduation rate.
- Private schools hold most of the places on this list.
- Cost and quality are not opposites here: the lowest-tuition program on the list, Middle Tennessee State University, ranks #3.
- Programs analyzed
- 5
- In-state tuition range
- $8,204-$40,560
- Average graduation rate
- 60%
- Median salary (BLS)
- $123,835
We analyzed 5 business programs in Tennessee on graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes to rank where a bachelor's in entrepreneurship actually pays off. In-state tuition among the 5 ranked programs in Tennessee runs from $8,204 to $40,560 a year, a $32,356 spread for the same credential.
Lipscomb University tops the list with an 85.1 Program Score on a 72% graduation rate, at $37,460 a year in-state. Across all 5 ranked schools, the average graduation rate is 60%, ranging from 50% to 72%. The national median pay in the field is $123,835 a year per the BLS, the same benchmark every ranked school here feeds into regardless of tuition paid.
The Top Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee at a Glance
Lipscomb leads at 85.1, and Tennessee-Chattanooga closes the chart at 69.5. Longer bars rank higher.
How the Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee Are Scored
Each Program Score runs from 0 to 100: outcomes count for 44%, selectivity and academics for 38%, and scale and value for 18%, all from federal data. See how the weights work.
The 5 Best Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee, Ranked for 2027
The 5 best Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee, ranked by outcomes.
Lipscomb University
Nashville, TN · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 72%
- Admit rate
- 68%
- In-state
- $37,460
- Out-of-state
- $37,460
Lipscomb University's Entrepreneurship B.B.A. lets students steer 21 major hours toward for-profit, social or business as mission ventures.
- 72% graduation rate
- Program Score 85.1
- $37,460 tuition
- For-profit, social or business as mission tracks
Lipscomb University offers an in-person Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship on its main campus, along with a 15-hour minor open to all majors. The B.B.A. requires 21 additional major hours. Nine hours are required: Entrepreneur Marketing, Entrepreneur Finance and New Venture Creation. Students then complete 12 hours of electives, and the page notes they can choose courses that match an interest in for-profit, social or business as mission entrepreneurship. Electives include Principles of Social Entrepreneurship, Digital Marketing Strategy and Analytics, and an internship in business. The program centers on designing, planning, launching and running a venture, including planning the finances and marketing it to the right people. The page also describes small classes, service learning and faculty with industry experience.
Federal data shows a 72% graduation rate at Lipscomb and a 68% admit rate. Tuition is $37,460, the same for in-state and out-of-state students because the school is private. The program's Program Score is 85.1 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits students with a business idea who want required coursework in venture finance and launch, and room to shape the degree around a for-profit or mission-driven path.
Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, TN · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 53%
- Admit rate
- 69%
- In-state
- $29,750
- Out-of-state
- $29,750
A BBA concentration in entrepreneurship and small business management with a 110-hour small business practicum.
- 53% graduation rate
- Program Score 76.4
- $29,750 tuition
- 110-hour small business practicum
Trevecca Nazarene University offers entrepreneurship and small business management as a concentration within its Bachelor of Business Administration, taught on campus. Students take the core BBA courses in accounting, economics, management, finance, business law, marketing and business policies, then add courses on the particular problems small businesses face. Those include small business marketing, human resource management, and small business accounting and finance, which also teaches Excel basics. A Small Business Practicum places students with an approved small business for 110 hours over a semester. A career internship course offers on-the-job experience under faculty supervision, and the page points to internships in the Nashville market. Trevecca describes itself as a Christ-centered university with small classes.
Trevecca graduates 53% of its students and admits 69% of applicants. Tuition is $29,750 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program's Program Score is 76.4 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want to run or start a small business and value hands-on practice alongside classes, in a small campus setting. Because the degree is a BBA concentration, you also get a broad business foundation that applies in other fields.
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN · Public
- Grad rate
- 54%
- Admit rate
- 69%
- In-state
- $8,204
- Out-of-state
- $29,512
A flexible B.B.A. in Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship with an internship, business plan competitions and an advisory board of entrepreneurial leaders.
- Program Score 73.1
- 54% graduation rate
- $8,204 in-state tuition
- Internship and business plan competitions
Middle Tennessee State University's Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship B.B.A. is taught on the ground. The school describes a flexible curriculum that students can tailor to their needs while building the business background needed for entrepreneurial goals. Specialized courses, an internship, and interaction with business leaders are meant to prepare students to start and operate a business. An advisory board of recognized entrepreneurial leaders mentors students, and the program adds business plan competitions and consulting projects. The school says graduates go on to roles such as small business owner, business development consultant, innovation specialist, family business manager, startup founder and franchise owner. The program is housed in the Jones College of Business, which the school reports is AACSB accredited in business and accounting.
MTSU reports a 54% graduation rate and admits 69% of applicants. In-state tuition is $8,204 and out-of-state tuition is $29,512, a gap worth weighing for students from outside Tennessee. The program earns a Program Score of 73.1 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want to start a venture or innovate inside an established company, and who prefer an in-person program with mentoring from working entrepreneurs.
Belmont University
Nashville, TN · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 71%
- Admit rate
- 95%
- In-state
- $40,560
- Out-of-state
- $40,560
Students run real retail and service businesses in 3,500 square feet of campus retail space, and the school reports a 96% career outcome rate for the Class of 2025.
- Program Score 72.2
- 71% graduation rate
- 3,500 sq ft student-run retail space
- 96% career outcome rate, Class of 2025
Belmont University's Entrepreneurship B.B.A. is built around running a venture while still a student. The college reserves 3,500 square feet of street-accessible retail space in the Curb Event Center for students to operate real retail and service businesses. Students also use the Thomas F. Cone Sr. Center for Entrepreneurship, The Hatchery co-working space, free legal and accounting clinics, and the Belmont Entrepreneurship Network of local founders and advisors. Pitch and venture competitions award funding each year. The school reports that The Princeton Review ranks the major among the top programs nationally and that Class of 2025 graduates reached a 96% career outcome rate within six months, with 21% working as entrepreneurs.
Belmont reports a 71% graduation rate and admits 95% of applicants. Tuition is $40,560 for in-state and out-of-state students alike. The program has a Program Score of 72.2 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It suits aspiring founders, family-business successors, and students who want to pair entrepreneurship with another field such as music business or design, and who want to test an idea before graduating.
University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN · Public
- Grad rate
- 50%
- Admit rate
- 81%
- In-state
- $8,458
- Out-of-state
- $16,522
A BSBA in Entrepreneurship inside the Rollins College of Business, where the school reports 82.4% of graduates employed full time.
- 50% graduation rate
- Program Score 69.5
- $8,458 in-state tuition
- BSBA Entrepreneurship major
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga (UTC) offers a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an Entrepreneurship major through its Gary W. Rollins College of Business. The page describes the curriculum as covering business planning, attracting investors, managing a team, working with limited resources and knowing when to pivot. Listed skills include opportunity recognition, financial acumen, negotiation and persuasion, and marketing and branding. Students can join the Entrepreneurship Student Association, Mocs Marketplace and the Fly! Pitch competition, and the Max Fuller Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is part of the college. The college reports more than 500 internship and employment opportunities a year, and says 85.2% of its students complete an internship before graduating. A minor in entrepreneurship is also available.
UTC graduates 50% of its students, and the school admits 81% of applicants. In-state tuition is $8,458, compared with $16,522 for out-of-state students. The program earns a Program Score of 69.5 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It suits students who want to start a venture or bring an entrepreneurial approach into an established company, and who want a business-school degree at a public university. Applicants should weigh the 50% graduation rate and plan early for internships and campus venture activities.
Graduation Rates at the Ranked Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee
The median school on this list graduates 54% of its students. The highest rates belong to Lipscomb University (72%) and Belmont University (71%). The school with the highest rate is also ranked #1.
- #1 Lipscomb University72% graduation rate
- #4 Belmont University71% graduation rate
- #3 Middle Tennessee State University54% graduation rate
Institution-wide graduation rates reported to IPEDS. They describe the whole school, not this program alone.
How Selective Are the Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee?
Every school here that reports an admit rate takes at least half of its applicants; the median is 69%.
- #1 Lipscomb University68% admitted
- #2 Trevecca Nazarene University69% admitted
- #3 Middle Tennessee State University69% admitted
Institution-wide admit rates for first-time applicants, reported to IPEDS. Open-admission schools do not report one.
Public and Private Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee
This list holds 2 public and 3 private nonprofit schools. Their median Program Scores: 71.3 public and 76.4 private nonprofit.
Control (public, private nonprofit, for-profit) as reported to IPEDS. Public schools usually charge residents less; private schools charge everyone the same rate.
Where the Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee Are
The 5 ranked schools are spread across 3 cities. Nashville (3) is the only one with more than one ranked school.
Main campus city as reported to IPEDS.
Campus Size Across the Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee
Enrollment on this list runs from 3,195 at Trevecca Nazarene University to 20,488 at Middle Tennessee State University. Of the 5, 1 enrolls 20,000 students or more and 1 enrolls fewer than 5,000.
Total institution enrollment reported to IPEDS, all levels and programs.
What a Bachelor's in Entrepreneurship Costs in Tennessee
In-state tuition among the 5 ranked entrepreneurship programs in Tennessee runs from $8,204 to $40,560 a year. Middle Tennessee State University anchors the low end at $8,204, while Belmont University sits at the top at $40,560. At public schools that in-state figure is the resident rate; out-of-state students routinely pay two to three times as much, which can reorder this list entirely for anyone moving in from elsewhere.
Run the four-year math and the gap widens: about $32,816 in tuition at the low end against roughly $162,240 at the high end for the same bachelor's in entrepreneurship. Against the national median of $123,835 a year, the cheaper degree pays its tuition back far faster.
Published annual tuition and required fees reported to IPEDS. Private schools charge one rate regardless of residency; public schools charge non-residents the out-of-state rate shown on each card.
Online Entrepreneurship Options in Tennessee
An accredited online entrepreneurship degree carries the same standing as its on-campus version, since accreditation attaches to the program and school, not the delivery format. Students who cannot relocate should confirm delivery options directly with each school before applying.
Entrepreneurship Careers and Pay After a Tennessee Program
Every degree on this list points toward the same national labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts national median pay in the field at $123,835 a year, a figure that applies across the profession rather than to any single school here, and it holds whether a graduate paid $8,204 or $40,560 a year in tuition. That is the core tradeoff this ranking is built to expose: a higher price does not buy a higher starting salary in the federal wage data.
Keep Exploring
Entrepreneurship Bachelor's Programs in Tennessee: Your Questions, Answered
What is the best entrepreneurship bachelor's degree in Tennessee?
By Program Score, Lipscomb University ranks first among the 5 entrepreneurship programs in Tennessee we analyzed, with an 85.1 score and a 72% graduation rate. The score weighs graduation rate, selectivity, in-state cost, and outcomes, so the top school balances all four rather than winning on any one.
How much does an entrepreneurship bachelor's degree cost in Tennessee?
In-state tuition among the ranked Tennessee programs runs from $8,204 to $40,560 a year. These are resident rates at public schools; out-of-state students pay more, so confirm your residency status and check the out-of-state column before comparing.
Is an online entrepreneurship bachelor's degree respected by employers?
Yes, when the school is accredited. An accredited online degree lists the same on a transcript as the on-campus version, and accreditation, not delivery format, is what protects the credential. Every program ranked here is accredited and reporting to the federal IPEDS system.
What salary can graduates expect?
The BLS reports a national median of $123,835 a year for the field. That is a national benchmark, not an Tennessee-specific figure or a promised outcome for any single school, but it is the number every tuition dollar on this page should be measured against.