Located in downtown Athens on a beautiful 40-acre campus, TWU is a private Methodist-affiliated institution founded in 1857. TWU, with over 1,100 students, offers liberal arts education with personalized attention and small class sizes. The university offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs across numerous career fields such as Nursing, Business, Communication, Education, Exercise Science, Occupational Therapy, and Teaching. Graduate programs include master’s degrees in Nursing, Education, Occupational Therapy, Business Administration, Teaching, Sports Leadership, and Project Management. As an accredited SACSCOC and NAIA institution, TWU balances academics with athletics within a close-knit student community.

TCAT Athens is a public technical college with over 500 students on the Athen campus that offers hand-on, career focused training in high demand trades. Program areas include Automotive Technology, Collision Repairs, Machine Tool Technology, Welding, Practical Nursing, Cosmetology, Computer Electronics, Computer Information Technology, and Industrial Maintenance Systems. TCAT has very strong completion rates and high placement outcomes.

In association with the McMinn Higher Education Center, Cleveland State Community College, with over 3,200 students, offers numerous Associate of Science degrees, Associate of Applied Science degrees, and certificate programs. CSCC enables students to pursue associate degrees and general education classes locally before potentially transferring to larger institutions.

Located just a short 45-minute drive north of Athens is Tennessee’s flagship university. UT Knoxville is situated on a 920-acre campus with over 38,000 undergraduate and graduate students. UT Knoxville offers over 360 undergraduate programs, 540+ graduate programs, 70+ online and certificate programs, and 500+ study abroad programs.

Located just a short 45-minute drive south of Athens is the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga. UTC has over 11,700 undergraduate and graduate students and offers 118 undergraduate degree programs and 49 graduate degree programs.

Located in Dayton, TN, 28 miles from Athens, Bryan College is a liberal arts college founded on biblical principles. Bryan College has over 1,450 students in a residential setting, offers 30+ majors in over 50 fields of study, 13 master’s programs, and a Business Administration doctoral program.

Located in Cleveland, TN, 30 miles from Athens, Lee University is a private Christ-centered liberal arts college founded in 1918 and situated on a 127-acre campus. Lee University has over 3,700 students and offers 50+ majors, study abroad programs, and athletic programs.