“Private career-focused college with 10 campuses offering programs from certificates to doctoral degrees.”
South College is a private, career-focused institution headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, with roots dating to 1882 when it was founded as Knoxville Business College. Today South College has grown into a multi-campus institution with locations in Knoxville, Nashville, Asheville, Atlanta, Marietta, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and Dallas, plus an online and competency-based-education (CBE) division. Total enrollment reached approximately 20,000 students across all campuses by 2025, with the Knoxville headquarters (Lonas Drive main campus and the Parkside campus) enrolling the largest share of undergraduates. South College specializes in professional and healthcare education, offering 150+ programs and concentrations across certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, educational specialist, and doctoral levels. Its health-sciences portfolio is particularly deep — featuring the School of Nursing (LPN through DNP), the School of Pharmacy (Doctor of Pharmacy, the college's first doctoral program, launched 2012), Physician Assistant Studies (MS-PA), Physical Therapy (DPT), Occupational Therapy (OTD), and programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Radiography, Surgical Technology, Respiratory Therapy, and Dental Hygiene. Beyond healthcare, South College offers business, legal studies, education, criminal justice, and information-technology programs. Because South College is oriented toward working adults and career-changers, the student experience differs from traditional residential universities: there is no on-campus housing, no varsity athletics, and social life is modest. The college operates year-round on a quarter system with multiple start dates, allowing students to move quickly through credentials. For international students, South College accepts F-1 visa applicants with a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 80 (CBT 213, PBT 550), with applications due at least 30 days before term registration. Applicants must demonstrate financial ability and submit credential-evaluated transcripts; IELTS and Duolingo scores are not listed among accepted English tests on the college's international-admissions page — prospective students should contact admissions to confirm alternatives.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Required — All applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores.
Official SourceRolling (30 days before term start)
International applications must be submitted at least 30 days before term registration. South College operates on a year-round quarter system with multiple start dates.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$18,535
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Home to South College's Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program — the college's first doctoral program, launched in 2012 and ACPE-accredited. Graduates pursue community, hospital, and clinical pharmacy careers.
Offers a full nursing pathway from LPN and Associate of Science in Nursing through BSN, MSN, and DNP, plus post-graduate APRN certificates. Large clinical footprint across East Tennessee hospitals.
ARC-PA-accredited Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies — one of the largest PA programs in Tennessee by enrollment.
Houses the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) programs, with classroom and clinical training on the Knoxville campus.
Focused, career-directed programs in high-demand fields that feed directly into clinical employment.
Offers undergraduate and graduate business, MBA, accounting, IT, and healthcare-administration programs, with a flexible online / competency-based pathway for working adults.
Home to paralegal and criminal-justice programs plus education pathways including an EdS and an EdD in educational leadership.
3 years
Year-round accelerated PharmD delivered over three calendar years (vs. the traditional four), designed for fast entry into pharmacy practice.
2.25 years
ARC-PA-accredited program with a blend of didactic instruction and ~15 months of clinical rotations; graduates sit for the PANCE to become certified PAs.
4 years
Pre-licensure BSN with heavy clinical integration across East Tennessee hospital systems. Known for strong NCLEX-RN pass rates.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $18,535
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
