Stories @ TCAT

September 4, 2025
For Immediate Release
Tennessee Board of Regents

TCAT Morristown is one of twelve Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology from across the state to receive a five star rating in USA Today’s list of America’s Top 250 Vocational Schools for 2025.

A total of 17 TCATs are cited on the list. Tennessee had the fourth highest number of schools among the 32 states with institutions listed in the Top 250, behind only the much larger states of California (35 institutions), Florida (25), and Texas (22).

The Tennessee institutions cited with five stars by USA Today are TCATs Crossville (Upper Cumberland), Crump, Dickson, Elizabethton, Jacksboro, Jackson, Livingston, McKenzie (Henry/Carroll), Morristown, Nashville, Newbern (Northwest), and Shelbyville.  Institutions cited with four stars are Athens, Harriman, Hartsville, McMinnville, and Memphis.

The USA Today article, What are the best vocational schools in the US?, noted that the list was created to help students navigate career and technical education options. The nationwide newspaper partnered with the market research firm Statista to create its first annual ranking of "America’s Top Vocational Schools."  The rankings, developed by Statista in collaboration with USA TODAY, were judged on five primary metrics: graduation rate, graduates' salary, years it takes to pay off net cost, social mobility, and diversity. TCAT Morristown President Susanne Cox shared, “Programs are competency based, and students may articulate credit earned in high school or another college, which allows them to progress at an advanced rate. This flexibility allows schools to work closely with students resulting in higher graduation and placement rates and diversity in the workforce.”

Tennessee’s Colleges of Applied Technology are public career and technical postsecondary institutions known for their high quality of instruction, high graduation and job placement rates, high licensure rates in fields requiring licensure, affordability, and broad array of program offerings. Cox said, “TCAT Morristown has been providing quality, technical programs for more than 50 years. Our faculty and staff are diligent to make sure programs are relevant and meet the needs of the communities served.”

Through Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, eligible new high school graduates and adults without college credentials may attend free of tuition and mandatory fees – increasing affordability beyond the colleges’ low tuition rates. Information about both programs and other federal and state financial aid is available at www.collegefortn.org

Along with Tennessee’s public community colleges, the TCATs are part of The College System of Tennessee, governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). Through the work of Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, the state has invested more than $1.5 billion in new buildings, training equipment, and other campus improvements at TCATs across the state in the last three years. Chris Edmonds, TCAT Morristown’s Industry, CTE, and Grants Coordinator, has spearheaded many capital projects and oversaw extensive program equipment and facilities upgrades. Edmonds shared, “We are fortunate to live in a state where the leaders and law makers strongly support economic and community development and are committed to ensuring that high-quality training is available to all Tennesseans.”

“The USA Today research confirms what we have known for years: the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology are among the best institutions for high-quality career and technical education in the country,” said TBR Chancellor Dr. Flora W. Tydings. “They are accredited, state institutions and the best, most affordable option for anyone seeking to enter well-paying, in-demand careers.”

Students can choose from a wide range of career programs, including Administrative Office Technology; Automotive Technology; Aviation Maintenance Technology; Building Construction Technology; Collision Repair Technology; Computer Aided Design Technology; Computer Information Technology; Cosmetology; Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC); Industrial Electricity; Industrial Maintenance; Machine Tool Technology; Practical Nursing; Welding Technology; and more. Additional information on each TCAT’s program offerings is available on the Tennessee Board of Regents website at https://www.tbr.edu/institutions/colleges-applied-technology, TCAT Morristown website at https://www.tcatmorristown.edu, and by visiting a TCAT campus. Tours are encouraged, and anyone interested can contact the school to schedule a visit.

USA Today noted that data on school performance were collected by Statista through publicly available federal databases. The schools were ranked on a star system and excluded if they were unaccredited, failed specific financial responsibility metrics or had a high percentage of graduates defaulting on their student loans.

TCATs are accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE) www.council.org, the national accrediting agency for career and technical education institutions.

The USA Today listing of top vocational schools and the complete article can be found at:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/07/21/top-vocational-sch....