Tennessee Public Colleges Ranked by Smallest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 22 public colleges in Tennessee with the smallest enrollment of full and part time students. Cleveland State Community College leads the list with a population of 3,282 students.

Enrollment is a measure of the size of the student body. Larger schools are more likely to offer a wider range of programs and services while smaller schools may have a more intimate and personalized experience.

List of Tennessee Public Colleges Ranked by Smallest Enrollment
College Enrollment

Cleveland, Tennessee

 3,282

Dyersburg, Tennessee

 3,296

Jackson, Tennessee

 3,518

Harriman, Tennessee

 5,002

Columbia, Tennessee

 5,712

Blountville, Tennessee

 5,757

Morristown, Tennessee

 5,899

Tullahoma, Tennessee

 5,980

Nashville, Tennessee

 6,310

Gallatin, Tennessee

 6,963

Memphis, Tennessee

 7,004

Martin, Tennessee

 7,499

Nashville, Tennessee

 7,533

Chattanooga, Tennessee

 7,623

Knoxville, Tennessee

 9,399

Clarksville, Tennessee

 10,439

Cookeville, Tennessee

 10,511

Chattanooga, Tennessee

 11,775
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This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: March 15, 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.