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Colleges in and near Collegedale

Collegedale is a college town: 22 of every 100 residents are students

Southern Adventist University (2,956 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Tennessee, 5 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town22% of residents are studentsSouthern Adventist University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Collegedale. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
8
24,655 students on campus
Nearest college
0.4 mi
Southern Adventist University
Residents in college
22%
Above TN (5%)
Nearest community college
11.2 mi
Chattanooga State · $4,772 tuition
Nearest public university
14.3 mi
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga · $10,448 in-state
Students on campus in Collegedale
2,956
next to 11,499 residents

What stands out about college in Collegedale

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town22 of every 100 Collegedale residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.A university in CollegedaleSouthern Adventist University has 2,956 students on campus in Collegedale, 49% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 11.2 miles awayChattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga: tuition and fees $4,772 a year for Tennessee residents.In-state price at The University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaLiving in Tennessee, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga charges $10,448 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,512. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Collegedale

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

22 of every 100 Collegedale residents are in college (TN: 5).

2,956students on campus at Southern Adventist University, next to 11,499 residents (dorm students count as residents)
562college students live in Collegedale households rather than dorms
36.4median age · TN 38.9
56%of homes rented · TN 33%
$1,581median rent · 33% above the state
Cost of living$1,581/mo median rentC−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIB+HealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundA−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Collegedale’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 7.4% of Collegedale residents are below the poverty line, 7.6% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 5 points either way). 4% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C−

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 22%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Collegedale’s median age is 36.4 (Tennessee 38.9), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B+

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Collegedale

Five private colleges within 12.9 miles, one public college within 14.3 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miChattanooga StateLee UniversityCollegedale
University or collegeCommunity college
Southern Adventist UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,956 on campus · In Collegedale66%admitted$24knet price49%graduate$54kearningsMiller-Motte College-ChattanoogaUniversity or college · For-profit · 236 on campus · 7.7 mi · Chattanooga · mostly online$24knet price60%graduate$31kearnings94% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Earnings are reported for all 22 campuses that file with it.Chattanooga State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 4,824 on campus · 11.2 mi · Chattanooga$5knet price26%graduate$38kearningsTuition and fees: $4,772 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical CareersUniversity or college · For-profit · 311 on campus · 12.1 mi · Chattanooga$34knet price12%graduate$26kearningsLee UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,258 on campus · 12.7 mi · Cleveland71%admitted$19knet price63%graduate$43kearningsRichmont Graduate UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 233 on campus · 12.9 mi · ChattanoogaGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Cleveland State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,758 on campus · 13.9 mi · Cleveland$6knet price37%graduate$37kearningsTuition and fees: $4,762 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.The University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaUniversity or college · Public · 10,079 on campus · 14.3 mi · Chattanooga81%admitted$14knet price50%graduate$51kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Collegedale’s median household income ($70,246) falls.

Chattanooga State Community College11.2 mi · Chattanooga · sticker $13,348 · tuition $4,772$6,708a year
Cleveland State Community College13.9 mi · Cleveland · sticker $14,834 · tuition $4,762$7,356a year
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga14.3 mi · Chattanooga · sticker $25,489$13,594a year
Lee University12.7 mi · Cleveland · sticker $35,688$17,029a year
Southern Adventist UniversityIn Collegedale · sticker $38,618$22,849a year
Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga7.7 mi · Chattanooga · mostly online · sticker $29,203$26,084a year
Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers12.1 mi · Chattanooga · sticker $37,746$33,859a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Collegedale: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Southern Adventist UniversityChattanooga StateChattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical CareersLee UniversityCleveland StateThe University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga50% graduate$51k earnings$20k typical debt
Chattanooga State Community College26% graduate$38k earnings$10k typical debt
Lee University63% graduate$43k earnings$26k typical debt
Southern Adventist University49% graduate$54k earnings$24k typical debt
Cleveland State Community College37% graduate$37k earnings$8k typical debt
Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers12% graduate$26k earnings$8k typical debt
Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga60% graduate$31k earnings*$16k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga (22).

Majors

What students study in Collegedale

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Southern Adventist University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 33%Business 12%Biology 10%Psychology 7%Visual & performing arts 6%Parks & recreation 4%Everything else 28%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing63 graduates a year
$84k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness21 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations20 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods15 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Social Work15 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Collegedale

Is Collegedale a college town?

Yes. 22 of every 100 Collegedale residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 5 across Tennessee. Southern Adventist University has 2,956 students on campus, next to 11,499 residents.

What colleges are in Collegedale?

Southern Adventist University is inside the city. Chattanooga State Community College is 11.2 miles away in Chattanooga.

What is the closest community college to Collegedale, and what does it cost?

Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, 11.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,772 a year for Tennessee residents; the federal net price, $5,283, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Southern Adventist University?

Southern Adventist University admitted 66% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,020–1,300 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Collegedale. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →