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Gallatin Tennessee Town SquarePhoto: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Gallatin

Gallatin is home to two colleges, with 4,613 students on campus

Volunteer State Community College (4,290 students on campus) and Welch College (323) are inside the city. About 5% of Gallatin’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Tennessee (5%).

Volunteer State Community College

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 Gallatin. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
4,813 students on campus
Nearest college
2.1 mi
Volunteer State
Residents in college
5%
About the same as TN (5%)
Nearest community college
2.1 mi
Volunteer State · $4,756 tuition
Nearest public university
25 mi
Tennessee State · $8,616 in-state
Median household income
$78K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Gallatin

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

A community college in GallatinVolunteer State Community College has 4,290 students on campus in Gallatin, 28% of whom graduate within three years.In-state price at Tennessee StateLiving in Tennessee, Tennessee State University charges $8,616 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $22,416. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 5% of residentsAbout the same as Tennessee (5%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Gallatin

Two private colleges within 15 miles, and Volunteer State Community College 2.1 miles away. The nearest public four-year college, Tennessee State University, is 25 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miVolunteer StateWelch CollegeMiddle Tennessee School of Anesthesia IncGallatin
University or collegeCommunity college
Volunteer State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 4,290 on campus · In Gallatin$8knet price28%graduate$41kearningsTuition and fees: $4,756 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Welch CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 323 on campus · In Gallatin$25knet price53%graduate$42kearningsMiddle Tennessee School of Anesthesia IncUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 200 on campus · 15 mi · MadisonGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.

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 and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Gallatin’s median household income ($77,518) falls.

Volunteer State Community CollegeIn Gallatin · sticker $16,401 · tuition $4,756$10,880a year
Tennessee State University25 mi · Nashville · sticker $25,637$20,624a year
Welch CollegeIn Gallatin · sticker $37,072$26,783a 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: 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 →Volunteer StateWelch CollegeTennessee State
Tennessee State University34% graduate$43k earnings$27k typical debt
Volunteer State Community College28% graduate$41k earnings$8k typical debt
Welch College53% graduate$42k earnings$20k 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.

Majors

What students study in Gallatin

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Gallatin’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Liberal arts 38%Health professions 23%Business 10%Public safety 9%Computer science 8%Engineering tech 3%Everything else 10%

Biggest programs

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesVolunteer State Community College · 706 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsVolunteer State Community College · 81 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralVolunteer State Community College · 59 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsVolunteer State Community College · 37 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Education, GeneralVolunteer State Community College · 31 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/TechniciansVolunteer State Community College · 21 graduates a year
$33k4 yrs out
Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesVolunteer State Community College · 21 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 Gallatin

Is Gallatin a college town?

No. About 5 of every 100 Gallatin residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Tennessee (5). The largest campus in the city, Volunteer State Community College, has 4,290 students on campus.

What colleges are in Gallatin?

Volunteer State Community College and Welch College are inside the city.

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

Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, 2.1 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,756 a year for Tennessee residents; the federal net price, $7,802, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Tennessee State University cost if we live in Tennessee?

Tuition and fees are $8,616 a year in-state and $22,416 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $15,005 (under $30,000 income) to $20,099 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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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 Gallatin. 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 →