Tennessee's private programs finish more students than its public ones, which
sounds like an argument for paying more until you price it. The margin across the
10 healthcare administration programs in Tennessee is
5 points of institutional completion, and it costs about
2.9 times the tuition to buy.
1 Health Care Administration and Planning, B.S.
Tennessee State
Fully online
Nashville, TN
$7,368 in-state tuition34% graduation rate70% admit rate60.7 score
Tennessee State requires a 12-week summer field placement and admits students to the major through a separate departmental application with two references and an interview.
The Health Care Administration and Planning program sits in the Department of Public Health, Health Administration and Health Sciences and awards a Bachelor of Science in Health Administration after a minimum of 120 semester hours. The curriculum centres on health management, decision-making and health planning, with an emphasis on techniques that make a supervisor efficient.
Students declare the major and apply to the department once they reach sophomore standing. The packet includes a goal statement, two referee letters with rating forms and an unofficial transcript, a minimum 2.5 GPA is required, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and an interview is part of admission. The department notes that some placement agencies run background checks, which can affect internship eligibility.
- 12-week summer field placement required
- Departmental application with two references
- Interview required for admission to the major
- Minimum 2.5 GPA, rolling review
View Tennessee State's Health Care Administration and Planning, B.S.
2 Healthcare Administration (B.S.)
Trevecca Nazarene
Fully online
Nashville, TN
$29,750 in-state tuition53% graduation rate69% admit rate60.1 score
Trevecca offers a 36-credit core within a 120-credit bachelor's degree. Working adults move through the online core with a cohort in as few as 18 months; total completion time depends on remaining general education and elective credits.
Entry requires at least 40 credit hours already earned at an accredited institution and a 2.0 cumulative GPA, so this is a route for people part-way through a degree rather than for new students. Classes are asynchronous, materials are delivered to the student, and students move through the program alongside a cohort working toward the same goal.
The curriculum balances fundamental business courses with healthcare management, covering health regulations and policy, strategic and financial management, and health management information systems. The stated aim is to help people move from entry-level roles toward middle management. Students short of the 40 credits are pointed to Trevecca's online associate degrees as a starting point.
- 36-credit core within a 120-credit degree
- Online core in as few as 18 months
- Needs 40 prior credit hours and a 2.0 GPA
- Asynchronous classes with a student cohort
View Trevecca Nazarene's Healthcare Administration (B.S.)
3 Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration
King
Fully online
Bristol, TN
$18,423 in-state tuition48% graduation rate100% admit rate57.7 score
King runs the BSHA one course at a time for adults with some college behind them, so the major coursework can be completed online in as little as 16 months.
The degree carries 48 semester hours of major courses, each worth four credits, including BUSA 3270 Human Resource Management, HCAD 3020 Financial Management of Healthcare Organizations, HCAD 3110 Introduction to Epidemiology and Biostatistics, HCAD 3130 Population-Based Health, HINF 3210 Informatics for Healthcare Leaders and Decision-Makers, HCAD 3220 Research and Evidence-Based Practice, HCAD 3230 Management of Quality Improvement and Outcomes, and HCAD 4420 Ethics and Legal Issues.
Admission asks for a minimum cumulative 2.2 GPA, with conditional acceptance possible below that for applicants who can show a plan to succeed. Students need a laptop with Microsoft Office 365 and a webcam. The program is framed around Christian values, and King participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program and accepts GI Bill benefits.
- One course at a time, as little as 16 months
- 48 semester hours of four-credit major courses
- Epidemiology, biostatistics and quality improvement
- Minimum 2.2 GPA, conditional entry possible
View King's Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration
4 BA/BS in Healthcare Administration
Lee
On campus
Cleveland, TN
$23,040 in-state tuition63% graduation rate71% admit rate56.3 score
Lee’s Healthcare Administration program focuses on daily operations, ethical decisions, policy, and the business responsibilities of healthcare leaders.
Lee’s academic advising handbook lists both BA and BS routes. The current program page describes a curriculum spanning operations, policy development, marketing, and the administrative functions of healthcare organizations.
The School of Business’s advisory council helps students connect with internships and employers. Students can also attend Meet the Firms events to meet local organizations. These opportunities complement study of the decisions involved in managing healthcare services.
- BA and BS routes
- Healthcare operations and ethics
- Business-school internship support
View Lee's BA/BS in Healthcare Administration
5 BS in Healthcare Administration
South
Fully online
Knoxville, TN
$16,450 in-state tuition42% graduation rate56 score
South College’s online Healthcare Administration BS covers healthcare finance, quality, operations, and the use of technology in management.
Students study accounting, healthcare marketing, strategic planning, leadership, and health information technology. The program’s learning outcomes include written and oral communication, collaboration, and analyzing the relationships among organizations, services, and staff in the healthcare system.
Faculty provide individual support and mentoring as students develop the knowledge to plan and lead healthcare teams and projects. The program emphasizes applying business principles to management decisions within healthcare organizations.
- Online BS
- Healthcare operations and quality
- Individual faculty support
View South's BS in Healthcare Administration
6 B.S. in Health Administration
East Tennessee State
On campus
Johnson City, TN
$8,120 in-state tuition53% graduation rate86% admit rate55.6 score
The college holds agreements with more than 250 health care systems and health-related organizations that serve as internship sites, so the required semester-long placement is arranged through an existing network rather than found by the student.
The B.S. in Health Administration sits in ETSU's College of Public Health, in the Department of Health Services Management and Policy, and the college is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. Placing an administration degree inside an accredited school of public health is a different proposition from placing it in a business school, and it shapes what the degree treats as its subject.
A semester-long internship is required. What makes that workable at scale is the placement network behind it: the college maintains agreements with over 250 health care systems and health-related organizations that take students, which is the part a prospective student cannot arrange alone.
- Semester-long internship required
- Agreements with 250+ organizations as internship sites
- College of Public Health, accredited by CEPH
- Department of Health Services Management and Policy
View East Tennessee State's B.S. in Health Administration
7 Bachelor of Health Sciences in Health Administration
Baptist Health Sciences
Online and on campus
Memphis, TN
$12,216 in-state tuition40% graduation rate82% admit rate55.5 score
Baptist Health Sciences combines live online evening classes with required campus coursework and a 120-hour healthcare internship.
The Bachelor of Health Sciences in Health Administration requires 122 credits. Major classes generally meet online two evenings each week, while professionalism and business methods include in-person campus attendance. All students complete an internship with a qualified preceptor.
The linked four-year sample plan includes healthcare marketing, human resources, finance, information systems, quantitative methods, quality improvement, and a capstone. The university also publishes an accelerated undergraduate plan and a separate completion plan for students comparing routes.
- Hybrid study
- 122 credits
- 120-hour supervised internship
View Baptist Health Sciences's Bachelor of Health Sciences in Health Administration
8 BBA in Health Services and Senior Living Administration
Southern Adventist
On campus
Collegedale, TN
$26,000 in-state tuition49% graduation rate65% admit rate50.5 score
Southern Adventist’s historical BBA in Health Services and Senior Living Administration included placements in home-based services, assisted living, and skilled nursing.
The 2022-23 advising guide presents a 124-credit sample plan. Its business foundation includes accounting, economics, analytics, operations, communication, law, and finance. Healthcare courses address senior-living facility administration, financial management, human resources, and marketing.
The plan lists separate internships in home and community-based organizations, assisted living or residential care, and skilled nursing administration. An Aging and Society course appears in the summer plan. The guide directs students to consult an advisor when changing the suggested sequence.
- Historical 2022-23 BBA plan
- Three care-setting internships
- Senior-living administration focus
View Southern Adventist's BBA in Health Services and Senior Living Administration
9 Health Care Administration
Cumberland
On campus
Lebanon, TN
$26,640 in-state tuition46% graduation rate67% admit rate48.7 score
Cumberland requires two healthcare administration internships and places students with organizations in the Nashville, Tennessee, area, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center and TriStar Summit Medical Center.
The Health Care Administration program is built on experiential training: two internships, preceptors and guest lecturers drawn from healthcare business, and faculty with backgrounds in healthcare leadership. The average class size is 10 students, and the university takes part in the American College of Healthcare Executives Higher Education Network, which gives students early access to seminars, mentors and networking.
Named internship sites include Charis Health Center, Green Hills Center for Rehabilitation and Healing, Nashville Oncology Associates, Sumner Regional Medical Center, Tennessee Oncology, Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, TriStar Summit Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital. Courses include Healthcare Leadership and Management, Health Information Systems, and Communication and Professionalism in Healthcare.
- Two healthcare administration internships
- Average class size of 10
- Placements incl. Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- ACHE Higher Education Network participant
View Cumberland's Health Care Administration
10 BS in Business Administration: Healthcare Management
Tennessee Wesleyan
On campus
Athens, TN
$29,414 in-state tuition48% graduation rate69% admit rate48.2 score
Tennessee Wesleyan’s Business Administration BS offers a 21-credit Healthcare Management emphasis covering long-term care, compliance, finance, and managed healthcare.
The 2025-26 catalog requires a 36-credit business core and at least one emphasis within the 120-credit bachelor’s. Core courses include accounting, statistics, communication, economics, management, marketing, corporate finance, and business strategy.
The healthcare emphasis adds seven courses in healthcare management, law and ethics, marketing, long-term care administration, human resources, financial management, and managed care. Students choosing additional emphases may need more than 120 hours to complete their requirements.
- 21-credit healthcare emphasis
- 36-credit business core
- Long-term care and managed care
View Tennessee Wesleyan's BS in Business Administration: Healthcare Management