Academic Index Last updated: June 22, 2026

24 Best Universities in Tennessee for Optics

Focusing specifically on Optics, our data science engine identified the 24 most influential universities in Tennessee. To determine these leaders, we isolated 471.6K specialized research publications which collectively generated 16.05M citations. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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1

Knoxville

University of Tennessee – Knoxville

For Optics

#64 in United States #71 in North America

42% Acceptance

30,564 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1794 Founded

2

Nashville

Vanderbilt University

For Optics

#67 in United States #75 in North America

6% Acceptance

7,221 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1873 Founded

3

Memphis

University of Tennessee Health Science Center

For Optics

#177 in United States #205 in North America

40% Acceptance

3,485 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1911 Founded

4

Memphis

University of Memphis

For Optics

#210 in United States #238 in North America

72% Acceptance

15,770 Enrollment

1048 Avg SAT

1912 Founded

5

Chattanooga

University of Tennessee – Chattanooga

For Optics

#396 in United States #443 in North America

81% Acceptance

10,204 Enrollment

1112 Avg SAT

1886 Founded

6

Bristol, TN

King University

For Optics

#518 in United States #572 in North America

100% Acceptance

14,074 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

7

Murfreesboro, TN

Middle Tennessee State University

For Optics

#378 in United States #425 in North America

69% Acceptance

10,204 Enrollment

1120 Avg SAT

1911 Founded

8

Nashville

Fisk University

For Optics

#322 in United States #364 in North America

37% Acceptance

1,035 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1866 Founded

9

Johnson, TN

East Tennessee State University

For Optics

#332 in United States #376 in North America

86% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1090 Avg SAT

1911 Founded

10

Clarksville, TN

Austin Peay State University

For Optics

#719 in United States #781 in North America

96% Acceptance

8,791 Enrollment

985 Avg SAT

1927 Founded

11

Memphis

For Optics

#681 in United States #739 in North America

50% Acceptance

1,838 Enrollment

1393 Avg SAT

1848 Founded

12

Knoxville

For Optics

#628 in United States #684 in North America

100% Acceptance

4,473 Enrollment

1025 Avg SAT

1882 Founded

13

Nashville

Belmont University

For Optics

#909 in United States #974 in North America

95% Acceptance

7,175 Enrollment

1255 Avg SAT

1890 Founded

14

Memphis

Southern College of Optometry

For Optics

#510 in United States #564 in North America

38% Acceptance

474 Enrollment

1080 Avg SAT

1932 Founded

15

Martin

University of Tennessee – Martin

For Optics

#986 in United States #1053 in North America

88% Acceptance

6,809 Enrollment

1090 Avg SAT

1927 Founded

16

Milligan College

Milligan College

For Optics

#754 in United States #816 in North America

72% Acceptance

442 Enrollment

1201 Avg SAT

1866 Founded

17

Knoxville

Johnson University

For Optics

#272 in United States #307 in North America

65% Acceptance

3,246 Enrollment

1035 Avg SAT

1893 Founded

18

Memphis

Christian Brothers University

For Optics

#953 in United States #1020 in North America

87% Acceptance

5,324 Enrollment

1200 Avg SAT

1871 Founded

19

Sewanee

University of the South

For Optics

#528 in United States #582 in North America

57% Acceptance

2,708 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1857 Founded

20

Dayton, TN

Bryan College – Dayton

For Optics

#910 in United States #975 in North America

100% Acceptance

1,565 Enrollment

1255 Avg SAT

1930 Founded

21

Nashville

Tennessee State University

For Optics

#354 in United States #399 in North America

70% Acceptance

2,708 Enrollment

965 Avg SAT

1912 Founded

22

Harrogate

Lincoln Memorial University

For Optics

#998 in United States #1065 in North America

63% Acceptance

5,382 Enrollment

1105 Avg SAT

1897 Founded

23

Cookeville

Tennessee Technological University

For Optics

#308 in United States #348 in North America

76% Acceptance

1,070 Enrollment

1179 Avg SAT

1915 Founded

24

Jackson, TN

Union University

For Optics

#731 in United States #793 in North America

60% Acceptance

1,934 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1823 Founded