Tennessee could be short about 8,500 registered nurses by 2035, according to a 2022 projection prepared for the Tennessee Hospital Association. Chamberlain University says its new Nashville campus is a direct response to that gap.

Chamberlain began accepting applications Sept. 9 for a bachelor's degree in nursing program for students who aren't yet licensed nurses. The campus at 2222 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., Suite 250, is near Interstates 65, 40 and 24, minutes from downtown, according to the university's Nashville campus page. The first class is scheduled to start Jan. 4, 2027.

The Nashville location is Chamberlain's 27th campus nationwide and its first in Tennessee, according to a Sept. 9 press release. Nearly 750 Chamberlain alumni already live and work in the Nashville area, the release said. Chamberlain is owned by Covista, a company traded on the New York Stock Exchange that describes itself as America's largest health care educator.

Tennessee had more than three open health care jobs last year for every person seeking one, and the Nashville area has 16 open positions for every new health care graduate, according to the 2026 Covista Care Capacity Monitor, as cited in Chamberlain's press release. Nationally, there were 8.5 open health care jobs for every new graduate in 2025, the survey found. The Nashville metro area employed about 25,100 registered nurses in May 2025, with a median annual wage of $84,040, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"Nashville is one of the fastest-growing cities and health care markets in the country, but growth requires talent that is ready to contribute immediately," Virginia Ruth Corey, dean of academic affairs for Chamberlain University Nashville, said in the press release.

How the schedule works

The pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is structured around four features aimed at nontraditional students:

  • Evening and weekend classes with a hybrid blend of in-person and online coursework, so students can hold daytime jobs or manage childcare.
  • No prerequisite courses. Students enter the BSN curriculum on day one rather than spending a year completing general-education requirements elsewhere.
  • A fixed three-year timeline that gives families a predictable endpoint.
  • Multiple enrollment sessions per year, eliminating the wait for a single fall start date.

The program requires 122 credit hours and can be completed in as few as three years. Classes mix online and in-person work. A daytime track runs Monday through Friday, and a separate evening and weekend track is also offered. The university lists up to six start dates per year.

Students don't need to finish prerequisite courses before starting nursing classes, though applicants must show proof of high school graduation or an equivalent and submit entrance exam scores. Students train in an on-campus SimCare Center simulation lab and complete direct patient care clinicals with local health system partners, according to the press release.

Tuition is $765 per credit hour as of September 2026, putting tuition for the full program at $93,330 before fees and books, according to Chamberlain's tuition page. The campus page lists a Founders' Grant of up to $7,500 for early students and a Chamberlain Care Grant of up to $4,000. More than 90% of Chamberlain students receive some form of financial aid, according to the university.

Students who transfer eligible general education and science credits can pursue a 70-credit option finishing in just over two years or an 89-credit Fast Track finishing in under three years, according to the campus page. Transfer credit acceptance is not guaranteed.

The bachelor's nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, according to the campus page. Chamberlain's 2025 national average first-time pass rate on the NCLEX licensing exam was 79.75%, according to the university's student consumer information page. Bachelor's degree candidates nationally passed at 87.6% in 2025, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

Institutional scale

Chamberlain is part of Covista Inc. (NYSE: CVSA), formerly Adtalem Global Education, which rebranded in February 2026. Covista serves more than 97,000 students across five healthcare-focused institutions and says its schools graduate roughly 10% of all new nurses in the United States each year, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Chamberlain itself enrolls approximately 40,000 students across its 24 other campuses and counts more than 155,000 alumni. The BSN program holds accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Higher Learning Commission.

Prospective students can apply at chamberlain.edu.