Trevecca Climbs in National, State Rankings on Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges List

Trevecca Nazarene University has again earned elite classifications at the local, state and national levels, including the distinction of Middle Tennessee's top Christian university, based on its ranking in the Wall Street Journal's Best Colleges in the U.S. list published in late September.

Ranked second only to Vanderbilt among colleges and universities in Middle Tennessee, Trevecca earned a national ranking of 348, making it the highest-ranked Nazarene school in the U.S. and fourth among all schools in Tennessee.

"This ranking is an indicator of our growing success in preparing students for service and leadership," Trevecca Provost Dr. Tom Middendorf said. "Difference-making factors like holistic student development and a supportive campus community can be difficult to measure, but alongside great value, we believe these intangibles help us compare favorably with other institutions even at the national level."

According to the rankings, Trevecca is also the fourth-highest-rated institution in Tennessee. A total of 16 Tennessee schools were among the 584 colleges and universities on the Wall Street Journal's Best Colleges list. Nationally, Trevecca is also ranked among the top 10 among the member schools of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

The rankings are presented by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), College Pulse and Statista, the leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider.

The Best Colleges in the U.S. ranking evaluates undergraduate institutions based on the value they provide to their students. This value is assessed using multiple factors: the quality of the learning environment, the number of years required to pay off the net price, degree completion rates, the likelihood of higher salaries post-graduation and diversity of college environment. The results are based on official data from the U.S. Department of Education and the Census Bureau, supplemented by a nationwide survey of undergraduate students and recent alumni who graduated within the past five years.

Statista publishes hundreds of worldwide industry rankings and company listings with high-profile media partners. This research and analysis service is based on the success of statista.com, the leading data and business intelligence portal that provides statistics, relevant business data, and various market and consumer studies and surveys.

Trevecca Nazarene University (https://www.trevecca.edu) is a Christian university in the heart of Nashville focused on preparing students for lives of leadership and service. Founded in 1901, Trevecca is committed to holistic education that encourages students to grow intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. With students from 44 states and 41 countries, Trevecca offers 17 associate degrees, 78 undergraduate majors, 30 master's programs and 3 doctoral programs as well as specialist and certificate programs.