Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology

Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology
Former name
State Area Vocational-Technical School (1967–1994)
Tennessee Technology Centers (1994–2013)
TypePublic technical college system
Established1967 (1967)
Students34,486
Location,
United States
Campus26 campuses

The Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) is a public technical college system operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. It has 24 campuses located throughout the US state of Tennessee.[1] It was previously named the Tennessee Technology Centers.

As of March 2025, the TCAT campuses have a combined enrollment of 34,486 students, with the most popular programs being truck driving, welding, automotive technology, practical nursing, and cosmetology.[2]

History

[edit]

TCAT was founded as the State Area Vocational-Technical Schools. Construction began on the first three urban locations, Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville, in July 1966.[3] The Knoxville campus opened in January 1968.[4] In 1994, State Area Vocational-Technical Schools were rebranded as Tennessee Technology Centers.[5] Tennessee Technology Centers received praise from Complete College America in a 2011 report for their high degree completion rate of 75 percent.[6]

In July 2013, Tennessee Technology Centers was rebranded as Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology to clearly communicate the post-secondary training offered.[7]

Campuses

[edit]
TCAT Morrison in 2022

TCAT has 26 campuses and several branches from other campuses:

Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology is located in Tennessee
Athens
Athens
Dickson
Dickson
Elizabethton
Elizabethton
Harriman
Harriman
Hartsville
Hartsville
Henry/Carroll
Henry/Carroll
Hohenwald
Hohenwald
Jacksboro
Jacksboro
Jackson
Jackson
Knoxville
Knoxville
Livingston
Livingston
McKenzie
McKenzie
McMinnville
McMinnville
Memphis
Memphis
Morristown
Morristown
Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro
Nashville
Nashville
Northwest
Northwest
Oneida/Huntsville
Oneida/Huntsville
Pulaski
Pulaski
Shelbyville
Shelbyville
Upper Cumberland
Upper Cumberland
Tennessee Colloges of Applied Technology locations, 2025.

Academics

[edit]

TCAT offers numerous programs and has partnerships with businesses. The Memphis campus offers a welding apprenticeship program with Morgan Steel company.[13]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Colleges of Applied Technology". Tennessee Board of Regents. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  2. ^ "College Data Profile: All TCATs" (PDF). TBR. Tennessee Board of Regents. March 2025. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  3. ^ "Knoxville School Bids Due July 31". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. June 30, 1966. p. 37. Retrieved May 19, 2025 – via Proquest.
  4. ^ "About ready to open". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. October 25, 1967. pp. A12. Retrieved May 19, 2025 – via Proquest.
  5. ^ "Vocational school changes its name". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. June 19, 1994. pp. B6. Retrieved May 19, 2025 – via Proquest.
  6. ^ Lewin, Tamar (2011-09-27). "College Graduation Rates Are Stagnant Even as Enrollment Rises, a Study Finds". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  7. ^ "Tennessee Technology Centers becoming Colleges of Applied Technology; Recognized for Workforce Education". Clarksville Online. June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  8. ^ "Home". tcathartsville.edu.
  9. ^ "Home". tcathohenwald.edu.
  10. ^ "Contact Us | TCAT Elizabethton". tcatelizabethton.edu. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  11. ^ "Home". tcatoneida.edu.
  12. ^ "Locations | Tennessee College of Applied Technology Morristown". www.tcatmorristown.edu. Archived from the original on 2014-04-30.
  13. ^ "Morgan Steel & TCAT offer apprenticeship for high-paying steel industry". FOX13 Memphis. 2025-04-30. Retrieved 2025-05-19.