We hope you enjoyed this tour!

Congratulations! You’ve completed the Athens of the South tour. Nashville was and remains the “Athens of the South.” In fact, there are so many colleges and universities we could not include them all. If you have time, consider an optional stop to Lipscomb University. Located two miles southwest of Belmont, you can enter the Lipscomb campus from either Belmont Blvd. or Granny White Pike. The school began as Nashville Bible College in 1891, founded by Reverend David Lipscomb and James Harding.

In 1988, the college was renamed Lipscomb University following its accreditation to award master’s degrees. In addition to nearly 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Lipscomb also operates Lipscomb Academy, which offers grades K-12. If you have an extra day in Nashville, consider a visit to Trevecca-Nazarene University, located just south of downtown. Also take a drive to Northeast Nashville to visit American Baptist College. This private college includes notable alumni such as John Lewis and C.T. Vivian.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the many schools that call Nashville home. We may be known as Music City, but institutions of higher education are a core component of what makes our city special. According to the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, approximately 60 percent of our college graduates stay in Middle Tennessee to live and work. In turn, these graduates create a talent pipeline that attracts new industry and business. In other words, Nashville’s reputation as a vibrant city is rooted in the stability and success of our educational institutions.

Be sure check out our other tours, tag us @NashvilleSites on social media, and look for the yellow “Donate” button at the top of your screen. Thank you for using Nashville Sites, this is Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel signing off!