South College

Since South College was founded in 1882, we have focused on serving students who want hands-on, career-driven education that will have a meaningful impact on their lives and livelihoods.

More than a century ago, fulfilling that mission meant supplying on-campus offices so students could conduct business in the mercantile and banking industries while getting an education.

South College is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian academic institution that embraces the traditional higher education mission triad of teaching, scholarly contribution, and service. Consistent with its long history, the institution places primary emphasis on providing quality undergraduate and graduate educational opportunities and associated student support services for the intellectual, social, and professional development of a diverse student body.

South College offers professional and career-focused curricula designed to cultivate students’ successful learning and the ability to apply knowledge, think critically, and communicate effectively. Through comprehensive academic programs, innovative and contemporary in content and mode of delivery, students are exposed to diverse perspectives and skills essential to independent and lifelong learning. Because academic programs are professional and career focused, South College responds to local, regional, and national employment needs and supports current workforce trends.

South College has roots dating back to 1882, when Jacob T. Johnson founded a branch of Nashville Business College in Knoxville, Tennessee. Later renamed Knoxville Business College, the school occupied several historic downtown buildings as it grew and evolved, including the Cherokee Building and the Keyhole Building.   

By 2001, Knoxville Business College had long since grown beyond offering just business classes, and the name was officially changed to South College. In the years since, South College has expanded to a second campus in Knoxville, as well as campuses in Nashville, Tennessee; Asheville, North Carolina; and Atlanta, Georgia.