Founded in 1794, Tusculum University is the first institution of higher education in Tennessee, the 28th oldest in the nation, and the first coeducational institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).\

Tusculum is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate and Master degrees.It also maintains institutional memberships with the American Council on Education, the Council of Independent Colleges, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Council for Opportunity in Education, the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association,[the Tennessee State Board of Education, the Appalachian College Association,the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities, the American Association of University Women, the American Medical Association, and the New York State Board of Regents.