Primary and Secondary Education

The public schools in Chattanooga (and Hamilton County) fall under the purview of the Hamilton County School System. The Howard School, now a magnet school, was the first public school in the area, established in 1865 after the Civil War. In addition to the Howard School there are several other magnet schools offering families a choice in selecting a program where the curriculum is built around a focused theme. 

In addition, the city is home to several well-known private and parochial secondary schools, including Baylor School, Boyd-Buchanan School, McCallie School, Girls Preparatory School, Chattanooga Christian School, Notre Dame High School, Grace Baptist Academy, and Brainerd Baptist School. Siskin Children's Institute in Chattanooga is a specialized institution in the field of early childhood special education.

Post Secondary Education

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is the second largest campus of the University of Tennessee System, with a student population of over 10,000. The University of the South at Sewanee lies about seventy miles to the northwest of Chattanooga. Chattanooga State Technical Community College and several religious schools are located here, including Tennessee Temple University. Chattanooga also has a branch of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, which provides medical education to medical students, residents, and other medical professionals in southeast Tennessee through an affiliation with Erlanger Health System.