McMinn County is home to three public schools systems: McMinn County, Athens City and Etowah City, as well as private church-sponsored schools, Tennessee Wesleyan University and other schools of higher education.

The Athens City School System is operated by the city Board of Education. There are five schools in the Athens City School System – City Park and Ingleside Schools for students in Pre-K through second grades; North City and Westside Schools for third through fifth grades; and Athens City Middle School for sixth through eighth grades. The System also operates a camp at Watts Bar Lake, Camp Oo-Tah-Nee-Noh-Chee, which students in grades four through eight visit for both day trips and overnight stays. All five schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The McMinn County School System has seven elementary schools located throughout the county, two high schools and a vocational school.

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology located at 1635 Vo-Tech Drive is fully accredited and is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The TCAT has been a member of the Athens community since 1965. The TCAT offers ten diploma programs in career technical fields. The TCAT has an 89% placement rate and all programs are eligible for Federal Financial Aid and the Lottery scholarship

Cleveland State Community College is a fully-accredited public comprehensive two-year community college operating within the governance of the Tennessee Board of Regents and approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Cleveland State Community College has an Athens campus located on 2580 Ingleside Avenue.

Founded in 1857, Tennessee Wesleyan University is a private, four year, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. Tennessee Wesleyan has over 850 students and maintains a 12-to-1 student faculty ratio that ensures each student receives personal involvement from classroom instructors. TWC offers a demanding curriculum which emphasizes critical thought and scholarship beyond the narrow confines of the classroom. Tennessee Wesleyan believes its students value the friendly atmosphere, small classes and moderate costs.

McMinn County also has an Educaton Foundation (www.mcminncef.org) which has numerous programs to support our young people. One of the those programs, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, will help children learn how to read. Every child from birth until their fifth birthday will receive a book in the mail each month. To find out more, go to the website at www.imaginationlibrary.com