Health Sciences Early College Coming to Maplewood and Pearl-Cohn High Schools

MNPS and Nashville State Preparing Nashville’s Future
Doctors, Nurses, Researchers and Beyond

Pearl-Cohn and Maplewood high schools are launching Early College programs in Health Sciences and will begin enrolling current students this fall for the programs, which will start in January 2026.

Early College programs provide students with the opportunity to earn an associate degree or college credits from Nashville State Community College in addition to their high school diploma from Metro Nashville Public Schools.

MNPS Superintendent Adrienne Battle and Nashville State Community College President Shanna L. Jackson announced the new programs alongside Mayor Freddie O’Connell and funding partners Ascension Saint Thomas and Vanderbilt University Medical Center at events at Maplewood and Pearl-Cohn on Friday.

These will become the fourth and fifth MNPS zoned high schools with an Early College program embedded in the school in partnership with Nashville State, joining Whites Creek, Glencliff, and Cane Ridge. Additionally, Early College High School, a National Blue Ribbon School, offers an immersive college experience at Nashville State’s White Bridge campus.

“We are proud to partner with Nashville State once again to expand opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and prepare themselves for high-quality jobs,” Dr. Battle said. “The Early College program has been a big success, and we’re excited to extend it to our students at Maplewood and Pearl-Cohn.”

“While cultivating the talents of students, these new programs create opportunities to challenge them, accelerate their studies, and extend the runway for them to take flight after high school so they are well prepared for the next step they choose,” said Dr. Jackson. “Nashville State and MNPS are committed to improving college and career readiness for all students.”

Ascension Saint Thomas and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are partially funding the Health Sciences Early College programs at Pearl-Cohn and Maplewood. Additional strategic partners are being sought.

“Ascension Saint Thomas is honored to collaborate with MNPS and Nashville State to expand access to healthcare-focused education and career pathways,” said Fahad Tahir, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas. “By investing in students and their futures, we are helping create opportunities for individuals to thrive in a high-demand field while building a stronger, more sustainable healthcare workforce for our community.”

“Partnering with MNPS and Nashville State on the Early College programs in Health Sciences is essential to cultivating a robust education-to-career pipeline that benefits the city, healthcare organizations, and, most of all, the students. VUMC is excited to be part of a program that opens doors to potential healthcare career paths and meaningful lifelong learning,” said Donald Brady, MD, executive vice president for Educational and Medical Staff Affairs at VUMC.

Real Results, Real Impact

At Whites Creek High School, 21 students from the inaugural embedded Early College program cohort - including the valedictorian and salutatorian - graduated in May 2025 with both a high school diploma and an associate degree from Nashville State. Funded through a generous grant from the PNC Foundation, this achievement demonstrates the power of strategic investment in education and student potential.

At Early College High School, 32 students graduated in May with both a diploma and a degree.

Launched in early 2020, the Better Together partnership between Metro Nashville Public Schools and Nashville State Community College is transforming postsecondary success for students in Davidson County. This innovative collaboration aims to prepare high school graduates to attend and complete college, and the results are already exceeding expectations.

Photos courtesy of Metro Nashville Public Schools