It offers technical education and college transfer programs in Blountville and at teaching sites in Elizabethton, Gray, and Kingsport.

[2] Northeast State offers associate degrees in more than 130 programs of study, which can be transferred to a number of local and regional four-year colleges and universities.

In addition, Northeast State offers academic and technical certificates in more than a dozen areas of study.

The scope was again expanded in 1978 to include the awarding of both one-year certificates and associate degrees in technology, and the name was changed to Tri-Cities State Technical Institute.

On July 1, 1990, a university parallel component was added, and the current name was made official.