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2024 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Tennessee

22 Colleges in Tennessee
10,645 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$29,220 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #1 in popularity, liberal arts general studies is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 22 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Tennessee ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 10,645 degrees in liberal arts general studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts General Studies School

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Tennessee Your choice of liberal arts general studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for liberal arts general studies schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Liberal Arts
Bachelor's Degrees in Liberal Arts
Master's Degrees in Liberal Arts

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Tennessee ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Liberal Arts General Studies in Tennessee

The schools below may not offer all types of liberal arts degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Liberal Arts

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
194 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$45,132 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in liberal arts general studies has to check out Middle Tennessee State University. Located in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #866 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Middle Tennessee State University is a great university overall.

There were about 194 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from Middle Tennessee State University make $15,911 more than the average liberal arts student.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Middle Tennessee State University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$40,014 Median Starting Salary

University of Memphis is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the large city of Memphis, UofM is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #748 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UofM is a great university overall.

There were approximately 123 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the liberal arts general studies major at University of Memphis earn $10,794 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from University of Memphis

3
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in liberal arts general studies has to check out Lee University. Lee University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Cleveland. A Best Colleges rank of #950 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Lee University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 60 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts general studies program at Lee University make $5,779 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Lee University

4
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
48.7% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat Union University if you want to pursue a degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the city of Jackson, Union is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #579 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Union is a great university overall.

There were roughly 78 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Union in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from Union University make $7,263 more than the typical liberal arts graduate.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Union University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
106 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,312 Median Starting Salary

ETSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Johnson City. A Best Colleges rank of #851 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means ETSU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 106 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the liberal arts program make about $26,312 for their early career.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from East Tennessee State University

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
321 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$22,593 Median Starting Salary

JSCC is a small public college located in the city of Jackson. A Best Colleges rank of #881 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JSCC is a great college overall.

There were about 321 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at JSCC in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the liberal arts program make an average of $22,593 for their early career.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Jackson State Community College

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,427 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
16.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 29th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 1427 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Austin Peay State University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts program state that they receive average early career income of $24,072.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Austin Peay State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
48.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1160 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Tennessee Tech University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 83 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee Tech University in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts General Studies degree recipients from Tennessee Technological University earn a boost of approximately $9,651 above the typical earnings of liberal arts general studies graduates.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Tennessee Technological University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
18.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 28th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 43 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts general studies major at Tennessee State University earn $5,341 more than the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Tennessee State University

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
604 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
10.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1221 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Chattanooga State Community College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 604 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Chattanooga State Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the liberal arts program make about $26,771 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Chattanooga State Community College

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 7,724
Florida 282 64,443
North Carolina 279 18,227
Virginia 274 9,294
South Carolina 248 4,243
Kentucky 244 6,493
Louisiana 242 2,864
Mississippi 234 5,696
Arkansas 234 5,153
Alabama 233 5,890
West Virginia 207 3,558

View All Rankings >

One of 0 majors within the Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities area of study, Liberal Arts General Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Liberal Arts Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts 8,591
General Studies 1,836
Individualized Studies 195
Humanities 23

View All Liberal Arts Focus Areas >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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