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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee

9 Ranked Colleges
768 Degrees Awarded
$12,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across Tennessee, there were 10,620 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 768 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 9 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for tennessee bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 9 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee

#1

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Middle Tennessee State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 219 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Middle Tennessee State University has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $8,919 for tennessee bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Full Middle Tennessee State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#2

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 9 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, East Tennessee State University landed the #2 spot on the list. East Tennessee State University is a fairly large school located in Johnson City, Tennessee that handed out 124 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

ETSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $10,632 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ETSU.

Full ETSU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

UT Chattanooga also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is $8,108 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UT Chattanooga Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#4

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tennessee Technological University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tennessee Technological University is located in Cookeville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tennessee Tech University, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $11,641 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tennessee Tech University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Tennessee Tech University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#5

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Memphis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

UofM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for UofM is $10,256 for tennessee bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Memphis

#6

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality

Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

Tennessee State University also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Tennessee State University is $11,015 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Tennessee State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#7

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Belmont University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Belmont, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Belmont University is $25,980 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Belmont Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#8

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee
#8 in overall quality

Austin Peay State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Austin Peay State University is located in Clarksville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 113 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Austin Peay State University also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Austin Peay State University is $10,909 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Austin Peay State University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#9

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee
#4 in overall quality

Lee University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lee University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Tennessee. It awarded 56 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Lee University also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $13,841 for tennessee bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lee University.

Full Lee University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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