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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

24 Ranked Colleges
10,620 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,156 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Vanderbilt University

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southwest Tennessee Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this medium-sized public school awarded 654 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Southwest has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southwest is $4,721 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southwest Tennessee Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pellissippi State Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 1,065 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pellissippi State Community College, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pellissippi State Community College is $4,880 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Pellissippi State Community College

#4

Motlow State Community College

Tullahoma, Tennessee

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Motlow State Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Tullahoma, Tennessee, and it awarded 923 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Motlow also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Motlow is $6,004 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Motlow State Community College

#5

Roane State Community College

Harriman, Tennessee

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Roane State Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Roane State Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Harriman, Tennessee. It awarded 600 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Roane State Community College also took the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roane State Community College is $3,322 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Roane State Community College

#6

Walters State Community College

Morristown, Tennessee

Walters State Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Walters State Community College is located in Morristown, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 631 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSCC, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Walters State Community College is $2,897 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at WSCC

#7

Columbia State Community College

Columbia, Tennessee

Columbia State Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia State Community College is a medium-sized school located in Columbia, Tennessee that handed out 625 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia State Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia State Community College is $5,816 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Columbia State Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

With a ranking of #8, Volunteer State Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. VSCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Gallatin, Tennessee. It awarded 841 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

VSCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend VSCC is $6,368 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Volunteer State Community College

#9

Nashville State Community College

Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #9, Nashville State Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Nashville State Community College is a public institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 670 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Nashville State Community College also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Nashville State Community College is $7,139 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Nashville State Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#10

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 253 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

Middle Tennessee State University also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Middle Tennessee State University

#11

Chattanooga State Community College

Chattanooga, Tennessee

With a ranking of #11, Chattanooga State Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chattanooga, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 539 students in 2019-2020.

Chattanooga State Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chattanooga State Community College is $5,986 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Chattanooga State Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#12

Jackson State Community College

Jackson, Tennessee

Jackson State Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Jackson, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 371 students in 2019-2020.

JSCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Jackson State Community College is $7,421 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full JSCC Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#13

Northeast State Community College

Blountville, Tennessee

Northeast State Community College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeast State Technical Community College is located in Blountville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 579 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeast State Technical Community College, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $5,680 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeast State Community College.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northeast State Community College

#14

Dyersburg State Community College

Dyersburg, Tennessee

Dyersburg State Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dyersburg, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 335 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DSCC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dyersburg State Community College is $5,881 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Dyersburg State Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#15

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee

Tennessee Technological University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Tennessee Tech University is a fairly large public school situated in Cookeville, Tennessee. It awarded 43 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Tennessee Tech University also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Tennessee Technological University is $11,641 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Tennessee Technological University

#16

Cleveland State Community College

Cleveland, Tennessee

Cleveland State Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Cleveland, Tennessee, and it awarded 526 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cleveland State Community College, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State Community College is $4,278 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Cleveland State Community College

#17

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tennessee State University has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee State University is $11,015 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Tennessee State University

The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Chattanooga is a fairly large public school situated in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It awarded 18 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Chattanooga has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is $8,108 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

#19

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Tennessee State University is a fairly large public school situated in Johnson City, Tennessee. It awarded 133 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

ETSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for East Tennessee State University is $10,632 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at ETSU

#20

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

University of Memphis ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 131 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofM, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Memphis is $10,256 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Memphis Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#21

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee

Austin Peay State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Clarksville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 1,189 students in 2019-2020.

Austin Peay State University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Austin Peay State University is $10,909 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Austin Peay State University

#22

Belmont University

Nashville, Tennessee

Belmont University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Belmont, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Belmont University is $25,980 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Belmont University

#23

Lee University

Cleveland, Tennessee

Lee University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lee University, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $13,841 for tennessee liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lee University.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Lee University

#24

Union University

Jackson, Tennessee

With a ranking of #24, Union University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Jackson, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

Union also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Union University is $26,079 for Tennessee Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 4.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Union University

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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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