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2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Tennessee

[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general social sciences education at a price that pays off.

College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general social sciences schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Tennessee

2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Tennessee

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general social sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value General Social Sciences Schools

1

Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN

$9,006 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,530 Avg Student Debt

$44,301 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Austin Peay State University, our #1 best value for general social sciences in Tennessee. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,006, with out-of-state students paying around $14,766. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $24,530 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Austin Peay State University generally make around $44,360. That is a strong return on a $24,530 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.

2

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

$67,498 In-State Tuition & Fees

$11,000 Avg Student Debt

$91,565 Median Earnings (10yr)

Vanderbilt University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general social sciences, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,498. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $11,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Vanderbilt University generally make around $61,389. Set against $11,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.

View All General Social Sciences Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.