2027 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 2 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value general social sciences schools.
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2027 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general social sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools
Austin Peay State University earned the #1 spot for value among general social sciences schools in Tennessee. Set in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,006, while out-of-state students pay about $14,766. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $24,530 in student loans. General Social Sciences graduates of Austin Peay State University earn a median of $44,360 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 96%.
A rank of #2 makes Vanderbilt University one of the best values for general social sciences. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,498. Students borrow a median of $11,000 to complete the general social sciences program here. Early-career general social sciences graduates make about $61,389. Set against $11,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Vanderbilt University admits about 6% of applicants.
More General Social Sciences Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
