2027 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Tennessee
[Political Science & Government](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 13 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value political science & government schools.
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2027 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in political science & government, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Political Science & Government Schools
For return on investment in political science & government, no school beat Vanderbilt University this year. 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. Typical student debt for political science & government graduates is $12,000. Early-career political science & government graduates make about $46,843. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Tennessee Martin is a great value for students pursuing a degree in political science & government, landing the #2 spot this year. The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Martin. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,560, with out-of-state students paying around $16,600. Students borrow a median of $23,770 to complete the political science & government program here. Political Science & Government graduates of The University Of Tennessee Martin earn a median of $40,400 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Austin Peay State University one of the best values for political science & government. Set in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,006, with out-of-state students paying around $14,766. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete the political science & government program here. Political Science & Government graduates of Austin Peay State University earn a median of $34,635 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Austin Peay State University admits about 96% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga earned it the #4 place for political science & government. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public school located in the city of Chattanooga. Students from in state pay about $10,448 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,512. Typical student debt for political science & government graduates is $22,150. Political Science & Government graduates of The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga earn a median of $39,490 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Middle Tennessee State University earned it the #5 place for political science & government. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. Students from in state pay about $10,266 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $31,574. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the political science & government program here. Political Science & Government graduates of Middle Tennessee State University earn a median of $31,012 early in their careers. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Middle Tennessee State University admits about 69% of applicants.
University Of Memphis placed #6 among the best values for political science & government. University Of Memphis is a very large public school located in the city of Memphis. In-state tuition and fees average $10,728, compared with $15,384 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,450 to complete the political science & government program here. Political Science & Government graduates of University Of Memphis earn a median of $27,600 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Tennessee Technological University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value political science & government schools. Located in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,376, while out-of-state students pay about $15,576. Typical student debt for political science & government graduates is $17,580. Political Science & Government graduates of Tennessee Technological University earn a median of $34,105 early in their careers. Set against $17,580 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Tennessee State University came in at #8 for value in political science & government this year. Set in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,616, compared with $22,416 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the political science & government program here. Political Science & Government graduates of Tennessee State University earn a median of $35,206 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 70% of applicants are accepted.
East Tennessee State University came in at #9 for value in political science & government this year. Set in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,216, while out-of-state students pay about $13,726. Students borrow a median of $23,000 to complete the political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from East Tennessee State University generally make around $37,594. That is a strong return on a $23,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The University Of Tennessee came in at #10 for value in political science & government this year. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,812, compared with $33,256 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,500 to complete the political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee generally make around $29,728. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Sewanee The University Of The South placed #11 among the best values for political science & government. Sewanee The University Of The South is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Sewanee. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $56,120. Students borrow a median of $24,267 to complete the political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from Sewanee The University Of The South generally make around $31,831. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 57% of applicants are accepted.
Rhodes College placed #12 among the best values for political science & government. Set in the city of Memphis, Rhodes College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $57,110. Typical student debt for political science & government graduates is $26,500. Early-career political science & government graduates make about $35,537. Set against $26,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
Belmont University ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value political science & government schools. Located in the city of Nashville, Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,540. Students borrow a median of $23,447 to complete the political science & government program here. Soon after graduation, political science & government degree recipients from Belmont University generally make around $49,699. That is a strong return on a $23,447 median debt. The acceptance rate is 95%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.
