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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

13 Ranked Colleges
1,992 Degrees Awarded
$10,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences 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. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 205,726 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $34,801 and had an average of $23,466 in loans still to pay off.

Across Tennessee, there were 2,165 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,992 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree in social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Sciences 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.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in Tennessee

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 623 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $3,156 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Vanderbilt Social Sciences Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 365 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UT Knoxville also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Knoxville is $10,224 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at UT Knoxville

#3

Rhodes College

Memphis, Tennessee
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rhodes College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rhodes College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 104 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Rhodes College also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Rhodes College is $16,870 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at Rhodes College

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k. The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is a fairly large public school situated in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It awarded 85 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Chattanooga not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Chattanooga is $8,108 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

#5

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences 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 #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 111 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Middle Tennessee State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $8,919 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Read more about Social Sciences at Middle Tennessee State University

#6

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee
#5 in overall quality

Tennessee Technological University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tennessee Tech University is a public institution located in Cookeville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Tennessee Tech University also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Tennessee Technological University is $11,641 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Social Sciences at Tennessee Tech University

#9 in overall quality

The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Martin, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Martin has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Martin is $7,524 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Sciences at UT Martin

#8

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Memphis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 112 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UofM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $10,256 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Memphis.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UofM

#9

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality

East Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Johnson City, Tennessee, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

ETSU also took the #12 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ETSU is $10,632 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Sciences at ETSU

#10

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee
#11 in overall quality

Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Tennessee State University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Tennessee State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee State University is $11,015 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Tennessee State University Social Sciences Report

#11

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee
#10 in overall quality

Austin Peay State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Austin Peay State University is a fairly large public school situated in Clarksville, Tennessee. It awarded 59 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Austin Peay State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for Austin Peay State University is $10,909 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Austin Peay State University Social Sciences Report

#3 in overall quality

Sewanee - The University of the South came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sewanee is located in Sewanee, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 107 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Sewanee not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend Sewanee is $17,277 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Sewanee

#13

Lane College

Jackson, Tennessee
#13 in overall quality

Lane College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Lane College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $12,963 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lane College.

Read more about Social Sciences at Lane College

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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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