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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee

13 Ranked Colleges
1,992 Degrees Awarded
$16,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Tennessee

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee” ranking - to help you make that 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.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered a degree in social sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the social sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in Tennessee

#1

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, Tennessee
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee that were part of this year’s ranking, Tennessee Technological University landed the #1 spot on the list. Tennessee Technological University is located in Cookeville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 92 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

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 Tech University is $15,929 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

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 full report on Social Sciences at Tennessee Technological University

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee. Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 365 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $18,825 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Sciences at UT Knoxville

#3

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Middle Tennessee State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee. Middle Tennessee State University is a large school located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee that handed out 111 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Middle Tennessee State University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $12,464 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Read more about Social Sciences at Middle Tennessee State University

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. UT Chattanooga is a fairly large school located in Chattanooga, Tennessee that handed out 85 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Chattanooga did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is $12,952 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

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

#5

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Memphis. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, this large public school handed out 112 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UofM also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UofM is $13,248 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UofM

#9 in overall quality

The University of Tennessee - Martin came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. UT Martin is located in Martin, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UT Martin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Martin is $10,955 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UT Martin

#7

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee
#11 in overall quality

Tennessee State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. This medium-sized school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tennessee State University, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. It costs about $12,443 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Tennessee State University.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Tennessee State University

#8

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee
#10 in overall quality

Austin Peay State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. Austin Peay State University is located in Clarksville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Austin Peay State University has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Austin Peay State University is $13,692 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Full Austin Peay State University Social Sciences Report

#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 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. The estimated yearly cost for ETSU is $14,332 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Full East Tennessee State University Social Sciences Report

#10

Lane College

Jackson, Tennessee
#13 in overall quality

Lane College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking. Lane College is a small school located in Jackson, Tennessee that handed out 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. The yearly cost to attend Lane College is $12,966 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Lane College

#3 in overall quality

Sewanee - The University of the South did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #11. This small school is located in Sewanee, Tennessee, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Sewanee did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” list. It costs about $30,474 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Sewanee.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 - The University of the South

#12

Rhodes College

Memphis, Tennessee
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Rhodes College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee list. This small school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rhodes College, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Tennessee” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rhodes College is $27,540 for tennessee bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

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 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Rhodes College Social Sciences Report

#13

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Tennessee ranking, coming in at #13. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 623 bachelors’s 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 $19,432 for Tennessee Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Social Sciences at Vanderbilt 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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