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2023 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Veterans in Tennessee

21 Ranked Colleges
8,591 Degrees Awarded
$26,900 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Liberal Arts is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 2nd of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 366,996 degrees were awarded to students with this major.

Across Tennessee, there were 8,591 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts programs as well as strong veteran support.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the liberal arts program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies

The colleges and universities below are the best for tennessee vets studying liberal studies.

Top 21 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Veterans in Tennessee

1
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Middle Tennessee State University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies. Middle Tennessee State University is a large public school situated in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It awarded 62 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Middle Tennessee State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Middle Tennessee State University supports 22,080 students, and 1,284 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 799 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,132. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

2
UofM crest
University of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Memphis. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies list. This large school is located in Memphis, Tennessee, and it awarded 101 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our tennessee vets studying liberal studies list, UofM has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 22,205 students enrolled at UofM, 766 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 446 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,772. To help with additional expenses, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UofM does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full University of Memphis Veteran Student Life Report

3
ETSU crest
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Tennessee State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies list. ETSU is a fairly large public school situated in Johnson City, Tennessee. It awarded 86 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our tennessee vets studying liberal studies list, ETSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, East Tennessee State University supports 13,713 students, and 6 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $25,115. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full East Tennessee State University Veteran Student Life Report

4
Austin Peay State University crest
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Austin Peay State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies. Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Clarksville, Tennessee. It awarded 62 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Austin Peay State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 10,272 students enrolled at Austin Peay State University, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Austin Peay State University]](/colleges/austin-peay-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

5
Belmont crest
Belmont University
Nashville, Tennessee

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies that were part of this year’s ranking, Belmont University landed the #5 spot on the list. Belmont is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Belmont also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 8,204 students enrolled at Belmont, 343 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 227 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,102. In addition to receiving other benefits, 146 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.

Full Belmont University Veteran Student Life Report

6

Jackson State Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking. JSCC is located in Jackson, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 321 ’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at JSCC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 4,203 students enrolled at Jackson State Community College, 90 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 52 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,369. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Jackson State Community College]](/colleges/jackson-state-community-college/student-life/veterans/)

7

Chattanooga State Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking. Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this medium-sized public school handed out 604 degrees to qualified ’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.

Chattanooga State Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 294 of the 7,452 students enrolled at Chattanooga State Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 169 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,494. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Chattanooga State Community College]](/colleges/chattanooga-state-community-college/student-life/veterans/)

8

Nashville State Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #8. Nashville State Community College is a public institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 672 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Nashville State Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Nashville State Community College supports 7,064 students, and 497 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 246 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,234. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

9
WSCC crest
Walters State Community College
Morristown, Tennessee

Walters State Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #9. Morristown, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 588 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our tennessee vets studying liberal studies list, WSCC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 5,742 students enrolled at WSCC, 147 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 55 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,506. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. WSCC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 More…

10

Pellissippi State Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking. Pellissippi State Community College is a public institution located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,030 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our tennessee vets studying liberal studies list, Pellissippi State Community College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 9,334 students enrolled at Pellissippi State Community College, 320 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 146 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,292. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

11
Northeast State Technical Community College crest
Northeast State Community College
Blountville, Tennessee

Northeast State Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking. Northeast State Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Blountville, Tennessee. It awarded 501 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeast State Technical Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 5,397 students enrolled at Northeast State Technical Community College, 231 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 103 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,322. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

12

Volunteer State Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #12. Volunteer State Community College is a medium-sized school located in Gallatin, Tennessee that handed out 818 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

VSCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 8,832 students enrolled at Volunteer State Community College, 283 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 126 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,681. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Volunteer State Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

13
Tennessee State University crest
Tennessee State University
Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #13. Tennessee State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 13 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Tennessee State University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 249 of the 7,615 students enrolled at Tennessee State University were GI Bill® students, of which 102 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,829. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Tennessee State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Tennessee State University Veteran Student Life Report

14

With a ranking of #14, Cleveland State Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies list. Located in Cleveland, Tennessee, this small public school awarded 512 degrees to qualified ’s liberal studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cleveland State Community College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 72 of the 3,074 students enrolled at Cleveland State Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 42 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,390. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Cleveland State Community College Veteran Student Life Report

15
Motlow crest
Motlow State Community College
Tullahoma, Tennessee

Motlow State Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking. Motlow State Community College is located in Tullahoma, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 899 ’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Motlow also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 6,616 students enrolled at Motlow, 62 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 44 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,972. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Motlow State Community College]](/colleges/motlow-state-community-college/student-life/veterans/)

16
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, Tennessee

Union University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies list. This small school is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and it awarded 19 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our tennessee vets studying liberal studies list, Union has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 78 of the 3,071 students enrolled at Union University were GI Bill® students, of which 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,190. In addition to receiving other benefits, 13 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Union]](/colleges/union-university/student-life/veterans/)

17

Southwest Tennessee Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies list. Southwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Memphis, Tennessee. It awarded 630 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our tennessee vets studying liberal studies list, Southwest has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Southwest Tennessee Community College supports 7,371 students, and 213 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 85 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,893. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Southwest Tennessee Community College Veteran Student Life Report

18

Dyersburg State Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies ranking, coming in at #18. Dyersburg State Community College is a small school located in Dyersburg, Tennessee that handed out 377 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DSCC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,650 students enrolled at Dyersburg State Community College, 71 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 31 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,730. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Dyersburg State Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at DSCC]](/colleges/dyersburg-state-community-college/student-life/veterans/)

19

Columbia State Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies list. Columbia, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal studies degrees to 632 students in 2020-2021.

Columbia State Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 136 of the 5,931 students enrolled at Columbia State Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 64 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,663. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

20

With a ranking of #20, Roane State Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies list. Roane State Community College is a small school located in Harriman, Tennessee that handed out 545 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Roane State Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Roane State Community College supports 5,172 students, and 126 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 53 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,846. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

21
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, Tennessee

With a ranking of #21, Lee University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Studies list. Lee University is a small school located in Cleveland, Tennessee that handed out 57 ’s liberal studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lee University, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 5,204 students enrolled at Lee University, 121 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 71 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,028. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lee University Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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