2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges for Veterans in Tennessee
23
Ranked Colleges
10,645
Degrees Awarded
$26,700
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 1st of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 556,813 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.
Across Tennessee, there were 10,645 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,220 and $16,927 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts general studies programs as well as strong veteran support.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
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 Arts” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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.
Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts
The colleges and universities below are the best for tennessee vets studying liberal arts.
Top 23 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges for Veterans in Tennessee
Out of the 23 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts that were part of this year’s ranking, Middle Tennessee State University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 194 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Middle Tennessee State University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 22,080 students enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University, 1,284 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 799 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,132. 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 Middle Tennessee State University]](/colleges/middle-tennessee-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Austin Peay State University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts. Clarksville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 1,427 students in 2020-2021.
Austin Peay State University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 10,272 students enrolled at Austin Peay State University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13. 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 Austin Peay State University]](/colleges/austin-peay-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Memphis. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 123 students in 2020-2021.
UofM also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 766 of the 22,205 students enrolled at UofM were GI Bill® students, of which 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 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 University of Memphis]](/colleges/university-of-memphis/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend East Tennessee State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts list. ETSU is located in Johnson City, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
ETSU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, ETSU supports 13,713 students, and 6 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,115. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full East Tennessee State University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tennessee Technological University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts list. Tennessee Tech University is a medium-sized public school situated in Cookeville, Tennessee. It awarded 83 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Tennessee Tech University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Tennessee Tech University supports 10,177 students, and 403 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 229 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,510. On top of their other funding sources, 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%.
Full Tennessee Tech University Veteran Student Life Report
Belmont University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
Belmont 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 8,204 students enrolled at Belmont University, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,102. In addition to receiving other benefits, 146 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Belmont]](/colleges/belmont-university/student-life/veterans/)
Jackson State Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Located in Jackson, Tennessee, this small public school awarded 321 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
JSCC 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 4,203 students enrolled at JSCC, 90 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 52 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,369. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Chattanooga State Community College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Chattanooga State Community College is a medium-sized school located in Chattanooga, Tennessee that handed out 604 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Chattanooga State 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 7,452 students enrolled at Chattanooga State Community College, 294 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 169 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,494. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Chattanooga State Community College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Chattanooga State Community College]](/colleges/chattanooga-state-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Nashville State Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 672 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Nashville State Community College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,064 students enrolled at Nashville State Community College, 497 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 246 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,234. 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 full report on veteran student life at Nashville State Community College]](/colleges/nashville-state-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts list. UT Chattanooga is a public institution located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Chattanooga also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 11,728 students enrolled at UT Chattanooga, 431 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 270 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,374. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Walters State Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts list. Located in Morristown, Tennessee, this medium-sized public school handed out 588 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
WSCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Walters State Community College supports 5,742 students, and 147 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 55 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,506. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Walters State Community College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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 Walters State Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Pellissippi State Community College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Pellissippi State Community College is located in Knoxville, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,030 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Pellissippi State Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 320 of the 9,334 students enrolled at Pellissippi State Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Pellissippi State Community College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts list. This medium-sized school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 43 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Tennessee 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.According to our most recent data, Tennessee State University supports 7,615 students, and 249 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 102 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,829. 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…
With a ranking of #14, Northeast State Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts list. Northeast State Technical Community College is a medium-sized school located in Blountville, Tennessee that handed out 501 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Northeast State Technical Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 5,397 students enrolled at Northeast State Technical Community College, 231 are 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. During this same period, 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 Northeast State Community College]](/colleges/northeast-state-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #15, Volunteer State Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts list. Volunteer State Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Gallatin, Tennessee. It awarded 818 ’s liberal arts 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 VSCC, 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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,681. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Volunteer State Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Cleveland State Community College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Located in Cleveland, Tennessee, this small public school handed out 512 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
Cleveland 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.Among the 3,074 students enrolled at Cleveland State Community College, 72 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cleveland State Community College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Cleveland State Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Motlow State Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Motlow is a medium-sized public school situated in Tullahoma, Tennessee. It awarded 899 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Motlow also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 62 of the 6,616 students enrolled at Motlow State Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 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. 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.
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 Motlow Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #18, Union University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts list. This small school is located in Jackson, Tennessee, and it awarded 78 ’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Union 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 78 of the 3,071 students enrolled at Union were GI Bill® students, of which 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,190. To help with additional expenses, 13 students qualified for 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full Union University Veteran Student Life Report
Southwest Tennessee Community College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 630 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our tennessee vets studying liberal arts list, Southwest has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,371 students enrolled at Southwest Tennessee Community College, 213 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 85 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,893. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Dyersburg State Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking, coming in at #20. Dyersburg, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts degrees to 377 students in 2020-2021.
DSCC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 2,650 students enrolled at DSCC, 71 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 31 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,730. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
With a ranking of #21, Columbia State Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts list. Columbia State Community College is located in Columbia, Tennessee and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 632 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Columbia 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, Columbia State Community College supports 5,931 students, and 136 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 64 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,663. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Columbia State Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Roane State Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Located in Harriman, Tennessee, this small public school handed out 545 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
Roane State Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 5,172 students enrolled at Roane State Community College, 126 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school 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 full report on veteran student life at Roane State Community College]](/colleges/roane-state-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Lee University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Tennessee for Liberal Arts ranking. Lee University is located in Cleveland, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 60 ’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Lee University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Lee University supports 5,204 students, and 121 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 71 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,028. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 More…
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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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