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2025 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee

21 Colleges in Tennessee
9,238 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$31,562 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #3 in popularity, liberal arts / sciences & humanities is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 21 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 9,238 degrees in liberal arts / sciences & humanities to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee Your choice of liberal arts / sciences & humanities school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
Bachelor's Degrees in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities
Master's Degrees in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Tennessee list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in Tennessee

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree levels they offer.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
160 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$45,645 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Middle Tennessee State University if you want to pursue a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university located in the city of Murfreesboro. A Best Colleges rank of #1036 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Middle Tennessee State University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 160 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program at Middle Tennessee State University earn $14,083 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Middle Tennessee State University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$40,058 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities has to take a look at University of Memphis. UofM is a very large public university located in the large city of Memphis. A Best Colleges rank of #807 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UofM is a great university overall.

There were about 115 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree program at University of Memphis earn $8,496 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from University of Memphis

Sponsored
Associates Degree Type
AA in Liberal Arts Program Name

Strengthen your communication and critical-thinking skills with this online associate in liberal arts degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in AA in Liberal Arts from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Union crest
Union University
Jackson, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$41,320 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in liberal arts / sciences & humanities needs to look into Union University. Union is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Jackson. A Best Colleges rank of #538 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Union is a great university overall.

There were about 46 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Union in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Union University make $9,758 more than the standard liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduate.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Union University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
96 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$32,474 Median Starting Salary

East Tennessee State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities. Located in the small city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #802 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means ETSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 96 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program report average early career earnings of $32,474.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from East Tennessee State University

5
Lee University crest
Lee University
Cleveland, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
11.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Cleveland, Lee University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1008 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Lee University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 68 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Lee University in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Lee University earn $14,116 more than the average liberal arts / sciences & humanities grad.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Lee University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
136 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$22,849 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Lebanon, CU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1255 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means CU is a great university overall.

There were about 136 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at CU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree recipients generally earn about $22,849 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Cumberland University

7
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
613 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
1.5% Growth in Graduates

Chattanooga State Community College is a medium-sized public college located in the midsize city of Chattanooga. A Best Colleges rank of #897 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Chattanooga State Community College is a great college overall.

There were about 613 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Chattanooga State Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program report average early career wages of $25,797.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Chattanooga State Community College

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in General Studies Program Name

Maximize your transfer credits and complete your bachelor's degree faster with this flexible online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in General Studies from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
553 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$33,638 Median Starting Salary

Austin Peay State University is a medium-sized public university located in the city of Clarksville. This university ranks 25th out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 553 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Austin Peay State University in the most recent year we have data available. Those liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who get their degree from Austin Peay State University earn $2,076 more than the standard liberal arts / sciences & humanities grad.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Austin Peay State University

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
600 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
$28,980 Median Starting Salary

Southwest is a moderately-sized public college located in the city of Memphis. A Best Colleges rank of #883 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Southwest is a great college overall.

There were about 600 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at Southwest in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program report average early career income of $28,980.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Southwest Tennessee Community College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
348 Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Degrees Awarded
7.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Jackson, JSCC is a public college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #799 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means JSCC is a great college overall.

There were approximately 348 liberal arts / sciences & humanities students who graduated with this degree at JSCC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the liberal arts / sciences & humanities program make about $27,378 for their early career.

More information about a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities from Jackson State Community College

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 18,227
West Virginia 38 3,558
Mississippi 38 5,696
South Carolina 38 4,243
Florida 38 64,443
Virginia 38 9,294
Arkansas 38 5,153
Alabama 37 5,890
Kentucky 37 6,493
Georgia 37 7,724
Louisiana 37 2,864

View All Rankings >

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts General Studies 9,238

View All Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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