2027 Best Value Political Science Schools in Tennessee
[Political Science](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/political-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for political science students.
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2027 Best Value Political Science Schools in Tennessee
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in political science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Political Science Schools
Our analysis ranked The University Of Tennessee Martin the best value for a degree in political science in Tennessee. The University Of Tennessee Martin is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Martin. Students from in state pay about $10,560 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $16,600. Political Science graduates carry a median of $23,770 in student loans. Early-career political science graduates make about $40,400. Set against $23,770 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Tennessee Martin admits about 88% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Vanderbilt University earned it the #2 place for political science. Vanderbilt University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,498. Political Science graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Early-career political science graduates make about $46,843. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 6% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in political science will find it at Austin Peay State University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,006, with out-of-state students paying around $14,766. Political Science graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from Austin Peay State University generally make around $34,635. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Austin Peay State University admits about 96% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in political science will find it at The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $10,448 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,512. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $22,150. Early-career political science graduates make about $39,490. Set against $22,150 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga admits about 81% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in political science will find it at Middle Tennessee State University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Murfreesboro, Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,266, while out-of-state students pay about $31,574. Political Science graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Early-career political science graduates make about $31,012. Set against $23,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 69%.
University Of Memphis landed the #6 spot for political science value this year. Set in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,728, with out-of-state students paying around $15,384. Students borrow a median of $24,450 to complete the political science program here. Soon after graduation, political science degree recipients from University Of Memphis generally make around $27,600. Set against $24,450 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Tennessee Technological University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value political science schools. Set in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,376, with out-of-state students paying around $15,576. Political Science graduates carry a median of $17,580 in student loans. Political Science graduates of Tennessee Technological University earn a median of $34,105 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Tennessee State University earned the #8 position for value in political science this year. Located in the city of Nashville, Tennessee State University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,616, with out-of-state students paying around $22,416. Political Science graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Political Science graduates of Tennessee State University earn a median of $35,206 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 70%.
The University Of Tennessee earned the #9 position for value in political science this year. Located in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,812, with out-of-state students paying around $33,256. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $20,500. Early-career political science graduates make about $29,728. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Tennessee admits about 42% of applicants.
East Tennessee State University earned the #10 position for value in political science this year. East Tennessee State University is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City. Students from in state pay about $10,216 in tuition and fees, compared with $13,726 for out-of-state students. Political Science graduates carry a median of $23,000 in student loans. Early-career political science graduates make about $37,594. That is a strong return on a $23,000 median debt. East Tennessee State University admits about 86% of applicants.
Sewanee The University Of The South landed the #11 spot for political science value this year. Set in the rural area of Sewanee, Sewanee The University Of The South is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $56,120. Political Science graduates carry a median of $24,267 in student loans. Early-career political science graduates make about $31,831. Set against $24,267 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Rhodes College placed #12 among the best values for political science. Located in the city of Memphis, Rhodes College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $57,110. Typical student debt for political science graduates is $26,500. Political Science graduates of Rhodes College earn a median of $35,537 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,500 median debt. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
Belmont University ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value political science schools. Belmont University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,540. Students borrow a median of $23,447 to complete the political science program here. Political Science graduates of Belmont University earn a median of $49,699 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
