College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Social Sciences Schools in Tennessee

11 Colleges in Tennessee
2,177 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$40,688 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in social sciences is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #5 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual reviewed 11 schools in Tennessee to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of social sciences. Combined, these schools handed out 2,177 degrees in social sciences to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Social Sciences School

Best Social Sciences Schools in Tennessee Your choice of social sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Social Sciences School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

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

Social Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Social Sciences
Bachelor's Degrees in Social Sciences
Master's Degrees in Social Sciences
Doctor's Degrees in Social Sciences

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 Social Sciences Schools in Tennessee list to help you make the college decision. 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 Social Sciences in Tennessee

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the social sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Social Sciences

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
715 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
1.4% Growth in Graduates

It is hard to beat Vanderbilt University if you want to pursue a degree in social sciences. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 715 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social sciences degree program at Vanderbilt University get $27,193 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Vanderbilt University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
428 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$34,076 Median Starting Salary

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in social sciences. Located in the midsize city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #226 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UT Knoxville is a great university overall.

There were about 428 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the social sciences program earn around $34,076 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in social sciences from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

3
Rhodes College crest
Rhodes College
Memphis, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
4.5% Growth in Graduates

Rhodes College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in social sciences. Rhodes College is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Memphis. A Best Colleges rank of #698 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Rhodes College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 88 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Rhodes College in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients generally make around $35,848 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Rhodes College

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$48,967 Median Starting Salary

Sewanee - The University of the South is a good option for students interested in a degree in social sciences. Sewanee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Sewanee. A Best Colleges rank of #683 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Sewanee is a great university overall.

There were about 94 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Sewanee in the most recent data year. Social Sciences degree recipients from Sewanee - The University of the South earn a boost of about $8,279 over the average earnings of social sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Sewanee - The University of the South

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$29,758 Median Starting Salary

UofM is a fairly large public university located in the city of Memphis. This university ranks 12th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 150 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program state that they receive average early career wages of $29,758.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Memphis

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the remote town of Cookeville, Tennessee Tech University is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 19th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 86 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee Tech University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the social sciences program make around $35,092 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Tennessee Technological University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
12.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 16th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 81 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UT Chattanooga in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the social sciences program make an average of $34,783 for their early career.

More information about a degree in social sciences from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$28,919 Median Starting Salary

Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro. This university ranks 18th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 139 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the social sciences program earn an average of $28,919 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Middle Tennessee State University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$31,171 Median Starting Salary

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 roughly 67 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program state that they receive average early career wages of $31,171.

More information about a degree in social sciences from East Tennessee State University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$33,556 Median Starting Salary

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

There were about 37 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Austin Peay State University in the most recent data year. After graduating, social sciences degree recipients generally make around $33,556 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Austin Peay State University

Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 5,094
West Virginia 38 783
Mississippi 38 722
South Carolina 38 1,873
Florida 38 8,144
Virginia 38 7,557
Arkansas 38 895
Alabama 37 1,604
Kentucky 37 1,324
Georgia 37 3,895
Louisiana 37 1,518

View All Rankings >

Social Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 748
Economics 439
Sociology 380
General Social Sciences 253
Anthropology 155
International Relations & National Security 86
Geography & Cartography 45
Other Social Sciences 25
Urban Studies 24
Archeology 8

View All Social Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options