Ranking
Best Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Colleges in Tennessee 2026
Roane State Community College leads this ROI ranking with a A+ value grade and a 23.07 ROI score. EduGradify ranks 25 colleges here by earnings against net price.
44 Tennessee colleges offering Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, ranked by EduGradify value grade.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $4,270
- Top earnings 10y
- $91,565
- Public / Private
- 18 / 7
Roane State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 23.07
- Net price
- $4,270
- Earnings 10y
- $39,407
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Columbia State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 21.26
- Net price
- $4,734
- Earnings 10y
- $40,256
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Dyersburg State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 19.59
- Net price
- $4,612
- Earnings 10y
- $36,132
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Pellissippi State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 19.29
- Net price
- $4,983
- Earnings 10y
- $38,440
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Southwest Tennessee Community College
A+- ROI score
- 17.92
- Net price
- $4,754
- Earnings 10y
- $34,071
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Chattanooga State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 17.79
- Net price
- $5,283
- Earnings 10y
- $37,598
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Walters State Community College
A+- ROI score
- 17.21
- Net price
- $5,387
- Earnings 10y
- $37,085
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Christian Brothers University
A- ROI score
- 14.58
- Net price
- $9,854
- Earnings 10y
- $57,478
- Acceptance
- 86.7%
Vanderbilt University
A- ROI score
- 14.45
- Net price
- $15,846
- Earnings 10y
- $91,565
- Acceptance
- 5.9%
Cleveland State Community College
A- ROI score
- 14.36
- Net price
- $6,384
- Earnings 10y
- $36,671
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Nashville State Community College
A- ROI score
- 14.21
- Net price
- $6,777
- Earnings 10y
- $38,519
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Jackson State Community College
A- ROI score
- 14.12
- Net price
- $6,236
- Earnings 10y
- $35,224
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Volunteer State Community College
A- ROI score
- 13.19
- Net price
- $7,802
- Earnings 10y
- $41,150
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Northeast State Community College
A- ROI score
- 12.58
- Net price
- $6,864
- Earnings 10y
- $34,553
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Le Moyne-Owen College
A- ROI score
- 12.53
- Net price
- $7,099
- Earnings 10y
- $35,594
- Acceptance
- 99.2%
Austin Peay State University
A- ROI score
- 11.38
- Net price
- $9,735
- Earnings 10y
- $44,301
- Acceptance
- 96.4%
University of Memphis
B- ROI score
- 9.77
- Net price
- $12,397
- Earnings 10y
- $48,458
- Acceptance
- 72%
Bethel University
B- ROI score
- 9.42
- Net price
- $12,595
- Earnings 10y
- $47,482
- Acceptance
- 60.2%
Middle Tennessee State University
B- ROI score
- 9.08
- Net price
- $13,359
- Earnings 10y
- $48,541
- Acceptance
- 69.1%
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
B- ROI score
- 8.96
- Net price
- $14,265
- Earnings 10y
- $51,151
- Acceptance
- 81.1%
Tennessee Technological University
B- ROI score
- 8.51
- Net price
- $14,246
- Earnings 10y
- $48,501
- Acceptance
- 76.1%
Tennessee Wesleyan University
B- ROI score
- 7.75
- Net price
- $14,836
- Earnings 10y
- $45,989
- Acceptance
- 68.9%
Cumberland University
B- ROI score
- 7.69
- Net price
- $18,759
- Earnings 10y
- $57,687
- Acceptance
- 67.3%
The University of Tennessee Southern
B- ROI score
- 7.60
- Net price
- $12,798
- Earnings 10y
- $38,924
- Acceptance
- 86.7%
Trevecca Nazarene University
C- ROI score
- 7.34
- Net price
- $16,813
- Earnings 10y
- $49,378
- Acceptance
- 69.4%
How we picked this list
This list starts with Tennessee schools with positive Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 13.35 (18 public, 7 private).
Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Roane State Community College in Harriman, TN tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many Tennessee colleges are in this list?
44 Tennessee colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.
Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?
Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.