36 Best colleges for Philosophy in Tennessee

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Tennessee ranked based on their research performance in Philosophy. A graph of 2.71M citations received by 86.5K academic papers made by 36 universities in Tennessee was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Vanderbilt University

Nashville

For Philosophy

#44 in the United States

#52 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 6%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $25,186

2. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Knoxville

For Philosophy

#72 in the United States

#87 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Average SAT: 1285
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 96%

3. University of Memphis

Memphis

For Philosophy

#118 in the United States

#141 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1048
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 95%

4. University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Memphis

For Philosophy

#253 in the United States

#290 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Enrollment: 3,101
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1911

5. East Tennessee State University

Johnson

For Philosophy

#295 in the United States

#336 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1090
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 94%

6. Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro

For Philosophy

#336 in the United States

#379 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

7. Johnson University

Knoxville

For Philosophy

#343 in the United States

#386 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1035
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $22,615

8. University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Chattanooga

For Philosophy

#357 in the United States

#402 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1112
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

9. Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville

For Philosophy

#473 in the United States

#526 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1179
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

10. University of the South

Sewanee

For Philosophy

#516 in the United States

#572 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1325
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $34,815

11. Rhodes College

Memphis

For Philosophy

#592 in the United States

#654 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1393
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $31,037

12. Tennessee State University

Nashville

For Philosophy

#618 in the United States

#681 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 965
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 75%

13. King University

Bristol

For Philosophy

#633 in the United States

#696 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $22,748
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $26,366

14. South College

Knoxville

For Philosophy

#794 in the United States

#864 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $17,588
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $14,208

15. Belmont University

Nashville

For Philosophy

#810 in the United States

#881 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $38,578

16. University of Tennessee - Martin

Martin

For Philosophy

#820 in the United States

#891 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1090
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 99%

17. Lee University

Cleveland

For Philosophy

#846 in the United States

#919 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $20,416

18. Bryan College - Dayton

Dayton

For Philosophy

#847 in the United States

#920 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $18,159
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $13,271

19. Austin Peay State University

Clarksville

For Philosophy

#851 in the United States

#924 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 985
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 99%

20. Meharry Medical College

Nashville

For Philosophy

#856 in the United States

#929 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 1,226
Male:Female: 32:68
Founded: 1876

21. Union University

Jackson

For Philosophy

#905 in the United States

#979 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $28,452

22. Lipscomb University

Nashville

For Philosophy

#1075 in the United States

#1153 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1270
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $27,695

23. Maryville College

Maryville

For Philosophy

#1131 in the United States

#1209 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Net Price: $21,469
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $33,153

24. Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences

Memphis

For Philosophy

#1147 in the United States

#1226 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $11,348
Receiving Aid: 100%

25. Southern Adventist University

Collegedale

For Philosophy

#1217 in the United States

#1298 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1160
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $25,753

26. Christian Brothers University

Memphis

For Philosophy

#1254 in the United States

#1335 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $16,754

27. Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate

For Philosophy

#1262 in the United States

#1343 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $21,447

28. Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City

For Philosophy

#1274 in the United States

#1355 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $20,895

29. Fisk University

Nashville

For Philosophy

#1279 in the United States

#1360 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Average SAT: 1325
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $18,595

30. Milligan College

Milligan College

For Philosophy

#1335 in the United States

#1417 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1201
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $21,165

31. Welch College

Gallatin

For Philosophy

#1376 in the United States

#1461 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $21,157
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $15,462

32. Lane College

Jackson

For Philosophy

#1384 in the United States

#1469 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $11,803
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $11,689

33. Memphis Theological Seminary

Memphis

For Philosophy

#1438 in the United States

#1525 in North America

Enrollment: 157
Male:Female: 45:55

34. Southern College of Optometry

Memphis

For Philosophy

#1450 in the United States

#1537 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Enrollment: 530
Male:Female: 32:68
Founded: 1932

35. Tusculum University

Greeneville

For Philosophy

#1455 in the United States

#1542 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Net Price: $20,355
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $23,759

36. Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens

For Philosophy

#1526 in the United States

#1615 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $15,125
Receiving Aid: 100%

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Kentucky	27	67
Alabama	25	98
Georgia	48	47
Indiana	35	34
Mississippi	14	180
South Carolina	26	77
Illinois	79	12
North Carolina	46	25
Arkansas	17	142
Ohio	63	22
West Virginia	16	115
Missouri	39	43
Virginia	42	40
Louisiana	25	60
District of Columbia	13	57
Maryland	27	19
Iowa	29	39
Pennsylvania	98	9
Michigan	40	4
Florida	56	35
Wisconsin	34	15
Oklahoma	20	108
Kansas	17	73
New Jersey	26	14
New York	135	6
Minnesota	27	26
Connecticut	22	11
Nebraska	12	94
Rhode Island	9	56
Massachusetts	72	3
Texas	81	20
Vermont	11	122
South Dakota	8	374
New Hampshire	12	79
Colorado	21	51
North Dakota	7	214
Maine	13	215
New Mexico	8	102
Utah	10	52
Montana	7	202
Arizona	10	27
Idaho	7	216
Nevada	6	149
Puerto Rico	14	299
California	130	1
Oregon	18	93
Washington	28	7
Alaska	4	325
Hawaii	6	120