36 Best colleges for Philosophy in Tennessee

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Tennessee ranked based on their research performance in Philosophy. A graph of 2.55M citations received by 84.6K 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: $26,689

2. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Knoxville

For Philosophy

#73 in the United States

#88 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Average SAT: 1265
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 90%

3. University of Memphis

Memphis

For Philosophy

#117 in the United States

#140 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1055
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 97%

4. University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Memphis

For Philosophy

#254 in the United States

#291 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Enrollment: 3,121
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1911

5. East Tennessee State University

Johnson

For Philosophy

#296 in the United States

#337 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1060
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 92%

6. Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro

For Philosophy

#338 in the United States

#381 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1115
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

7. Johnson University

Knoxville

For Philosophy

#345 in the United States

#388 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 990
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $20,713

8. University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Chattanooga

For Philosophy

#356 in the United States

#401 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1095
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 95%

9. Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville

For Philosophy

#477 in the United States

#530 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

10. University of the South

Sewanee

For Philosophy

#514 in the United States

#569 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Average SAT: 1317
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $33,616

11. Rhodes College

Memphis

For Philosophy

#597 in the United States

#659 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1390
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $30,590

12. Tennessee State University

Nashville

For Philosophy

#618 in the United States

#681 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 962
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 94%

13. King University

Bristol

For Philosophy

#645 in the United States

#709 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Net Price: $23,282
Receiving Aid: 84%
Average Aid: $24,339

14. South College

Knoxville

For Philosophy

#797 in the United States

#866 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $16,584
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $13,698

15. Belmont University

Nashville

For Philosophy

#823 in the United States

#894 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $37,558

16. University of Tennessee - Martin

Martin

For Philosophy

#826 in the United States

#897 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 99%

17. Austin Peay State University

Clarksville

For Philosophy

#850 in the United States

#923 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1054
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 98%

18. Lee University

Cleveland

For Philosophy

#852 in the United States

#925 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $20,222

19. Bryan College - Dayton

Dayton

For Philosophy

#853 in the United States

#926 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $17,105
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $12,650

20. Meharry Medical College

Nashville

For Philosophy

#861 in the United States

#934 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 1,083
Male:Female: 31:69
Founded: 1876

21. Union University

Jackson

For Philosophy

#889 in the United States

#962 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $27,191

22. Lipscomb University

Nashville

For Philosophy

#1078 in the United States

#1156 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1248
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $27,386

23. Maryville College

Maryville

For Philosophy

#1124 in the United States

#1202 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Average SAT: 1103
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $20,990

24. Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences

Memphis

For Philosophy

#1135 in the United States

#1213 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $15,395
Receiving Aid: 100%

25. Southern Adventist University

Collegedale

For Philosophy

#1217 in the United States

#1298 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $25,374

26. Christian Brothers University

Memphis

For Philosophy

#1245 in the United States

#1326 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1170
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $17,068

27. Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City

For Philosophy

#1271 in the United States

#1352 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1035
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $19,755

28. Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate

For Philosophy

#1273 in the United States

#1354 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1113
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $19,401

29. Fisk University

Nashville

For Philosophy

#1281 in the United States

#1362 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1320
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $19,836

30. Milligan College

Milligan College

For Philosophy

#1338 in the United States

#1419 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1205
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $21,463

31. Welch College

Gallatin

For Philosophy

#1389 in the United States

#1474 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $19,214
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $15,153

32. Lane College

Jackson

For Philosophy

#1396 in the United States

#1481 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $13,384
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $10,229

33. Memphis Theological Seminary

Memphis

For Philosophy

#1432 in the United States

#1519 in North America

Enrollment: 195
Male:Female: 44:56

34. Southern College of Optometry

Memphis

For Philosophy

#1444 in the United States

#1531 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Enrollment: 525
Male:Female: 31:69
Founded: 1932

35. Tusculum University

Greeneville

For Philosophy

#1446 in the United States

#1533 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Net Price: $22,961
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $20,374

36. Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens

For Philosophy

#1520 in the United States

#1608 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1030
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $16,414

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	61
District of Columbia	12	57
Maryland	27	20
Iowa	29	39
Pennsylvania	98	9
Michigan	40	4
Florida	55	35
Wisconsin	34	15
Oklahoma	20	108
Kansas	17	72
New Jersey	26	16
New York	135	6
Minnesota	26	26
Connecticut	22	11
Nebraska	12	94
Rhode Island	9	56
Massachusetts	72	3
Texas	79	19
Vermont	11	121
South Dakota	8	380
New Hampshire	12	78
Colorado	21	51
North Dakota	7	215
Maine	13	214
New Mexico	8	102
Utah	10	52
Montana	7	202
Arizona	10	29
Idaho	7	216
Nevada	6	148
Puerto Rico	14	295
California	129	1
Oregon	18	92
Washington	28	7
Alaska	4	325
Hawaii	6	118