39 Best colleges for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences 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 Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 6.12M citations received by 197K academic papers made by 39 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 Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#46 in the United States

#55 in North America

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

2. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Knoxville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#70 in the United States

#84 in North America

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

3. University of Memphis

Memphis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#147 in the United States

#172 in North America

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

4. University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Memphis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#217 in the United States

#248 in North America

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

5. East Tennessee State University

Johnson

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#286 in the United States

#321 in North America

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

6. Johnson University

Knoxville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#311 in the United States

#350 in North America

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

7. Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#319 in the United States

#360 in North America

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

8. University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

Chattanooga

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#343 in the United States

#384 in North America

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

9. Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#475 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 Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#536 in the United States

#591 in North America

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

11. Tennessee State University

Nashville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#537 in the United States

#592 in North America

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

12. Rhodes College

Memphis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#594 in the United States

#651 in North America

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

13. King University

Bristol

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#606 in the United States

#663 in North America

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

14. Meharry Medical College

Nashville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#693 in the United States

#759 in North America

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

15. Lee University

Cleveland

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#722 in the United States

#788 in North America

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

16. Belmont University

Nashville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#749 in the United States

#817 in North America

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

17. Austin Peay State University

Clarksville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#772 in the United States

#841 in North America

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

18. University of Tennessee - Martin

Martin

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#809 in the United States

#879 in North America

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

19. Bryan College - Dayton

Dayton

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#854 in the United States

#924 in North America

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

20. South College

Knoxville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#878 in the United States

#948 in North America

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

21. Union University

Jackson

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#980 in the United States

#1052 in North America

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

22. Lipscomb University

Nashville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1089 in the United States

#1167 in North America

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

23. Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1109 in the United States

#1187 in North America

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

24. Maryville College

Maryville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1162 in the United States

#1240 in North America

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

25. Christian Brothers University

Memphis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1165 in the United States

#1243 in North America

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

26. Carson-Newman University

Jefferson City

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1175 in the United States

#1253 in North America

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

27. Fisk University

Nashville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1224 in the United States

#1304 in North America

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

28. Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences

Memphis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1287 in the United States

#1367 in North America

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

29. Milligan College

Milligan College

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1343 in the United States

#1424 in North America

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

30. Southern Adventist University

Collegedale

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1376 in the United States

#1458 in North America

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

31. Welch College

Gallatin

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1415 in the United States

#1499 in North America

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

32. Lane College

Jackson

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1439 in the United States

#1525 in North America

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

33. Memphis Theological Seminary

Memphis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1457 in the United States

#1543 in North America

Enrollment: 157
Male:Female: 45:55

34. Tusculum University

Greeneville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1499 in the United States

#1586 in North America

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

35. Southern College of Optometry

Memphis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1519 in the United States

#1608 in North America

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

36. Cumberland University

Lebanon

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1564 in the United States

#1653 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Net Price: $18,499
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,703

37. Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1637 in the United States

#1728 in North America

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

38. Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1644 in the United States

#1735 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1020
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $20,178

39. Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1667 in the United States

#1758 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 1108
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $18,035

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Kentucky	29	60
Alabama	30	82
Georgia	52	42
Indiana	38	39
Mississippi	15	177
South Carolina	32	68
Illinois	79	12
North Carolina	50	20
Arkansas	18	146
Ohio	67	19
West Virginia	20	120
Missouri	44	40
Virginia	42	37
Louisiana	27	79
District of Columbia	13	48
Maryland	28	8
Iowa	32	44
Pennsylvania	114	9
Michigan	47	3
Florida	70	31
Delaware	4	97
Wisconsin	36	14
Oklahoma	22	103
Kansas	22	74
New Jersey	29	22
New York	146	6
Minnesota	30	18
Connecticut	22	10
Nebraska	15	87
Rhode Island	9	56
Massachusetts	75	1
Texas	89	21
Vermont	12	124
South Dakota	12	331
New Hampshire	13	84
Colorado	24	52
North Dakota	9	216
Maine	16	199
New Mexico	9	100
Utah	11	45
Montana	9	166
Arizona	10	29
Idaho	7	193
Nevada	8	149
Puerto Rico	15	414
California	147	2
Oregon	21	96
Washington	39	5
Alaska	4	233
Hawaii	7	106