Liberal arts colleges are a great option for students seeking a well-rounded education in an intimate campus setting. The best liberal arts colleges in Tennessee offer a diverse selection of degree programs with opportunities for a highly individualized educational experience.
About one third of the higher learning institutes in Tennessee are public schools. Students who attend these schools can expect to pay anywhere between $4,000 to $13,000 in tuition and have the option to pursue degrees in fields such as economics, history, nursing, literature, education, and criminal justice. Tennessee’s largest public school, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, boasts some impressive alumni, including Oprah Winfrey, Kurt Vonnegut, and Cormac McCarthy. The private school alumni are equally as notable. For example, author James Patterson and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus both attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
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Tennessee also offers nearly 30 religiously affiliated schools, the largest being Belmont University in Nashville, located just blocks from the famous Music Row. Here, students can study a wide range of fields including Christian leadership, audio engineering technology, and biophysics. Additionally, Tennessee offers students several loan forgiveness programs. Math and science teachers, minority teachers, and registered nurses interested in becoming teachers or administrators who meet certain requirements may be eligible.
Tennessee is home to mouthwatering barbecues, electrified blues, and the sweeping majesty of the Smoky Mountains National Park. And with access to countless historic sites, unique museums, and lush green spaces, students attending one of the more than 60 colleges and universities in The Volunteer State will have plenty to do and see in their downtime.
Discover more about the top programs and higher education learning opportunities available in Tennessee.
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
A liberal arts college is a school that puts a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. We’ve identified 21 liberal arts colleges in Tennessee. To be ranked among the 30 best liberal arts colleges in Tennessee, schools must fully accredited institutions.
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
51%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1040/21
Fisk University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$51K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
82%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1325/29
Rhodes College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$49K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
80%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1245/27
Sewanee: The University of the South’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
54%
Student body
6K
University of Tennessee at Martin’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
47%
Student body
1K
Bryan College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
91%
Graduation
48%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1065/21
Austin Peay State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
63%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1070/24
Lee University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
50%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1097/22
King University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
54%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/20
Cumberland University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
50%
Graduation
57%
Student body
2K
Christian Brothers University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
62%
Graduation
45%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1141/24
Maryville College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
74%
Graduation
53%
Student body
3K
Southern Adventist University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$27K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
48%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/22
Tennessee Wesleyan University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Graduation
23%
Student body
1K
Lane College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$20K
Graduation
72%
Student body
<1K
Welch College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
35%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1024/18
Bethel University ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
15%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
825/16
LeMoyne–Owen College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
98%
Graduation
32%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/19
University of Tennessee Southern’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
66%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1130/24
Freed–Hardeman University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$27K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
36%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1050/20
Tusculum University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$22K
Graduation
50%
Student body
<1K
Daymar Institute’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utiulized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
Check out our directory of liberal arts colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top liberal arts schools in every state.
