2026 Best Value Humanities Schools in Tennessee
[Humanities](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/humanities/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for humanities students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Humanities Schools in Tennessee
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the humanities degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Humanities Schools
Leading the list is The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga, our #1 best value for humanities in Tennessee. Located in the city of Chattanooga, The University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,448, with out-of-state students paying around $18,512. Typical student debt for humanities graduates is $23,324. Early-career humanities graduates make about $50,000. Set against $23,324 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
A rank of #2 makes Lee University one of the best values for humanities. Set in the city of Cleveland, Lee University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $23,790. Typical student debt for humanities graduates is $28,979. Soon after graduation, humanities degree recipients from Lee University generally make around $45,678. That is a strong return on a $28,979 median debt. Lee University admits about 70% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Union University one of the best values for humanities. Union University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Jackson. In-state tuition and fees average $37,398. Students borrow a median of $20,000 to complete the humanities program here. Early-career humanities graduates make about $68,508. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
