If you plan on getting your master's degree in liberal arts general studies, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #69 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 4 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 180 master's degrees in liberal arts general studies to qualified students.
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Choosing a Great Liberal Arts General Studies School for Your Master's Degree
Your choice of liberal arts general studies for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality liberal arts program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
Overall Quality Is a Must
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Average Early-Career Salaries
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Major Focus - How much a school focuses on liberal arts general studies students vs. other majors.
Major Demand - The number of liberal arts general studies students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
Student Debt - How easy is it for liberal arts general studies to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized liberal arts general studies related body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Liberal Arts General Studies Master's Degree Schools in Tennessee list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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It's difficult to beat Middle Tennessee State University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in liberal arts general studies. Middle Tennessee State University is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Murfreesboro.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the liberal arts program earn an average of $55,570 in the first couple years of working.
University of Memphis is a wonderful option for individuals interested in a master's degree in liberal arts general studies. UofM is a very large public university located in the city of Memphis.
Students who graduate with their master's from the liberal arts program state that they receive average early career wages of $55,105.
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in liberal arts general studies has to take a look at Austin Peay State University. Austin Peay State University is a moderately-sized public university located in the midsize city of Clarksville.
Master's graduates who receive their degree from the liberal arts program make about $53,388 in the first couple years of their career.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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 the rest of our data about colleges.
Your choice of liberal arts general studies for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality liberal arts program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
