2026 Best General Social Sciences Schools in Tennessee

General Social Sciences programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general social sciences students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best General Social Sciences Schools in Tennessee

Best Schools for General Social Sciences in Tennessee

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the general social sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in General Social Sciences

1

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

304 General Social Sciences Degrees Awarded

$61,389 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is Vanderbilt University, our #1 school for general social sciences. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Nashville. Vanderbilt University graduates 94% of students within six years. There were roughly 304 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general social sciences degree from Vanderbilt University earn around $61,389 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $11,000. More information about a degree in general social sciences from Vanderbilt University

2

Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

20 General Social Sciences Degrees Awarded

$44,360 Median Starting Salary

Austin Peay State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in general social sciences, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a large public institution. Roughly 39% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 20 general social sciences degrees were awarded at Austin Peay State University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Austin Peay State University generally make around $44,360. Students borrow a median of $24,530 to complete this degree. See the full general social sciences program report for Austin Peay State University

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.

• 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.