Liberal Arts and General Studies colleges in Tennessee, ranked by graduates
11 colleges in Tennessee awarded at least 10 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies in 2023: 489 degrees, 2.6% of all bachelor's degrees at those colleges (1.9% across every college CollegeCalcAI tracks). Austin Peay State University graduated the most (113, 8.6% of its class). 8 of the 11 are public universities. The median acceptance rate among them is 76%; the most selective is Cumberland University at 67%.
Liberal Arts and General Studies colleges in Tennessee
Every Tennessee college awarding at least 10 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies, ranked by 2023 graduates. Click a college for its liberal arts and general studies page.
| # | College | Type | Degrees (2023) | Share of grads | Acceptance rate | SAT 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Peay State University | Public | 113 | 8.6% | 96% | 1100 |
| 2 | Middle Tennessee State University | Public | 106 | 2.2% | 69% | 1150 |
| 3 | East Tennessee State University | Public | 75 | 3.4% | 86% | 1140 |
| 4 | University of Memphis | Public | 67 | 2.3% | 72% | 1200 |
| 5 | Lee University | Private | 36 | 5.2% | 71% | 1150 |
| 6 | UT Southern | Public | 20 | 13.4% | 87% | 1100 |
| 7 | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | Public | 17 | 0.8% | 81% | 1200 |
| 8 | Belmont University | Private | 16 | 1% | 95% | 1310 |
| 9 | Tennessee Tech University | Public | 16 | 0.9% | 76% | 1180 |
| 10 | Tennessee State University | Public | 12 | 1.7% | 70% | 1050 |
| 11 | Cumberland University | Private | 11 | 3.8% | 67% | 1130 |
Questions about liberal arts and general studies colleges in Tennessee
What is the best college for liberal arts and general studies in Tennessee?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023, the largest liberal arts and general studies programs in Tennessee are Austin Peay State University (113), Middle Tennessee State University (106), East Tennessee State University (75). "Best" depends on your profile: this page ranks every Tennessee college in the field by output and shows each one's acceptance rate and admitted SAT so you can match it to your own numbers.
How many colleges in Tennessee offer liberal arts and general studies?
11 four-year colleges in Tennessee awarded 10 or more bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies in 2023, 8 public and 3 private, for 489 graduates in total.
Is in-state status an advantage for liberal arts and general studies in Tennessee?
At the 8 public universities on this list, Tennessee residents are usually admitted at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants and pay in-state tuition. CollegeCalcAI applies the residency effect when you set your home state, and the per-major adjustment when you set the major.
Liberal Arts and General Studies elsewhere
The same field in other states, and the national ranking.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 Completions (bachelor's degrees, first majors, CIP 2-digit series), joined to CollegeCalcAI's admissions dataset. Built 2026-09-19. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are not predictions or guarantees.