Federal data
Highest earning liberal arts programs in Tennessee
Tennessee liberal arts programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee University | Cleveland | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $45,678 | 46 |
| 2 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Public, 4-year | $45,074 | 343 |
| 3 | University of Memphis | Memphis | Public, 4-year | $37,158 | 131 |
| 4 | Austin Peay State University | Clarksville | Public, 4-year | $35,745 | 96 |
| 5 | Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville | Public, 4-year | $33,678 | 156 |
| 6 | East Tennessee State University | Johnson City | Public, 4-year | $32,474 | 134 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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