Best Social Scientist programs in Tennessee, ranked by enrollment
All social scientists and related workers not listed.
14 schools in Tennessee run programs that feed this job, graduating 586 people a year. The job pays a median of $80,860 in Tennessee across about 320 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Tennessee that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
15 programs in Tennessee that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Tennessee (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Tennessee page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 45.0101In Tennessee → | 355 | 60.6% | 3 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 2 | CIP 30.3301In Tennessee → | 78 | 13.3% | 5 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 3 | CIP 13.0601In Tennessee → | 51 | 8.7% | 2 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
| 4 | CIP 30.0501In Tennessee → | 31 | 5.3% | 1 | $40,929 | $25,000 |
| 5 | CIP 30.1701In Tennessee → | 20 | 3.4% | 2 | $36,206 | $29,240 |
| 6 | CIP 45.0102In Tennessee → | 17 | 2.9% | 3 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 7 | CIP 44.0502In Tennessee → | 11 | 1.9% | 1 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 8 | CIP 30.1101In Tennessee → | 6 | 1.0% | 2 | $37,623 | $25,986 |
| 9 | CIP 30.2301In Tennessee → | 5 | 0.9% | 2 | $25,750 | $18,622 |
| 10 | Social Sciences, Othermain feeder CIP 45.9999In Tennessee → | 5 | 0.9% | 1 | $36,279 | $25,312 |
| 11 | CIP 30.1001In Tennessee → | 2 | 0.3% | 1 | $43,343 | $22,125 |
| 12 | CIP 44.0503In Tennessee → | 2 | 0.3% | 2 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 13 | CIP 13.0603In Tennessee → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $33,086 | $26,000 |
| 14 | CIP 30.2601In Tennessee → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | $21,458 | $21,125 |
| 15 | CIP 30.4601In Tennessee → | 1 | 0.2% | 1 | — | — |
Top 14 schools in Tennessee
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 1 of the 14 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 337 | Social Sciences, General | $61,389 | 94% | $14,854 | 6% |
| 2 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 68 | Social Sciences, General | — | 40% | — | 96% |
| 3 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 50 | Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | — | 72% | $24,309 | 68% |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Educational Evaluation and Research | — | 54% | — | 69% |
| 5 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 4 feeder programs | 28 | Sustainability Studies | — | 74% | — | 42% |
| 6 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 4 feeder programs | 18 | Sustainability Studies | — | 51% | — | 72% |
| 7 | The University of Tennessee Southern Pulaski, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Behavioral Sciences | — | 37% | — | 87% |
| 8 | The University of the South Sewanee, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Sustainability Studies | — | 80% | $21,573 | 57% |
| 9 | Omega Graduate School Dayton, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 8 | Social Sciences, Other | — | — | — | — |
| 10 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 6 | Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies | — | 53% | $14,286 | 69% |
| 11 | Cumberland University Lebanon, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Social Sciences, General | — | 46% | $19,206 | 67% |
| 12 | Bryan College - Dayton Dayton, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Biopsychology | — | 50% | $16,130 | — |
| 13 | King University Bristol, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | History and Political Science | — | 48% | $23,546 | 100% |
| 14 | Union University Jackson, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis | — | 66% | $25,882 | 60% |
All 14 schools in Tennessee
Every school in Tennessee with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 337 | 5 |
| Austin Peay State University | Clarksville | Public | 68 | 1 |
| Lipscomb University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 50 | 2 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Public | 30 | 2 |
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville | Public | 28 | 4 |
| University of Memphis | Memphis | Public | 18 | 4 |
| The University of Tennessee Southern | Pulaski | Public | 17 | 1 |
| The University of the South | Sewanee | Private not-for-profit | 16 | 1 |
| Omega Graduate School | Dayton | Private not-for-profit | 8 | 2 |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 6 | 2 |
| Cumberland University | Lebanon | Private not-for-profit | 4 | 1 |
| Bryan College - Dayton | Dayton | Private not-for-profit | 2 | 1 |
| King University | Bristol | Private not-for-profit | 1 | 1 |
| Union University | Jackson | Private not-for-profit | 1 | 1 |
What social scientists and related workers, all other earn in Tennessee
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $101,110. Tennessee pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Tennessee
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other page.
How to become a Social Scientist
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Tennessee
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other25 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0209Energy and Environmental Policy
- 13.0601Educational Evaluation and Research
- 13.0603Educational Statistics and Research Methods
- 13.0604Educational Assessment, Testing, and Measurement
- 13.0607Learning Sciences
- 13.0699Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other
- 16.0199Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services, Other
- 19.0702Adult Development and Aging
- 30.0501Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
- 30.1001Biopsychology
- 30.1101Gerontology
- 30.1701Behavioral Sciences
- 30.2101Holocaust and Related Studies
- 30.2301Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies
- 30.2601Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis
- 30.2701Human Biology
- 30.3301Sustainability Studies
- 30.3401Anthrozoology
- 30.4001Economics and Foreign Language/Literature
- 30.4201Geoarcheaology
- 30.4401Geography and Environmental Studies
- 30.4601History and Political Science
- 30.4701Linguistics and Anthropology
- 30.5101Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
- 44.0502Education Policy Analysis
Common questions
Answers for people weighing social scientists and related workers, all other programs in Tennessee.
What degree do you need to become a Social Scientist?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Social Sciences, General, which awarded 355 degrees in Tennessee in 2024-25, 60.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Social Scientist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 15 programs to this occupation. The largest are Social Sciences, Sustainability Studies, Educational Assessment, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, plus 8 more. Together they graduate about 586 people a year in Tennessee.
How much do social scientists and related workers, all other earn in Tennessee?+
The median is $80,860 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 20.0% below the U.S. median of $101,110. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for social scientists and related workers, all other growing?+
BLS projects a -1.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 3,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Tennessee?+
14 institutions in Tennessee reported graduates from at least one of the 15 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do social scientists and related workers, all other work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Planner, Program Officer, Transportation Planner, Transportation Data Programs Manager among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-3099.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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