History Degrees in Tennessee

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John Scopes was convicted in Dayton in July 1925 for teaching evolution, and fined $100. The Tennessee Supreme Court then threw the conviction out, not because the Butler Act was wrong but because the judge had set the fine himself when the state constitution required a jury to assess anything above $50. The law survived; the verdict did not. It is a useful reminder for anyone about to spend four years on this subject that what a court decides and what actually happened are two different questions, and that the second one is the harder job. Tennessee is unusually well set up for that harder job, and at a public price.

Tennessee has 34 colleges and universities offering history degrees, with 65 programs among them: 47 bachelor’s degrees, 13 master’s degrees, and 5 doctorates.

One of those doctorates is in public history, a degree that exists in only five states, and it is at a public university charging $10,266 in state.

Tennessee at a Glance

Schools offering history	34
History programs	65
Bachelor’s / master’s / doctoral	47 / 13 / 5
Online programs	3
Schools offering all three levels	4
Lowest in-state tuition and fees	$8,616 per year
Largest history catalog	UT Knoxville, 9 programs

Program counts come from our directory. Tuition figures are annual in-state tuition and fees from the U.S. Department of Education, and exclude room and board.

Top History Schools in Tennessee

We scored all 34 Tennessee schools on the four factors we use in every state: history degree offerings and program variety (40%), student outcomes (25%), reputation (20%), and affordability (15%). Knoxville leads on depth at 9 programs, with Middle Tennessee at 6 and Memphis at 5. Outcomes belong to Vanderbilt at 94% and Knoxville at 74% completing in four years. Reputation rests on three R1 universities. Affordability is what separates Middle Tennessee and Memphis from Vanderbilt, which charges more than six times either of them. Here are Tennessee’s best history degrees.

1 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville has the deepest catalog in the state and names almost every part of it. Its three master’s tracks cover premodern Europe, modern Europe, and the United States, and its two doctorates are in modern European and American history, so the field commitment is made at application. It also runs a Bachelor’s in History with a History of Science, Medicine, and Technology track and an art history degree with a museum and curatorial studies concentration.

History programs: 9
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral
Carnegie classification: R1, very high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $13,812

2 Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee holds a Ph.D. in Public History, one of only five in the country, and it is the only school anywhere in our coverage running the field at all three levels: a public history concentration in the bachelor’s, another in the master’s, and the doctorate on top. At $10,266 in state, that is the most complete applied history path available at a public price anywhere.

History programs: 6
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral
Carnegie classification: R2, high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $10,266

3 University of Memphis

Memphis is the art history school, and it names its degrees unusually: an M.A. in Current Art History and a B.A. in Art with a Global Art Histories concentration, both of which signal a department oriented toward the contemporary and the non-Western instead of the European canon. It also holds a history doctorate and runs two of the state’s three online programs.

History programs: 5
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral
Carnegie classification: R1, very high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $10,728

4 Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt completes 94% of its students in four years, comfortably the best rate in the state, and offers a history bachelor’s, a bachelor’s in history of art, a master’s, and a doctorate. At $67,498 it costs more than six times any public university on this list, so this is a financial aid question, not a sticker-price one.

History programs: 4
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral
Carnegie classification: R1, very high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $67,498

5 East Tennessee State University

East Tennessee keeps two programs, a history bachelor’s and M.A., at $10,472. It is a straightforward and inexpensive route to a master’s in the northeastern corner of the state, well away from the Nashville and Knoxville concentrations.

History programs: 2
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s
Carnegie classification: R2, high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $10,472

6 Austin Peay State University

Austin Peay is the military history school. Alongside a general history bachelor’s and master’s it offers military history at master’s level, which very few universities do as a named degree rather than a research interest. Nothing else in this ranking costs less.

History programs: 4
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s
Carnegie classification: Master’s university, larger programs
In-state tuition and fees: $9,006

7 Tennessee Technological University

Tennessee Tech reaches this list on a single history program, a bachelor’s degree, at $11,376 with a 58% completion rate. It is here because of institutional strength, not departmental range, and a student wanting choice within the subject should look elsewhere.

History programs: 1
Levels offered: Bachelor’s
Carnegie classification: R2, high research activity
In-state tuition and fees: $11,376

8 Carson-Newman University

Carson-Newman offers a history bachelor’s and master’s at $34,700, which makes it the least expensive private university teaching the subject at graduate level in Tennessee. It is one of only two private institutions in this ranking.

History programs: 2
Levels offered: Bachelor’s, master’s
Carnegie classification: Doctoral/professional university
In-state tuition and fees: $34,700

Public universities take six of the eight places here, priced from $9,006 to $13,812 in state.

Most Affordable History Degrees in Tennessee

Most affordable history degrees in Tennessee
Rank	School	Program	Tuition per year
1	Tennessee State University	Bachelor's in History	$8,616
2	Austin Peay State University	Bachelor's in History	$9,006
3	Middle Tennessee State University	Bachelor's in History	$10,266
4	The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	Bachelor's in History	$10,448
5	East Tennessee State University	B.A. in History	$10,472
6	The University of Tennessee-Martin	Bachelor's in History	$10,560
7	University of Memphis	B.A. in History	$10,728
8	The University of Tennessee Southern	Bachelor's in History	$10,924
9	Tennessee Technological University	Bachelor's in History	$11,376
10	Lane College	Bachelor's in History	$11,790

Annual in-state tuition and fees. Nine of the ten are public, with Lane College, a historically Black college, the only private institution on the list. Middle Tennessee and Memphis appear here as well as in our ranking, and both hold doctorates.

History Education in Tennessee

Tennessee’s numbers pull in opposite directions. Twenty-four private colleges carry 33 of the state’s 64 programs, slightly more than the ten public universities carrying 31, and yet six of the eight schools in our ranking are public and the publics hold four of the state’s five doctorates. The private provision is wide and shallow; the public provision is narrower and goes much deeper.

Public history is the state’s strongest card, and it is a genuinely national one. Middle Tennessee State holds a Ph.D. in Public History, one of only five anywhere in the country, and it is the only school in our coverage that runs the field at all three levels: a bachelor’s concentration, a master’s concentration, and the doctorate. A student can enter public history as a first-year undergraduate and leave with a doctorate in it without changing institutions, at $10,266 a year in state. Nowhere else offers that combination.

At the other end, UT Knoxville names its fields more precisely than almost any department in the country. Three master’s tracks and two doctorates are separately titled, so applicants choose premodern Europe, modern Europe, or United States history at the point of application rather than after coursework. Knoxville also offers a history of science, medicine, and technology track in its bachelor’s, a specialty it shares with Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, Oregon State, and Pittsburgh.

Two schools are worth noting for what they are not. Tennessee Tech reaches seventh in our ranking on a single history program, so its position reflects the institution instead of the department. And Austin Peay, at $9,006 the cheapest school in the ranking, teaches military history at master’s level, which very few universities offer as a named degree.

Transfer is protected by the Tennessee Transfer Pathways, and this is one of the better-designed systems in the country. Each pathway is 60 hours, 41 in the general education core and 19 in pre-major and elective coursework, across 50 published majors. Complete the pathway and the associate degree, and your credits are guaranteed and you transfer as a junior. The one exception matters here: the admission guarantee does not extend to UT-Knoxville, where admission stays competitive, and Knoxville is the top-ranked history department in the state. Details are at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Online provision is thin at 3 programs, with Memphis running two of them. Our guide to online history degrees covers the wider field.

Becoming a History Teacher in Tennessee

Tennessee requires two Praxis examinations: the Principles of Learning and Teaching for your grade band, and the Subject Area Assessment.

The subject exam is where Tennessee differs from most states. The 6-12 social studies assessment comes in two parts. Part A is 90 selected-response questions covering United States history, world history, government and civics, geography, and economics. Part B is three constructed-response questions, each pairing two of those fields, such as United States history with government and civics.

That written section is unusual. Most state subject examinations covered on this site are entirely multiple choice, and a candidate who has prepared by memorizing facts will find Part B a different exercise. Essay practice across paired fields is worth building into your preparation instead of assuming content revision will carry it.

Confirm current requirements with the Tennessee Department of Education before choosing a program.

History Careers in Tennessee

History Careers in Tennessee
Occupation	Tennessee jobs	Tennessee median	vs. U.S. median
Secondary school teachers	21,230	$61,860	-14%
Postsecondary history teachers	450	$72,940	-13%
Curators	190	$57,580	-9%
Archivists	110	$53,210	-18%
Historians	40	$71,080	-7%

Employment and wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

Every occupation in this table pays below the national median. Historians come closest at 7% below and archivists trail furthest at 18% below, with secondary school teaching 14% under across 21,230 positions.

The archivist figure deserves attention given what the state trains for. Tennessee has the country’s most complete public history offering at Middle Tennessee State, feeding a market that pays archival work $53,210, well under the national rate. Graduates of that program are competitive nationally, and the honest reading is that the strength of the training and the strength of the local market are two separate things here.

Curators at 9% below national across 190 positions and postsecondary history teaching at 13% below round out a table with no bright spots. Tennessee is an inexpensive place to earn the degree, with public tuition from $8,616, and a below-average place to be paid for it.

History Resources in Tennessee

Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville. A new 165,000 square foot building opened to the public in April 2021 on the Bicentennial Mall, replacing a facility that had outgrown its collections. The improved climate control was a large part of the point, and the reading rooms are open to the public.
Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, also on the Bicentennial Mall, so both can be covered in a single research trip.
Tennessee Encyclopedia, a free scholarly reference published by the Tennessee Historical Society, with signed and sourced entries. It is a sensible first stop for anyone starting research on a Tennessee topic, including the Scopes trial described at the top of this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Can You Study History in Tennessee?

Tennessee has 64 history programs at 34 colleges and universities. UT Knoxville has the largest catalog at 9 programs, with Middle Tennessee State at 6 and Memphis at 5. Four schools teach the subject at all three levels: Knoxville, Middle Tennessee, Memphis, and Vanderbilt.

Which Tennessee University Has the Best History Program?

UT Knoxville ranks first, with nine programs and separately named master’s and doctoral fields. Middle Tennessee State is second and is the more interesting choice for anyone drawn to applied work, since it holds one of only five public history doctorates in the country and teaches the field at every level.

What Is the Cheapest History Degree in Tennessee?

Tennessee State University at $8,616 a year, followed by Austin Peay at $9,006. Nine of the ten most affordable schools in the state are public and all ten fall between $8,616 and $11,790, so Tennessee is inexpensive by national standards.

Is Tennessee Good for Public History?

It has the most complete public history offering in the country at a single institution. Middle Tennessee State University runs a public history concentration in the bachelor’s, another in the master’s, and a Ph.D. in Public History, one of only five such doctorates nationally. A student can take the field from first year to doctorate at one public university for $10,266 a year in state.

How Do You Become a History Teacher in Tennessee?

You need to pass two Praxis exams: the Principles of Learning and Teaching for your grade band, and the Subject Area Assessment. The 6-12 social studies exam has 90 multiple-choice questions plus three written constructed-response questions, which is unusual, so prepare for the essay component specifically. Requirements are published by the Tennessee Department of Education.