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Knoxville, TN · Public · 30,418 undergraduates · urban

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Selective

Tennessee benefits from Knoxville's proximity to Oak Ridge while retaining land-grant strengths in engineering, agriculture, business and applied science.

Bubbahotepblues / CC BY-SA 4.0

Institutional profile

Established Solid in affordability, and solid in academic standing.
Academic Solid Affordability Solid Career Steady Mobility Steady Experience Steady
Academic standing Solid
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Steady
Mobility Steady
Student experience Steady
Admission
46% admitted

50,488 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
71.2%

$60,249 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets The University of Tennessee-Knoxville apart

Academic design

Programs include nuclear engineering, supply chain management, agriculture, computing and a broad engineering portfolio.

Campus pattern

Campus rises beside the Tennessee River immediately west of downtown Knoxville.

Career & value signal

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TVA and regional manufacturing create strong energy and engineering connections.

Can I get in?

46% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

50,488

About 46 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 46%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1190–1340
11001440
ACT middle 50%25–31
2135

Of admitted students, 28% submitted an SAT, and 78% submitted an ACT. Most of the admitted class submitted, which makes going without a conspicuous choice.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA72.1%

Admission by residency

Harder from out of state

Degree-seeking, first-time, first-year students · Fall 2025

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville admitted 72.8% of Tennessee applicants and 35.1% of applicants from other states. Residents were admitted at 2.1 times the out-of-state rate. Tennessee students took 61% of the seats in the entering class.

In-state72.8% admitted

8,725 admitted from 11,980 applicants

Out-of-state35.1% admitted

14,526 admitted from 41,408 applicants

International47.1% admitted

213 admitted from 452 applicants

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What The University of Tennessee-Knoxville weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Programs include nuclear engineering, supply chain management, agriculture, computing and a broad engineering portfolio.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Tennessee benefits from Knoxville's proximity to Oak Ridge while retaining land-grant strengths in engineering, agriculture, business and applied science.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionJan 5
Fee and waiver$75 application fee

Fee waiver: u.s. only

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

ArchitectureAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Computer scienceAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

EngineeringAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Health professionsAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$36,994
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$19,000
Affordability profileSolid

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville publishes one merit award. No separate scholarship application is required; the college uses the admission application. All of them renew past the first year.

Automatic consideration Merit scholarship

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews

In the season card

This award, by name

What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.

  • The name of each award 
  • What it pays 
  • The grades and scores it asks for 
  • How to be considered 
  • What to send, and where 
See the full read
Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years71.2%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one91.5%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$60,249

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Recent graduates595
Median earnings$82,074

Admits separately

Research and Experimental Psychology

Recent graduates354
Median earnings

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

Recent graduates313
Median earnings$57,020

Marketing

Recent graduates302
Median earnings$70,661

Admits separately

Biology, General

Recent graduates248
Median earnings$58,149

What is campus life like?

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville beyond the classroom

Campus rises beside the Tennessee River immediately west of downtown Knoxville.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Programs include nuclear engineering, supply chain management, agriculture, computing and a broad engineering portfolio.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Campus rises beside the Tennessee River immediately west of downtown Knoxville.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TVA and regional manufacturing create strong energy and engineering connections.

30,418 undergraduatesSoutheasturban setting90% of first-year students live on campus