More selective than 32% of Tennessee colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,489. College Scorecard.
Higher than 44% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 43% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 63% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UTC acceptance rate & admissions
Of 9,096 applicants, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga admitted 7,006 and 2,381 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1013–1210 on the SAT or 20–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UTC tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Tennessee residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What UTC costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Tennessee. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,876 | $43,553 | 2.6 years |
| $30–48k | $10,919 | $48,153 | 2.9 years |
| $48–75k | $13,594 | $59,950 | 3.6 years |
| $75–110k | $17,374 | $76,619 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $19,137 | $84,394 | 5.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (35% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($51,151) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,633 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
UTC majors, earnings & careers
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga offers 47 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 8
- Engineering · 8
- Science & Math · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at UTC
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering-Related Fields | $92,900 | $25,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | $92,511 | — |
| Civil Engineering | $91,615 | $20,747 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $89,407 | $24,904 |
| Electrical Engineering | $86,537 | $28,375 |
| Computer Science | $82,644 | $25,125 |
| Engineering | $81,757 | — |
| Nursing | $77,838 | $23,558 |
Quick list of all 47 majors
- Accounting—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Biology$50,597
- Business Administration$66,554
- Business Economics—
- Chemical Engineering$92,511
- Chemistry$71,634
- Civil Engineering$91,615
- Communications$48,212
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$82,644
- Criminal Justice$53,565
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,029
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering$86,537
- Electromechanical Technologies / Technicians—
- Engineering$81,757
- Engineering-Related Fields$92,900
- English$45,253
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$45,955
- Finance—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$60,807
- History$50,756
- Human Resources—
- Interdisciplinary Studies$56,558
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$48,413
- Legal Support Services$37,876
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$34,020
- Linguistics$42,031
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$89,407
- Music—
- Nursing$77,838
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physics—
- Political Science$63,654
- Psychology$44,700
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Sciences, Other$43,858
- Social Work$48,410
- Special Education—
- Studio Art$37,293
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Chattanooga
Overall prices in the Chattanooga, TN-GA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,340. Housing costs 23% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 59 inches of rain a year, 4 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Hamilton County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Hamilton County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UTC with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Tennessee by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | 81% | $14,265 | 50% | $51,151 | This school |
| East Tennessee State University | 86% | $15,983 | 53% | $44,859 | |
| Tennessee Technological University | 76% | $14,246 | 58% | $48,501 | |
| University of Memphis | 72% | $12,397 | 51% | $48,458 | |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin | 88% | $10,701 | 53% | $44,213 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga would cost you $1,718 less per year than East Tennessee State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$1,980).
- The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga gives aided families $165 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | UTC | ETSU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,448 | $10,472 | −$24 |
| Books & supplies | $1,400 | $1,350 | +$50 |
| Housing & meals | $10,052 | $10,270 | −$218 |
| Personal & travel | $4,950 | $6,930 | −$1,980 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,361 | −$1,980 | +$619 |
| Sticker price | $25,489 | $27,042 | −$1,553 |
| Average grants | −$11,224 | −$11,059 | −$165 |
| You pay | $14,265 | $15,983 | −$1,718 |
“+” means UTC costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about UTC
What is the UTC acceptance rate?
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga accepts 81% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 7,006 of 9,096 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1013–1210 on the SAT or 20–26 on the ACT.
How much does The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,489 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,265 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,876 and families earning $110k+ pay $19,137.
How much do UTC graduates earn?
Former The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga students earn a median $51,151 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UTC graduation rate?
50% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year.
How long does a UTC degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga costs about $59,950 after grants ($13,594 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $51,151 ten years after starting, $16,633 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 3.6 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-tennessee-chattanooga (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).