More selective than 94% 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 $33,678. College Scorecard.
Higher than 92% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 84% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 87% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 70% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville acceptance rate & admissions
Of 50,488 applicants, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville admitted 23,221 and 6,694 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1200–1370 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville 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 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville took 4.3 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 | $10,029 | $42,924 | 1.7 years |
| $30–48k | $12,162 | $52,053 | 2.0 years |
| $48–75k | $18,206 | $77,922 | 3.0 years |
| $75–110k | $23,627 | $101,124 | 3.9 years |
| $110k+ | $25,688 | $109,945 | 4.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (56% 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 ($60,249) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $25,731 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.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville majors, earnings & careers
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville offers 82 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 16
- Engineering · 13
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Business & Finance · 11
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Engineering | $107,093 | $24,125 |
| Computer Science | $106,312 | $16,750 |
| Computer Engineering | $105,834 | $26,000 |
| Nuclear Engineering | $99,139 | $23,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $93,642 | $21,630 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $92,042 | $25,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | $91,643 | $22,375 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $90,623 | $23,250 |
Quick list of all 82 majors
- Accounting$89,445
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$89,015
- Agricultural Business$59,769
- Agricultural Engineering$85,141
- Agricultural Public Services$52,060
- Animal Sciences$49,656
- Anthropology$41,767
- Architecture$68,765
- Biology$58,149
- Biomedical Engineering$69,476
- Business Administration$82,074
- Business Economics$80,415
- Chemical Engineering$91,643
- Chemistry$79,736
- Civil Engineering$80,958
- Classics—
- Communications$57,394
- Computer Engineering$105,834
- Computer Science$106,312
- Construction Management—
- Economics$67,902
- Education—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering$93,642
- English$46,366
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies$63,996
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$83,793
- Food Science and Technology$68,114
- Forestry$57,436
- Geography$54,656
- Geology / Earth Science$50,202
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$69,047
- History$52,505
- Hospitality Management$58,854
- Human Development and Family Studies$49,785
- Human Resources$63,005
- Industrial Engineering$107,093
- Information Science / Studies—
- Interior Architecture$65,144
- International / Global Studies—
- Journalism$52,663
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$57,020
- Linguistics$52,703
- Management Science / Analytics$92,042
- Marketing$70,661
- Materials Engineering—
- Mathematics$50,605
- Mechanical Engineering$90,623
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$56,155
- Music$46,701
- Neuroscience—
- Nuclear Engineering$99,139
- Nursing$77,118
- Nutrition Science$58,972
- Philosophy$59,329
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences$61,587
- Political Science$60,073
- Psychology$49,003
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Administration—
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising$63,314
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Work$48,510
- Sociology$53,635
- Soil Sciences$88,563
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$50,585
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$59,347
- Statistics$83,697
- Studio Art$34,609
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre$41,414
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$48,882
— 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
Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Knoxville
Overall prices in the Knoxville, TN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,475. Housing costs 17% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 56 inches of rain a year, 5 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Knox County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Knox County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare The University of Tennessee-Knoxville 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-Knoxville | 42% | $18,976 | 74% | $60,249 | This school |
| Middle Tennessee State University | 69% | $13,359 | 54% | $48,541 | |
| University of Memphis | 72% | $12,397 | 51% | $48,458 | |
| The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | — | — | — | $66,318 | |
| Tennessee Technological University | 76% | $14,246 | 58% | $48,501 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville would cost you $5,617 more per year than Middle Tennessee State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, mostly from more Middle Tennessee State University students living at home, which lowers its average (+$3,963).
- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville gives aided families $3,772 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | Middle Tennessee State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $13,812 | $10,266 | +$3,546 |
| Books & supplies | $1,598 | $1,260 | +$338 |
| Housing & meals | $12,500 | $11,704 | +$796 |
| Personal & travel | $6,096 | $5,350 | +$746 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$328 | −$4,291 | +$3,963 |
| Sticker price | $33,678 | $24,289 | +$9,389 |
| Average grants | −$14,702 | −$10,930 | −$3,772 |
| You pay | $18,976 | $13,359 | +$5,617 |
“+” means The University of Tennessee-Knoxville 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 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
What is the The University of Tennessee-Knoxville acceptance rate?
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville accepts 42% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 23,221 of 50,488 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1200–1370 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
How much does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $33,678 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,976 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,029 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,688.
How much do The University of Tennessee-Knoxville graduates earn?
Former The University of Tennessee-Knoxville students earn a median $60,249 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the The University of Tennessee-Knoxville graduation rate?
74% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 92% return for their second year.
How long does a The University of Tennessee-Knoxville degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville costs about $77,922 after grants ($18,206 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $60,249 ten years after starting, $25,731 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 3.0 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-Knoxville: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).