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The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Public

Knoxville, TN

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The University of Tennessee, Knoxville was founded in 1794 and serves as the state's flagship, land-grant university. It holds R1 research classification and maintains a research partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The university's Institute of Agriculture operates extension offices in all 95 Tennessee counties, and its Space Institute, located in Tullahoma, supports aerospace-related research and education.

Admissions

Admit rate42%
SAT range1200–1370
ACT range25–31
Undergrads30,418
Yield (admits who enroll)28%
Next deadlineNov 1, 2026 (EA)

Cost & outcomes

Cost of attendance$33,678
4-year grad rate74%
Median earnings, 10yr out$60,249

From the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Not every school reports every field.

Where do you stand against The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's numbers?

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How The University of Tennessee-Knoxville weighs your application

From The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's own Common Data Set, 2024-25, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?

Academic factors
Rigor of secondary school recordVery important
Class rankNot considered
Academic GPAVery important
Standardized test scoresVery important
Application essayImportant
Nonacademic factors
InterviewNot considered
Extracurricular activitiesConsidered
Talent/abilityConsidered
Character/personal qualitiesConsidered
First generationNot considered
Alumni relation (legacy)Not considered
Geographical residenceConsidered
State residencyImportant
Religious affiliationNot considered
Volunteer workConsidered
Work experienceConsidered
Level of interest (demonstrated interest)Not considered
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See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what The University of Tennessee-Knoxville weighs in your application

Paying it back

Undergrads taking federal loans29%
Loan balance still growing, 3yrs out68%

"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.

Majors & earnings

Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
Soil Sciences$88,563/yr
Food Science and Technology$68,114/yr
Plant Sciences$61,587/yr
Agricultural Business and Management$59,769/yr
Agricultural Public Services$52,060/yr
Animal Sciences$49,656/yr
Architecture and Related Services
Architecture$68,765/yr
Interior Architecture$65,144/yr
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Biology, General$58,149/yr
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$92,042/yr
Accounting and Related Services$89,445/yr
Finance and Financial Management Services$83,793/yr
Business Administration, Management and Operations$82,074/yr
Business/Managerial Economics$80,415/yr
Marketing$70,661/yr
Human Resources Management and Services$63,005/yr
Hospitality Administration/Management$58,854/yr
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$63,314/yr
Communication and Media Studies$57,394/yr
Journalism$52,663/yr
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Computer Science$106,312/yr
Education
Special Education and Teaching$50,585/yr
Engineering
Industrial Engineering$107,093/yr
Computer Engineering$105,834/yr
Nuclear Engineering$99,139/yr
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$93,642/yr
Chemical Engineering$91,643/yr
Mechanical Engineering$90,623/yr
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$89,015/yr
Agricultural Engineering$85,141/yr
Civil Engineering$80,958/yr
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$69,476/yr
English Language and Literature/Letters
English Language and Literature, General$46,366/yr
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies$63,996/yr
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$49,785/yr
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services$52,703/yr
Health Professions and Related Programs
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$77,118/yr
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$59,347/yr
History
History$52,505/yr
Mathematics and Statistics
Statistics$83,697/yr
Mathematics$50,605/yr
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Nutrition Sciences$58,972/yr
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$56,155/yr
Natural Resources and Conservation
Forestry$57,436/yr
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$48,882/yr
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$57,020/yr
Philosophy and Religious Studies
Philosophy$59,329/yr
Physical Sciences
Chemistry$79,736/yr
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$50,202/yr
Psychology
Psychology, General$49,003/yr
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
Social Work$48,510/yr
Social Sciences
Economics$67,902/yr
Political Science and Government$60,073/yr
Geography and Cartography$54,656/yr
Sociology$53,635/yr
Anthropology$41,767/yr
Visual and Performing Arts
Design and Applied Arts$69,047/yr
Music$46,701/yr
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$41,414/yr
Fine and Studio Arts$34,609/yr

Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.

Campus life

On-campus housingYes
Required to live on campusNo
Dormitory capacity8,535
Typical room chargeNot reported
Typical board chargeNot reported

Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.

What matters in your application

GPARequired
Class rankNot considered
RecommendationsConsidered, not required

From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.

Frequently asked questions

What does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville look for in applicants?

Per The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates academic GPA, standardized test scores, rigor of secondary school record as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.

What is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's acceptance rate?

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville in Knoxville, TN admits approximately 42% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.

What SAT score do I need for The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

Admitted students at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville typically score between 1200–1370 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile).

What ACT score do I need for The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

Admitted students at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville typically score between 25–31 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile).

How much does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville cost?

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's total cost of attendance is reported at $33,678 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.

When is the application deadline for The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's earliest deadline is Nov 1, 2026 (EA), per its own published admissions calendar.

Does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville require students to live on campus?

No -- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.

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