The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
PublicKnoxville, TN
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
Test scores for the Fall 2025 entering class come from The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's own 2025-26 Common Data Set: 25% submitted SAT scores, 80% submitted ACT scores.
Application deadlines for Fall 2027 entry
- Early Action: Nov 1, 2026
- Regular Decision: Jan 5, 2027
Confirm on The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's own admissions site before you apply.
Cost & outcomes
Out-of-state students pay $20,454 more per year in tuition and fees (2.5x the in-state rate).
Tuition & fees are The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's own published 2026-27 rates (source); other figures are from the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Paying less as an out-of-state student
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville takes part in this regional program, which can cut the out-of-state rate for students from nearby states.
Academic Common Market
Residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia can pay in-state tuition for a specific major that no public college in their home state offers. You need admission to that major and approval from your home state's coordinator.
Where do you stand against The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's numbers?
Check your chances hereHow The University of Tennessee-Knoxville weighs your application
From The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's own Common Data Set, 2025-26, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what The University of Tennessee-Knoxville weighs in your application
Paying it back
"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
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
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
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 application essay, academic GPA, standardized test scores, rigor of secondary school record, state residency 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?
Per The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1280–1380 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
What ACT score do I need for The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
Per The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 26–31 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
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.
Does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville offer reduced tuition for out-of-state students?
Yes -- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville takes part in the Academic Common Market, a regional program that lets qualifying out-of-state students pay less than the full out-of-state rate. Eligibility depends on your home state, and the school sets its own requirements.
What is out-of-state tuition at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
For 2026-27, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's tuition and required fees are $34,478 for out-of-state students and $14,024 for in-state students -- $20,454 more per year for out-of-state students. That's before financial aid, and room and board are extra.
When is the application deadline for The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's deadlines are Early Action Nov 1, 2026; Regular Decision Jan 5, 2027, 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.
Related reading
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