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The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville admits a bit under 50% of applicants; strong grades put you in the conversation at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and the data below says what "strong" means.
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The University of Tennessee-Knoxville sits in Knoxville proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. It carries a land-grant charter — the 1862 mandate that ties it to agricultural and practical education.
Its highest-earning path is Industrial Engineering, where graduates median $107,093 four years out. 18.9% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 30,418 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 91.9% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1190 and 1340 — above the TN middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville received 50,488 applications and admitted 23,221 (46%), with 6,694 enrolling.
Test scores are a required part of every application here. That makes the 1190–1340 range unusually informative: everyone admitted is in the data.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 600 | 630 | 670 |
| SAT Math | 590 | 630 | 670 |
| ACT Composite | 25 | 28 | 31 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How The University of Tennessee-Knoxville compares
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | Tennessee median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 41.6% | 69.4% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $13,812 | $21,400 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $60,249 | $48,382 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors The University of Tennessee-Knoxville: $60,249 median at year ten, versus $48,382 across Tennessee institutions.
Cost, size & completion
In-state students pay $13,812 in tuition; crossing a state border raises that to $33,256. For non-residents, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's $33,256 is the number to weigh against private options before assuming public means cheaper.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a big school: 30,418 undergraduates at last count.
73.9% of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville students finish a bachelor's within six years — 19.1 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $13,812 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Industrial Engineering | $107,093 |
| Computer Science | $106,312 |
| Computer Engineering | $105,834 |
| Nuclear Engineering | $99,139 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $93,642 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $92,042 |
| Chemical Engineering | $91,643 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $90,623 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $89,445 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $89,015 |
| Soil Sciences | $88,563 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $85,141 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $83,793 |
| Statistics | $83,697 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $82,074 |
| Civil Engineering | $80,958 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | $80,415 |
| Chemistry | $79,736 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $77,118 |
| Marketing | $70,661 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $69,476 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $69,047 |
| Architecture | $68,765 |
| Food Science and Technology | $68,114 |
| Economics | $67,902 |
| Interior Architecture | $65,144 |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | $63,996 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $63,314 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | $63,005 |
| Plant Sciences | $61,587 |
| Political Science and Government | $60,073 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $59,769 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $59,347 |
| Philosophy | $59,329 |
| Nutrition Sciences | $58,972 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $58,854 |
| Biology, General | $58,149 |
| Forestry | $57,436 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $57,394 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $57,020 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $56,155 |
| Geography and Cartography | $54,656 |
| Sociology | $53,635 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $52,703 |
| Journalism | $52,663 |
| History | $52,505 |
| Agricultural Public Services | $52,060 |
| Mathematics | $50,605 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $50,585 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $50,202 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $49,785 |
| Animal Sciences | $49,656 |
| Psychology, General | $49,003 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | $48,882 |
| Social Work | $48,510 |
| Music | $46,701 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $46,366 |
| Anthropology | $41,767 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $41,414 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $34,609 |
Median earnings for these 60 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $60,249 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 22 additional The University of Tennessee-Knoxville programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
Among the admitted class, the middle 50% scored 1190–1340 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 41.6% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's acceptance rate?
46% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 23,221 admitted from 50,488 applicants.
How much does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville cost?
In-state tuition is $13,812; out-of-state students pay $33,256. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do The University of Tennessee-Knoxville graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $60,249 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Tennessee
- The University of the South — 56.9% admitted
- Rhodes College — 50.3% admitted
- Freed-Hardeman University — 59.7% admitted
- Fisk University — 37.4% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.