About
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, it is the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee system, with 14 colleges. It hosts more than 30,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 11.9-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 276 Title IV programs, 86 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 190 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing86 · 31.2%
- No Data190 · 68.8%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 24
Action history · 60
- Dec 2025Grant Substantive Change: OtherSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Dec 2025Renewal of AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Nov 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Oct 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Oct 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 7,087 students received $41.9M in Pell grants, alongside $172.4M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 5,925 borrowers who entered repayment, 66 (1.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at UTK
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 11
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus66
- Non-campus10
- Public property9
Includes 31 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Laurel Hall1 fireSmoking materialsDamage $100-$999
- Volunteer Hall1 fireCookingDamage $100-$999
Data quality: 22 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
UTK vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions UTK selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectThe University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 74% | — | 38,728 | $18,976 | R1 Research |
| 82% | 45.9% | 34,145 | $24,323 | R1 Research | |
| 87% | 38.3% | 29,077 | $22,253 | R1 Research | |
| 75% | 88.7% | 30,380 | $18,589 | R1 Research | |
| 74% | 78.1% | 38,799 | $25,346 | R1 Research | |
| 71% | 92.9% | 34,709 | $18,851 | R1 Research | |
| 75% | 78.5% | 31,543 | $20,268 | R1 Research | |
| 67% | 87.5% | 24,393 | $17,747 | R1 Research | |
| 75% | 76.6% | 30,851 | $15,300 | R1 Research | |
| 79% | 60.2% | 38,532 | $22,811 | R1 Research | |
| 86% | 54.8% | 38,857 | $24,953 | R1 Research | |
| Peer group median | 75% | 77.3% | 34,145 | $20,268 |
Institutions like UTK
Explore the federal data for institutions in UTK's comparison group.
- R1 ResearchAlabama
Auburn University
Grad rate82%Admit rate45.9%Enrollment34,145Net price$24,323View data - R1 ResearchSouth Carolina
Clemson University
Grad rate87%Admit rate38.3%Enrollment29,077Net price$22,253View data - R1 ResearchIowa
Iowa State University
Grad rate75%Admit rate88.7%Enrollment30,380Net price$18,589View data - R1 ResearchColorado
University of Colorado Boulder
Grad rate74%Admit rate78.1%Enrollment38,799Net price$25,346View data - R1 ResearchKentucky
University of Kentucky
Grad rate71%Admit rate92.9%Enrollment34,709Net price$18,851View data - R1 ResearchMissouri
University of Missouri-Columbia
Grad rate75%Admit rate78.5%Enrollment31,543Net price$20,268View data - R1 ResearchNebraska
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Grad rate67%Admit rate87.5%Enrollment24,393Net price$17,747View data - R1 ResearchOklahoma
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Grad rate75%Admit rate76.6%Enrollment30,851Net price$15,300View data - R1 ResearchSouth Carolina
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Grad rate79%Admit rate60.2%Enrollment38,532Net price$22,811View data - R1 ResearchVirginia
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Grad rate86%Admit rate54.8%Enrollment38,857Net price$24,953View data
UTK Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The institutional effectiveness standards ask us to engage in the continual improvement of institutional quality through systematic review of mission, goals, and outcomes, ensuring all programs and services are data driven.
Visit IR office page- Heather Hartman, Ph.D.Associate Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, SACSCOC Liaison
- Michael McFallDirector of Academic Insight & Improvement
- Ashley CharshaAssistant Director of Academic Insight & Improvement
- Elizabeth PembertonAssistant Director of Academic Insight & Improvement
- Ashley M. Browning, M.A.Assistant Director of Accreditation
- Jennifer MeunierAcademic Program Specialist
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Common Data Set
UTK's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Source publications
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data definitionData Definitions - The University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleThe University of Tennessee, Knoxville provides a centralized repository known as the Data Cookbook for defining and maintaining consistent data definitions across the campus. The repository facilitates data governance by clarifying common reporting terms and key institutional metrics, accessible to all UTK employees. The initiative supports accessibility to trusted data and encourages staff participation in contributing area-specific definitions.data.utk.edu
- Data dictionaryData DefinitionsThe University of Tennessee, Knoxville uses the iData Data Cookbook to provide a central repository for terms and data field definitions shared across the campus. It aims to clarify the use of common reporting terms and define various metrics and performance indicators, enhancing data governance and accessibility. All UTK employees have access to the Data Cookbook, which is coordinated by the Office of Innovative Technologies.data.utk.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryGlossary of Terms - TRACE User GuideThe glossary provides definitions and explanations of key terms related to TRACE, the University of Tennessee's institutional repository for open access scholarly content. It includes terms related to the repository's platform, processes, and the types of content managed within TRACE.libguides.utk.edu
Frequently asked questions about The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about UTK.
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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