Eastern vs. UTC

Should I go to Eastern Kentucky University or The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Eastern or UTC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

WKU Tennessee Tech Tennessee Middle Tennessee State University Georgia State Memphis NKU Kentucky Austin Peay State University GS Ohio University Belmont
Eastern Kentucky University vs. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga comparison
Eastern Kentucky University The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga College 3 College 4
Eastern Kentucky University The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Eastern UTC
Location Richmond, KY Chattanooga, TN
Setting Distant Town Midsize City
Enrollment 15,008 11,380
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #873 #815
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website eku.edu utc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Eastern UTC
Tuition (In State) $9,830 $8,232
Tuition (Out of State) $20,520 $16,296
Room & Board $11,735 $10,052
Avg Net Price $10,852 $13,801
Avg Grant Aid $11,460 $9,834
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 93%

Admission

 Eastern UTC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,082 9,096
Admitted 13,340 7,006
Acceptance Rate 78.1% 77%
Enrolled % 20.9% 34%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.61
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/24 20/25
SAT Range 930/1190 1005/1185
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2026 May 1, 2026

Academics

 Eastern UTC
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (14%)
  • Business (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

 Eastern UTC
Graduation Rate 38% 39%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,900 $40,600
Making Student Loan Payments 49% 56%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,695 $20,792
Median Loan Payment $245 $214

Diversity

 Eastern UTC
% Men 4% 5%
% Women 11% 8%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 85% 75%
% Black 6% 11%
% Hispanic 2% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 7%
% International 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Eastern UTC
% In-State 92% 88%
% Out-of-State 8% 11%

Campus

 Eastern UTC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Eastern Kentucky University is larger than than UTC based on total student enrollment (15,008 students vs. 11,380 students)

Eastern vs. UTC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Eastern or UTC?

  • Eastern Kentucky University is 19.4% more expensive to attend than UTC for in-state tuition ($9,830.00 vs. $8,232.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25.9% higher at Eastern than The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ($20,520.00 vs. $16,296.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Eastern Kentucky University than UTC ($10,852 vs. $13,801)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga are 16.7% lower than costs at Eastern Kentucky University ($10,052 vs. $11,735)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Eastern Kentucky University than The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (98% vs. 93%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Eastern Kentucky University students is 16.5% larger than aid received The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ($11,460 vs. $9,834)

Eastern vs. UTC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Eastern or UTC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UTC or Eastern .

  • The average SAT score at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1087) is 59 points higher than at Eastern (1028)
  • Incoming UTC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Eastern (22)
  • Accepted freshman UTC students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.61) than students at Eastern (3.39)
  • Eastern has a higher acceptance rate (78.1%) than UTC (77%)

Eastern vs. UTC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Eastern or UTC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UTC and Eastern.

  • The graduation rate at UTC is higher than Eastern Kentucky University (39% vs. 38%)
  • Graduates from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga earn on average $2,700 more per year than Eastern graduates after ten years. ($40,600 vs. $37,900)
  • The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students graduate with a $2,903 lower median federal student loan debt than Eastern graduates. ($20,792 vs. $23,695)
  • UTC graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than Eastern graduates. ($214 vs. $245)
  • More UTC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Eastern students, three years after graduation. (56% vs. 49%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/