Florida State vs. Tennessee

Should I go to Florida State University or The University of Tennessee? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Florida State or Tennessee 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.
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Florida State University vs. The University of Tennessee comparison
Florida State University The University of Tennessee College 3 College 4
Florida State University The University of Tennessee
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Overview

 Florida State Tennessee
Location Tallahassee, FL Knoxville, TN
Setting Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 43,234 36,304
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #199 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fsu.edu tennessee.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Florida State Tennessee
Tuition (In State) $4,022 $11,332
Tuition (Out of State) $16,540 $29,522
Room & Board $12,740 $12,500
Avg Net Price $14,903 $20,885
Avg Grant Aid $8,731 $11,491
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 85%

Admission

 Florida State Tennessee
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 74,038 50,488
Admitted 18,793 23,221
Acceptance Rate 25.4% 46%
Enrolled % 31.3% 28.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.66
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 27/31 25/31
SAT Range 1240/1390 1190/1340
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2026

Academics

 Florida State Tennessee
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)

Outcomes

 Florida State Tennessee
Graduation Rate 74% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,400 $56,300
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,750 $20,000
Median Loan Payment $214 $206

Diversity

 Florida State Tennessee
% Men 10% 9%
% Women 16% 11%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 64% 79%
% Black 8% 7%
% Hispanic 19% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 Florida State Tennessee
% In-State 83% 58%
% Out-of-State 16% 41%

Campus

 Florida State Tennessee
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Florida State University is larger than than Tennessee based on total student enrollment (43,234 students vs. 36,304 students)

Florida State vs. Tennessee Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Florida State or Tennessee?

  • The University of Tennessee is 181.8% more expensive to attend than Florida State for in-state tuition ($11,332.00 vs. $4,022.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 78.5% higher at Tennessee than Florida State University ($29,522.00 vs. $16,540.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida State University than Tennessee ($14,903 vs. $20,885)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Tennessee are 1.9% lower than costs at Florida State University ($12,500 vs. $12,740)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Florida State University than The University of Tennessee (86% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The University of Tennessee students is 31.6% larger than aid received Florida State University ($11,491 vs. $8,731)

Florida State vs. Tennessee Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Florida State University (1215) is 1 points higher than at Tennessee (1214)
  • Incoming Florida State students have at the same average ACT score (27) as students at Tennessee (27)
  • Accepted freshman Florida State students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at Tennessee (3.66)
  • Tennessee has a higher acceptance rate (46%) than Florida State (25.4%)

Florida State vs. Tennessee Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Florida State or Tennessee? 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 Tennessee and Florida State.

  • The graduation rate at Florida State is higher than The University of Tennessee (74% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from The University of Tennessee earn on average $4,900 more per year than Florida State graduates after ten years. ($56,300 vs. $51,400)
  • The University of Tennessee students graduate with a $750 lower median federal student loan debt than Florida State graduates. ($20,000 vs. $20,750)
  • Tennessee graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Florida State graduates. ($206 vs. $214)
  • More Tennessee graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Florida State students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 63%)

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