UTC vs. Tennessee

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

 UTC Tennessee
Location Chattanooga, TN Knoxville, TN
Setting Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 11,380 36,304
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #815 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website utc.edu tennessee.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UTC Tennessee
Tuition (In State) $8,232 $11,332
Tuition (Out of State) $16,296 $29,522
Room & Board $10,052 $12,500
Avg Net Price $13,801 $20,885
Avg Grant Aid $9,834 $11,491
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 85%

Admission

 UTC Tennessee
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,096 50,488
Admitted 7,006 23,221
Acceptance Rate 77% 46%
Enrolled % 34% 28.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.61 3.66
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/25 25/31
SAT Range 1005/1185 1190/1340
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 1, 2026

Academics

 UTC Tennessee
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)

Outcomes

 UTC Tennessee
Graduation Rate 39% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,600 $56,300
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,792 $20,000
Median Loan Payment $214 $206

Diversity

 UTC Tennessee
% Men 5% 9%
% Women 8% 11%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 75% 79%
% Black 11% 7%
% Hispanic 3% 3%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 UTC Tennessee
% In-State 88% 58%
% Out-of-State 11% 41%

Campus

 UTC 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

  • The University of Tennessee is larger than than UTC based on total student enrollment (36,304 students vs. 11,380 students)

UTC vs. Tennessee Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UTC or Tennessee?

  • The University of Tennessee is 37.7% more expensive to attend than UTC for in-state tuition ($11,332.00 vs. $8,232.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 81.2% higher at Tennessee than The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ($29,522.00 vs. $16,296.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga than Tennessee ($13,801 vs. $20,885)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga are 24.4% lower than costs at The University of Tennessee ($10,052 vs. $12,500)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga than The University of Tennessee (93% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The University of Tennessee students is 16.8% larger than aid received The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ($11,491 vs. $9,834)

UTC vs. Tennessee Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The University of Tennessee (1214) is 127 points higher than at UTC (1087)
  • Incoming Tennessee students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UTC (24)
  • Accepted freshman Tennessee students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at UTC (3.61)
  • UTC has a higher acceptance rate (77%) than Tennessee (46%)

UTC vs. Tennessee Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UTC 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 UTC.

  • The graduation rate at Tennessee is higher than The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (63% vs. 39%)
  • Graduates from The University of Tennessee earn on average $15,700 more per year than UTC graduates after ten years. ($56,300 vs. $40,600)
  • The University of Tennessee students graduate with a $792 lower median federal student loan debt than UTC graduates. ($20,000 vs. $20,792)
  • Tennessee graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than UTC graduates. ($206 vs. $214)
  • More Tennessee graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UTC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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