UNCW vs. Tennessee

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

 UNCW Tennessee
Location Wilmington, NC Knoxville, TN
Setting Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 17,987 36,304
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #390 #222
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uncw.edu tennessee.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UNCW Tennessee
Tuition (In State) $4,443 $11,332
Tuition (Out of State) $20,111 $29,522
Room & Board $12,605 $12,500
Avg Net Price $18,606 $20,885
Avg Grant Aid $6,516 $11,491
% Receiving Grant Aid 54% 85%

Admission

 UNCW Tennessee
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,370 50,488
Admitted 12,856 23,221
Acceptance Rate 74% 46%
Enrolled % 21% 28.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.56 3.66
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 24/28 25/31
SAT Range 1220/1360 1190/1340
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 UNCW Tennessee
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)

Outcomes

 UNCW Tennessee
Graduation Rate 67% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,700 $56,300
Making Student Loan Payments 64% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,500 $20,000
Median Loan Payment $211 $206

Diversity

 UNCW Tennessee
% Men 5% 9%
% Women 14% 11%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 78% 79%
% Black 5% 7%
% Hispanic 7% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

 UNCW Tennessee
% In-State 77% 58%
% Out-of-State 22% 41%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • The University of Tennessee is larger than than UNCW based on total student enrollment (36,304 students vs. 17,987 students)

UNCW vs. Tennessee Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNCW or Tennessee?

  • The University of Tennessee is 155.1% more expensive to attend than UNCW for in-state tuition ($11,332.00 vs. $4,443.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 46.8% higher at Tennessee than University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($29,522.00 vs. $20,111.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of North Carolina at Wilmington than Tennessee ($18,606 vs. $20,885)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Tennessee are 0.8% lower than costs at University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($12,500 vs. $12,605)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Tennessee than University of North Carolina at Wilmington (85% vs. 54%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The University of Tennessee students is 76.4% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Wilmington ($11,491 vs. $6,516)

UNCW vs. Tennessee Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The University of Tennessee (1214) is 52 points higher than at UNCW (1162)
  • Incoming Tennessee students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at UNCW (25)
  • Accepted freshman Tennessee students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at UNCW (3.56)
  • UNCW has a higher acceptance rate (74%) than Tennessee (46%)

UNCW vs. Tennessee Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNCW 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 UNCW.

  • The graduation rate at UNCW is higher than The University of Tennessee (67% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from The University of Tennessee earn on average $11,600 more per year than UNCW graduates after ten years. ($56,300 vs. $44,700)
  • The University of Tennessee students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than UNCW graduates. ($20,000 vs. $20,500)
  • Tennessee graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than UNCW graduates. ($206 vs. $211)
  • More Tennessee graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNCW students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 64%)

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