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Summary
University of Tennessee is a public institution that was founded in 1794. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,393, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 560 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Tennessee's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 101. Its in-state tuition and fees are $8,396 (2011-12); out-of-state tuition and fees are $25,538 (2011-12).
The University of Tennessee is a public research institution in Knoxville, one of the state’s largest cities, and is the flagship campus for the state school. Close to 40 percent of students join a fraternity or sorority. The UT sports teams are known as the Vols and the Lady Vols, short for Volunteers. The teams compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, and football season is a particularly big draw at the school.
The university helps to manage the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where students and faculty tackle research projects. The University of Tennessee grants graduate degrees through its Graduate School of Business, law school, College of Engineering, and College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, as well as a Space Institute, among other academic departments. Graduates of the University of Tennessee include current and former NFL players Peyton Manning and Reggie White, respectively.
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Ensuring access so all qualified students can attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and helping students reach their full potential is the foundation of UT's strategic mission. Exposing students to experiences and educational opportunities that best prepare them for working in a global marketplace is a primary focus. UT enrolled 30,312 total students for the 2010-11 academic year, with a freshman class of 4,214. The 2010-11 freshmen had an average GPA of 3.76 with an average ACT score of 26.4. ACT scores have risen steadily since the Tennessee Hope lottery-funded scholarship began in 2004. Essentially all of UT Knoxville's in-state freshmen qualify for the state's lottery-funded Hope Scholarship, which covers nearly half of their tuition, fees, and books. As long as they stay in school and keep their grades up, they're eligible for the scholarship for three more years. The university has created three need-based scholarship and grant programs to allow greater access to all academically qualified Tennessee students. The Tennessee Pledge Scholarship program covers tuition, fees, and room and board for eligible low-income students. The Tennessee Promise Scholarship program provides scholarships to students from select state high schools that traditionally have not sent many students to UT. The Achieve the Dream program helps some of our middle-income families whose incomes are too high to qualify them for Pell Grants or the Pledge Scholarship, but who still need financial help with college costs. The Haslam Scholars program, a premiere honors program for 15 of the nation's top students, began in 2008 and includes a study-abroad opportunity and up to $5,500 for a senior research thesis. Additionally, in recent years, UT Knoxville has enrolled three Goldwater Scholars, one Goldwater Honorable Mention, a Fulbright scholar, and a Udall Scholar. UT's long-range program "Ready for the World" continues to help students gain the international and intercultural knowledge they need to succeed in today's world. The effort has enriched campus multicultural programming and has provided new scholarships and study-abroad opportunities. The new UT/ORNL Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education (CIRE) will offer one of the country's first interdisciplinary doctoral degrees in energy science and engineering and will train scientists to take on the world's most challenging energy problems by working with teams of researchers making scientific breakthroughs that could become thriving business enterprises. UT Knoxville's faculty has an impressive list of honors in the past few years including six Fulbright Scholars ('10), a Guggenheim Fellow ('09), a MacArthur Fellow ('07) and two NEH fellows ('07, '06). UT Knoxville is tied with Washington University and the University of California, Irvine, with the seventh most NEH fellows in the U.S. since 2005. With an eye on becoming a Top 25 public research institution, UT has launched many new initiatives to help students succeed and graduate on time. The Student Success Center, which opened in 2005, provides information and resources in academic advising, tutoring, and academic support. UT Knoxville has 11 colleges and more than 300 degree programs. The university is adjacent to Knoxville's redeveloped downtown which offers arts, theaters and cultural activities. The nation's most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is just minutes from campus. |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1794 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | urban |
| 2010 Endowment | N/A |
Applying
When applying to University of Tennessee, it's important to note the application deadline is December 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due December 1. The application fee at University of Tennessee is $30. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 74.5 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 74% |
| Application deadline | December 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | December 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at University of Tennessee is 15:1, and the school has 31.5 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Tennessee include: Psychology, General; Biology/Biological Sciences, General; Political Science and Government, General; English Language and Literature, General; and Journalism. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 84.5 percent.
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| Student-faculty ratio | 15:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 31% - Medium | ||||||||||
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Student Life
University of Tennessee has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,393, with a gender distribution of 52.0 percent male students and 48.0 percent female students. 35.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 65.0 percent of students live off campus. University of Tennessee is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at University of Tennessee.
| Total enrollment | 30,312 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
University of Tennessee offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. University of Tennessee also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at University of Tennessee.
| Students who have cars on campus | N/A |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| In-state tuition and fees | $8,396 (2011-12) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $25,538 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $7,800 (2010-11) - Medium |
| Financial aid statistics | N/A |
* Overview details based on 2010 data
