by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, covering the cost range, projected degree costs, net price, debt at graduation, default rates, and aid distribution patterns.
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Published attendance costs at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville came in between $32,658.00 ranging to $52,102.00 based on in-state versus out-of-state status.
The lower figure reflects the in-state rate and the higher figure the out-of-state rate: near $32,658.00 for in-state students versus $52,102.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
Here the cost is broken out three ways: no aid, average aid, and the aid a low-income student typically receives.
| Tuition and fees | $13,812.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,846.00 |
| Total cost | $32,658.00 |
| That is 70% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $32,658.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,702.00 |
| Net price | $17,956.00 |
| That is 7% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $32,658.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$23,649.00 |
| Net price | $9,009.00 |
| That is 53% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $33,256.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,846.00 |
| Total cost | $52,102.00 |
| That is 171% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $52,102.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,702.00 |
| Net price | $37,400.00 |
| That is 94% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $52,102.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$23,649.00 |
| Net price | $28,453.00 |
| That is 48% above the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see tuition and fees plus living costs. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by around 1.7% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. The repayment figures use a ten-year loan at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $9,159.00 | $18,255.00 | $33,201.00 |
| Senior year | $9,623.00 | $19,180.00 | $34,885.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $37,559.00 | $74,860.00 | $136,154.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $14,309.00 | $28,519.00 | $51,870.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $432.00 | $861.00 | $1,567.00 |
| Total amount paid | $51,868.00 | $103,379.00 | $188,023.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $9,159.00 | $18,255.00 | $33,201.00 |
| Senior year | $9,311.00 | $18,558.00 | $33,753.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $18,470.00 | $36,813.00 | $66,954.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $7,036.00 | $14,024.00 | $25,507.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $213.00 | $424.00 | $771.00 |
| Total amount paid | $25,506.00 | $50,837.00 | $92,461.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $28,926.00 | $38,022.00 | $52,968.00 |
| Senior year | $30,393.00 | $39,950.00 | $55,655.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $118,623.00 | $155,923.00 | $217,217.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $45,191.00 | $59,401.00 | $82,752.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,365.00 | $1,794.00 | $2,500.00 |
| Total amount paid | $163,814.00 | $215,324.00 | $299,969.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $28,926.00 | $38,022.00 | $52,968.00 |
| Senior year | $29,407.00 | $38,654.00 | $53,849.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $58,333.00 | $76,676.00 | $106,818.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $22,223.00 | $29,211.00 | $40,694.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $671.00 | $882.00 | $1,229.00 |
| Total amount paid | $80,556.00 | $105,887.00 | $147,511.00 |
Read more in the Net Price section.
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. For most students, this is the more useful number than published tuition because it reflects the real out-of-pocket cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $18,976.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $18,109.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $9,397.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $12,714.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $18,820.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $23,297.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $25,438.00 |
Run your own numbers with the The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Dig into how aid is awarded on the financial aid page.
Typical debt at graduation from The University of Tennessee-Knoxville stands at $16,000.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-burden bucket.
The full distribution of debt at graduation looks like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $6,398.00 |
| Median (50th) | $16,000.00 |
| 75th | $25,000.00 |
| 90th | $31,000.00 |
How far apart the 10th and 90th percentiles sit tells you how uneven debt outcomes are.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt page.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,000.00 |
| Middle income | $16,875.00 |
| High income | $15,590.00 |
Borrowers from lower-income families leave school with $410.00 in extra median debt compared with high-income peers.
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,162.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,914.00 |
First-generation borrowers from The University of Tennessee-Knoxville graduate with $248.00 more than continuing-generation graduates.
Pell Grant eligibility is a useful proxy for low-income status among undergraduates. Comparing Pell recipients vs non-recipients shows how debt is distributed by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville amounts to $3,562.00. The Department of Education flags this school for a Pell-debt-inequity pattern.
The federal default-rate classification for The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 4.0% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville amount to $1,655,526,182.00 distributed across 66,949 recipients.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 815 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $13,832.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 88 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $3,605.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the college veterans page.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, keep these questions in mind:
Explore the related pages below for a deeper look at the cost picture:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.