The University of Alabama vs. University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Tennessee climbs a hill above the Tennessee River in Knoxville, the Great Smokies filling the horizon behind Ayres Hall, and that flagship pride shows up in admissions: it fills most of each class with residents and admits a far smaller slice of its applicants than Alabama does. It also brought back an SAT-or-ACT requirement after several test-optional years, so plan to send scores. Alabama runs the looser door. Out-of-state students fill much of its class, the process stays test-optional and rolling with a December priority date, and the fraternity and sorority scene sprawls across the Quad past Denny Chimes. Both schools are big public research flagships where business and marketing draws the largest crowd, so what you can study barely separates them. Money cuts the other way for each: Alabama hands strong records automatic merit awards that soften its out-of-state price, while Tennessee's HOPE lottery scholarship keeps things cheap if you grew up in the state. Knock on either door knowing which one you fit, residency and Greek life and all.

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AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

Alabama OIRAIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from Alabama OIRA (Fall 2025).
71.2%acceptance rate
Applied
61,994
Admitted
44,124
Enrolled
8,127

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state73.6%
9,931 admitted of 13,498 applicants
Out-of-state70.3%
33,908 admitted of 48,210 applicants

Early admissions

Alabama does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Not offered
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

Alabama is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1100
50th Percentile
1210
75th Percentile
1360

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
22
50th Percentile
26
75th Percentile
31

Class rank

Where Alabama's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class23%
Top quarter of class47.6%
Top half of class78.6%

Based on the 37.5% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Alabama does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Alabama weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from Alabama's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$33,028
In-State
$55,886
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$12,484$35,342
Room & Board
$13,616$13,616
Other Expenses
$6,928$6,928
Total
$33,028$55,886

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$19k
$30–48k~$20k
$48–75k~$22k
$75–110k~$26k
$110k+~$27k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants18.4%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
43%
Avg. Package
$19,857
Avg. Need Met
63%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Social Sciences
Communication
Health Professions
Engineering
Other
Business
30%
Social Sci.
11%
Communication
10%
Health
8%
Engineering
7%
Other
34%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

19:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return88%
Graduate within six years74%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$70k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$23k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

Alabama’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

Show all 34 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
95%
In Fraternities
30%
In Sororities
44%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize city
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
5736J
6240F
7147M
7854A
8563M
9170J
9473J
9373A
8867S
7955O
6744N
5939D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
58 in
Days at 90°F or above
93
Days below 32°F
40

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, TUSCALOOSA ACFD, AL US station, 4.1 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

43%
57%
Male
15,393
Female
20,228

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White69.17%
Black12.51%
Other8.33%
Hispanic8.09%
Asian and Pacific Islander1.57%
Native American<1%
University of TennesseeKnoxville, TN

Acceptance rate

Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.

UTK AdmissionsIn-state vs. out-of-state admit rates from UTK Admissions (Fall 2026).
43.6%acceptance rate
Applied
53,841
Admitted
23,464
Enrolled
7,143

Admit rate by residency

% admitted
In-state76.0%
9,042 admitted of 11,898 applicants
Out-of-state40.4%
18,558 admitted of 45,968 applicants

~1.9× higher admit rate for in-state applicants.

Early action

University of Tennessee offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.

Early Decision
Not offered
Early Action
Non-binding
Restrictive EA
Not offered

Standardized tests

University of Tennessee requires standardized test scores for all applicants.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1280
50th Percentile
1330
75th Percentile
1380

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
26
50th Percentile
29
75th Percentile
31

Class rank

Where University of Tennessee's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.

Top tenth of class47%
Top quarter of class77%
Top half of class97%

Based on the 22% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. University of Tennessee does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How University of Tennessee weighs each part of your application.

→ Importance

Rigor of High School Record

Academic GPA

Standardized Test Scores

Application Essay

Recommendations

Extracurricular Activities

Character / Personal Qualities

Talent / Ability

First Generation

Level of Applicant's Interest

Class Rank

Volunteer Work

Work Experience

Geographical Residence

State Residency

Alumni Relation

Racial / Ethnic Status

Religious Affiliation

Cost of attendance

Estimated full-time annual cost from University of Tennessee's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

2024–25 CDSUniversity of Tennessee's 2025-2026 Common Data Set hasn't published this section yet, so this figure is shown from the 2024-2025 edition instead.
$35,410
In-State
$54,554
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$13,812$32,956
Room & Board
$13,594$13,594
Other Expenses
$8,004$8,004
Total
$35,410$54,554

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$10k
$30–48k~$12k
$48–75k~$18k
$75–110k~$24k
$110k+~$26k

Average net price — what was left to pay after grant aid — for students receiving federal financial aid, covering in-state students only.

% of undergrads with Pell grants18.9%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.

Receiving Aid
37%
Avg. Package
$15,787
Avg. Need Met
59%

Popular majors

Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.

Business & Marketing
Engineering
Parks & Recreation
Health Professions
Communication & Journalism
Social Sciences
Biological & Life Sciences
Other
Business
30%
Engineering
9%
Parks & Rec
7%
Health
7%
Communication
6%
Social Sci
6%
Life Sci
6%
Other
29%

Student-faculty ratio

The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.

18:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return92%
Graduate within six years74%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$68k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$21k

Median yearly income of former students who received federal aid, across every major, measured four years after graduating (2017–18 and 2018–19 graduates, earnings measured 2022–2023). Debt covers federal loans of students who completed.

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Programs

University of Tennessee’s most popular programs and median pay after graduation. Income data from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

  • Business Administration & Management

    557 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$82kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Kinesiology & Exercise Science

    398 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$57kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$20k median debt
  • Finance

    305 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$84kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$21k median debt
  • Nursing

    256 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$77kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$13k median debt
  • Biology

    247 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$58kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$22k median debt
Show all 35 programs

Median pay data is measured from graduates who received federal student aid.

Source: College Scorecard (2026) · IPEDS (2023-24) · ABET

Campus life

On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.

First-Years On Campus
90%
In Fraternities
19%
In Sororities
36%

Place

How the federal government classifies the area around the campus, and what a normal year of weather looks like there.

Setting
Midsize city
Location
Knoxville, TN

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
4830J
5333F
6140M
7148A
7957M
8665J
8869J
8868A
8361S
7249O
6038N
5133D
Snow a year
5 in
Precipitation a year
52 in
Days at 90°F or above
37
Days below 32°F
67

Thirty-year averages, measured at the nearest weather station rather than on campus — they describe the area, not the campus.

Source: IPEDS (HD2024) · NOAA 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AP, TN US station, 9.8 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

47%
53%
Male
15,081
Female
16,960

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White77.2%
Other7.8%
Hispanic7.3%
Asian and Pacific Islander3.7%
Black3.7%
Native American<1%

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Alabama vs. University of Tennessee: frequently asked questions

Tennessee is the tougher admit, taking about 43.6% of applicants against roughly 71% at Alabama. Its enrolled first-years average a 4.25 weighted high school GPA next to about 3.85 at Alabama, and its middle-50% SAT of 1280–1380 clears Alabama's 1100–1360. One catch for non-residents: Tennessee fills most of its class in-state (only about 39% of undergrads come from out of state), so out-of-state seats are scarcer than at Alabama, where 57% arrive from out of state.

Tennessee requires a score; Alabama does not. After several test-optional years, the University of Tennessee once again asks first-year applicants to send SAT or ACT results, and its enrolled students landed a middle-50% SAT of 1280–1380 and ACT of 26–31. Alabama keeps its test-optional policy, with a wider middle-50% SAT of 1100–1360 and ACT of 22–31, and strong scores there can trigger automatic merit aid.

On sticker price, Tennessee edges it out for non-residents at about $32,956 in tuition and fees versus roughly $35,342 at Alabama, but aid reshuffles the math. Alabama meets a higher share of demonstrated need (63% versus 59% at Tennessee) and writes larger need-based packages, near $19,857 against about $15,787 at Tennessee. Alabama also hands out automatic merit scholarships that draw out-of-state students in and shrink its higher list price, so weigh the net offers, not the sticker.

Alabama runs a bit cheaper for residents, charging around $12,484 in in-state tuition and fees against about $13,812 at Tennessee. Tennessee closes some of that gap for qualifying residents through the state's HOPE lottery scholarship, which trims tuition further. Either way, residents pay far less than out-of-state students at both, where costs roughly triple.

Alabama wins on Greek presence, and not by a little. About 30% of men pledge fraternities and 44% of women pledge sororities at Alabama, compared with roughly 19% of men and 36% of women at Tennessee. Both are large public flagships with lively social scenes, but Greek life carries more weight in day-to-day student life at Alabama.

Call it close, with a slight structural lean toward Tennessee by degree share. Engineering makes up about 9% of bachelor's degrees at Tennessee against roughly 7% at Alabama, while business and marketing tops the list at both around 30%. Since neither runs as an engineering-first school, an applicant should dig into the specific program and overall fit instead of assuming one is the clear STEM pick.

Source: The University of Alabama Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-08. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Alabama. Banner photo by Carol M. Highsmith, via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

Source: University of Tennessee, Knoxville Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-08. In-State Tuition & Fees and Out-of-State Tuition & Fees are from the 2024-2025 edition. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with University of Tennessee. Banner photo by Bubbahotepblues, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).