University of Florida vs. University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Don't assume these two SEC flagships play the same role just because they share a conference and a love of fall Saturdays. As a non-resident, you'll find one of them genuinely within reach and the other a long climb. Florida runs the harder door: it admits a far smaller slice of its applicants, enrolls stronger test scores, keeps nearly every first-year through to sophomore year, and graduates them at a high clip. Its majors fan out wide. Business leads in Gainesville, but engineering and the life sciences crowd right behind, so you can arrive undecided and still land somewhere strong. Tennessee saves a bigger chunk of each class for out-of-state students and bends hard toward business, and you'd live where you learn, on a hill above the Tennessee River with the Smokies on the horizon and almost everyone housed close to campus. If you're applying from out of state and want a flagship that gives you real admit odds, Knoxville earns its spot on your list.

Want to compare other schools? Open the interactive comparison tool →

FloridaGainesville, FL

Acceptance rate

Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.

20.3%acceptance rate
Applied
90,523
Admitted
18,403
Enrolled
7,619

Early decision

Florida offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.

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

Standardized tests

Florida requires standardized test scores for all applicants.

SAT Accepted?

ACT Accepted?

Test Optional?

SAT Scores

4001600
25th Percentile
1330
50th Percentile
1410
75th Percentile
1490

ACT Scores

136
25th Percentile
29
50th Percentile
32
75th Percentile
33

Class rank

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

Top tenth of class85%
Top quarter of class98%
Top half of class100%

Based on the 87% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Florida does not publish an average GPA.

Admissions factors

How Florida 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 Florida's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.

$25,816
In-State
$53,996
Out-of-State
In-StateOut-of-State
Tuition & Fees
$6,436$34,616
Room & Board
$14,190$14,190
Other Expenses
$5,190$5,190
Total
$25,816$53,996

What families actually pay

$0–30k~$2k
$30–48k~$3k
$48–75k~$7k
$75–110k~$13k
$110k+~$17k

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 grants21.7%

Source: College Scorecard (2026)

Financial aid

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

Receiving Aid
33%
Avg. Package
$21,768
Avg. Need Met
98%

Popular majors

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

Business & Marketing
Engineering
Biological & Life Sciences
Social Sciences
Health Professions
Psychology
Communication/Journalism
Computer Science
Other
Business
14%
Engineering
12%
Life Sci
11%
Social Sci
10%
Health
7%
Psychology
6%
Comm
6%
CS
6%
Other
28%

Student-faculty ratio

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

17:1

Student outcomes

First-years who return97%
Graduate within six years92%
Median earnings, 4 yrs after graduation~$77k
Median federal loan debt at graduation~$15k

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

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

  • Psychology

    578 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$57kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$17k median debt
  • Biology

    577 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$54kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Business Administration & Management

    552 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$83kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Computer & Information Sciences

    469 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$126kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
  • Political Science

    300 degrees (2023-24)

    ~$70kmedian pay, 4 yrs after graduation~$15k median debt
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
69%
In Fraternities
16%
In Sororities
27%

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
Gainesville, FL

Average temperature

Monthly high and low, °F
6743J
7146F
7650M
8256A
8763M
9070J
9172J
9172A
8869S
8261O
7551N
6945D
Snow a year
0 in
Precipitation a year
48 in
Days at 90°F or above
90
Days below 32°F
15

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, GAINESVILLE RGNL AP, FL US station, 5.4 mi from campus

Enrollment by gender

46%
54%
Male
3,525
Female
4,094

Student diversity

Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.

White47.8%
Hispanic25.4%
Asian and Pacific Islander13%
Other9.1%
Black4.6%
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%

Writing your Florida or University of Tennessee application essay?

Paste your draft and get specific, line-by-line feedback on what is and isn't landing — scored against the rubrics admissions readers use.

Get essay feedback

Florida vs. University of Tennessee: frequently asked questions

Florida is the tougher admit by a wide margin. UF takes about 24.2% of applicants against UT Knoxville's 43.6%, nearly double the rate. Its enrolled first-years also clear a higher bar: roughly a 3.92 average GPA and a middle-50% SAT of 1330–1470, where Tennessee sits at a 4.25 weighted GPA and 1280–1380. Neither school is test-optional; both require the SAT or ACT.

Florida runs cheaper for non-residents, both before and after aid. Sticker tuition and fees come to about $28,658 versus $32,956 at Tennessee, and the aid gap stretches it further: UF meets 99% of demonstrated need on average and helps about 65% of first-years, against UT's 59% of need met and need-based grants to about 37%. Tennessee's HOPE lottery scholarship mostly cuts cost for in-state students, so out-of-state families usually land lower at Florida.

Tennessee wins if you want a program that dominates the campus. Business and marketing accounts for roughly 30% of UT's bachelor's degrees, the clear heart of the place. Florida also leads with business and marketing, but at about 14% of degrees it shares the stage with strong engineering (12%) and life-sciences (11%) cohorts. So Tennessee gives you a business-heavy student body, while Florida embeds business in a broader, more selective university.

Yes, and for two reasons. Out-of-state students fill about 39% of UT Knoxville's class against roughly 20% at Florida, so Tennessee holds far more seats for non-residents, and its overall admit rate runs higher at about 43.6% to UF's 24.2%. Florida lists state residency and geographical residence as factors it considers; Tennessee weighs state residency as very important. Even so, UT's larger non-resident share and looser overall rate keep it the friendlier door for an out-of-state applicant.

Tennessee feels more residential of the two. About 90% of UT undergraduates live on campus versus roughly 75% at Florida, and Greek life carries more weight there too: about 36% of women join sororities at UT against 25% at UF, with fraternity numbers close near 19% (UT) and 18% (UF). Florida is the larger school, though, enrolling about 36,573 undergraduates to Tennessee's 32,041.

No, Florida keeps and graduates students at a clearly higher clip. UF posts a 98% first-year retention rate and a six-year graduation rate near 91%, while Tennessee reports 92% retention and a 74% six-year graduation rate. Both hold up well, but that graduation gap is real.

Source: University of Florida Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-08-20. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Florida. Banner photo by Ebyabe, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

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).