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.
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Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Action
Florida offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized Tests
Florida requires standardized test scores for all applicants.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Florida's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 85% 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.
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.
Out-of-state students pay $22,277 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admitted~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.
Standardized Tests
University of Tennessee requires standardized test scores for all applicants.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where University of Tennessee's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
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.
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.
Out-of-state students pay $19,144 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Florida vs. University of Tennessee: frequently asked questions
Is it harder to get into Florida or Tennessee?＋
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.
Is Florida or Tennessee cheaper for out-of-state students?＋
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.
Is Florida or Tennessee better for business?＋
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.
Is it easier to get into Tennessee from out of state than Florida?＋
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.
Which has more campus life, Florida or Tennessee?＋
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.
Do Florida and Tennessee graduate students at similar rates?＋
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 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. 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 Cost and Out-of-State Cost 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).