University of Tennessee, Knoxville vs. Vanderbilt University
One school lets in a large share of who applies; the other turns nearly everyone away. That gap runs through everything else about Tennessee and Vanderbilt, two schools sitting about three hours apart in the same state. Pick Knoxville and you join the land-grant flagship: tens of thousands of undergrads, Ayres Hall crowning the hill above the river, and a campus where business and marketing pulls the biggest crowd by far. Residency moves the needle hard here. In state, you get a real edge on your odds and a price the out-of-state sticker never touches. Vanderbilt runs small and stays put on one tree-shaded Nashville campus, where almost every undergrad lives, the social sciences lead, and a strong slice heads into computer science and engineering. The headline cost looks brutal until Opportunity Vanderbilt meets your full demonstrated need without loans, which can shrink the real number to less than you'd pay in Knoxville. So weigh flagship scale and a Tennessee-resident bargain against a tiny, residential research college you have to fight your way into.
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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.
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Decision
Vanderbilt offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~3.4× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
Vanderbilt is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Vanderbilt does not report this.
Not reported
Admissions Factors
How Vanderbilt 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 Vanderbilt's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state 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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University of Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt: frequently asked questions
Is Vanderbilt or the University of Tennessee harder to get into?＋
Vanderbilt is far harder to crack. It admits about 5.4% of applicants, and its enrolled first-years post middle-50% SAT scores of 1510–1560 and ACT scores of 34–35. Tennessee admits roughly 43.6%, with a middle-50% SAT of 1280–1380 and ACT of 26–31. Tennessee also counts state residency as a very important factor, so in-state applicants generally see better odds than that overall rate suggests, while Vanderbilt holds the bar high for everyone.
Is Vanderbilt or UT Knoxville cheaper, and does aid change the math?＋
For Tennessee residents, UT Knoxville wins at sticker by a mile: about $13,812 in tuition and fees against Vanderbilt's $73,206, which holds regardless of residency. Aid narrows that gap, though. Vanderbilt meets 100% of demonstrated financial need with no loans through Opportunity Vanderbilt, and its average need-based package runs about $81,553. UT meets roughly 59% of need with an average grant aid package near $15,787, layered on top of the in-state HOPE lottery scholarship. Families with strong demonstrated need can end up paying less at Vanderbilt than the sticker implies.
Is Vanderbilt or UT better for engineering and computer science?＋
Both teach engineering, but the emphasis splits. At Vanderbilt, engineering accounts for about 9% of degrees and computer and information sciences another 9%, sizable shares inside a small undergraduate college built around the social sciences and interdisciplinary studies. At UT Knoxville, engineering covers roughly 9% of bachelor's degrees within a much larger, business-and-marketing-led flagship. Vanderbilt's 8:1 student-faculty ratio keeps classes small, while UT's 18:1 tracks its scale and broad slate of offerings as a land-grant university.
Which is bigger, Vanderbilt or the University of Tennessee?＋
UT Knoxville dwarfs Vanderbilt in size, enrolling about 32,041 undergraduates to Vanderbilt's 7,366. Its land-grant flagship campus in Knoxville pairs that scale with an 18:1 student-faculty ratio. Vanderbilt's compact Nashville campus runs an 8:1 ratio and houses essentially all undergraduates on campus. Students who want a big-school environment with a wide program range will find it at UT; those after a small, residential college lean Vanderbilt.
Does UT Knoxville or Vanderbilt require the SAT or ACT?＋
UT Knoxville requires test scores; Vanderbilt does not. After several test-optional years, UT once again asks first-year applicants to submit the SAT or ACT, with most Tennessee residents sending the ACT. Vanderbilt stays test-optional, so you can apply without scores, though admitted students who did submit landed in the 1510–1560 SAT and 34–35 ACT ranges, well above UT's 1280–1380 and 26–31.
Do Vanderbilt and UT offer early application options?＋
Their early options diverge sharply. Vanderbilt runs binding Early Decision and no Early Action, so applying early commits you to enroll if admitted, and its early round drew 6,202 applications. UT Knoxville offers nonbinding, non-restrictive Early Action and no Early Decision, handing you an early answer with no commitment attached. Applicants certain Vanderbilt sits first can use ED to signal it, while UT's EA leaves you free.
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).
Source: Vanderbilt University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Vanderbilt. Banner photo by Jaydenwithay, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).