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Is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $20,500 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $60,249, but the margin is not huge. For context, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's net price runs about 59% above the typical 4-year, public school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$20,885
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $7,731 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $31,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$18,976
Median earnings 10 years out
$60,249
Median debt at graduation
$20,500
Graduation rate
74%
At The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, a typical graduate carries about $20,500 in student debt and earns roughly $60,249 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $233 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is a public four year school in Knoxville, TN. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
East Tennessee State
Johnson City, TN
Worth-It Score: 57/100
Median net price: $15,983
Public 4-year
Tennessee State
Nashville, TN
Worth-It Score: 48/100
Median net price: $15,796
Public 4-year
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN
Worth-It Score: 63/100
Median net price: $14,265
Public 4-year
Tennessee Technological
Cookeville, TN
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $14,246
Public 4-year
Middle Tennessee State
Murfreesboro, TN
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $13,359
Common questions about The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
The median net price at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is $18,976 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in Tennessee? See the most affordable public universities in Tennessee →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →