University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Students change class during warm weather, wearing shorts and t-shirts and walking alongside lampposts with orange UT flags hanging

Quick Facts

We are a university that leads. For over 230 years, UT has been dedicated to excellence in education and changing lives through research. The Volunteer spirit of leadership and service inspires us to create opportunity for Tennessee and beyond.  

#1

public university in Tennessee

#8

in the nation for Honors programs 

#14

for Best Value public university 

Student Experience

Life as a Volunteer is unmatched. From top-ranked programs to innovative support initiatives, UT leads the nation in student experience. 

3

graduate programs in the top 10 among public universities

26

programs ranked in the top 25 nationwide 

#10

in the nation for online bachelor’s programs

Top producer

of Fulbright Award recipients 

93.1%

of students return after first year 

90.2%

of graduates employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation

Facts & figures

  • 41,287 students total 
  • 33,001 undergraduate students 
  • 8,286 graduate and professional students 
  • 290,000+ alumni 
  • 550+ student organizations 
  • Semester-based academic calendar 
A student wearing a cowboy hat smiles for the camera.

Research & Innovation 

Our research and innovation fuels Tennessee’s economy and changes lives around the world. 

$400 million

in research expenditures 

#7

in the nation for US Department of Energy funding

#18

for innovation among public universities

A person in an orange shirt guides another individual wearing orange gloves as they handle a small scientific instrument in a lab setting.

Facts & Figures

  • 97 National Science Foundation CAREER Awards (FY 2026) 
  • 153 US national laboratory scientists with joint appointments at UT (FY 2026) 
  • Carnegie classification for Community Engagement since 2015 
  • Highest Carnegie classification for research activity 

Athletics

We embrace a championship culture on and off the field. Students are achieving success and lighting the way for others everywhere they go.

$1.15 billion

in total economic impact throughout the state 

3.47

GPA average for student-athletes

5

consecutive years of postseason play in six core sports—the longest active streak in the United States 

Facts & figures

  • 213 total SEC championship team titles 
  • 24 team national championships 
  • Smokey, mascot 
  • The Volunteers, nickname 
Neyland portrait for Smokey 12 announcement at the UT Gardens on March 24, 2026. Photo by Steven Bridges/University of Tennessee.

$1.7 billion annual impact on the Tennessee economy as of 2019 

Curious to know more?

To learn more about the Volunteer experience or UT’s history as Tennessee’s flagship land-grant institution, check out our traditions and history page.  

If you’d like to know more about our enrollment data, faculty, retention and graduation rates, or degrees and certificates awarded, check out Institutional Research and Strategic Analysis.  

Students pose for a portrait during the Chancellor’s Homecoming Kickoff in the HSS Plaza.
Students visit while waiting to hear the President and COO of Coca-Cola as part of a guest lecture in their Haslam of College of Business BUAD 417 class inside the Student Union on September 10, 2026. Photo by Steven Bridges/University of Tennessee.