College applications open Aug. 1, and students applying to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville for the fall semester have a little more than a month to submit their early applications directly to UT or through the Common Application.
All UT System campuses use the Common App, a streamlined college application platform that allows students to apply to multiple colleges at once. Graduating high school students have the option of applying through govols.utk.edu or commonapp.org.
Whichever route students choose, there are several deadlines to keep in mind when applying. Here's what you should know about UT applications, acceptance rates, tuition and more.
What is the University of Tennessee acceptance rate?
It's harder to get into UT these days, partly due to a consistent rise in the number of applicants.
The acceptance rate for the fall 2022 semester was 68.4% based on 36,290 applications. As the number of applicants grew, the rate dropped to 46% for fall 2023 and reached 33.2% in fall 2024 when there were 59,151 applications.
UT received 60,515 applications for the fall 2025 semester, the university said in March, and admitted 23,187 students for a 38.3% acceptance rate.
University of Tennessee application deadlines and important dates
Students have two options when submitting applications. The first is the Early Action submission, which has November deadlines and allows students to find out before the end of the year whether they've been accepted to UT. Students who apply early are invited to apply for University Honors programs, and qualifying in-state students will be considered for guaranteed admissions.
The second option is Regular Admission. Applications must be complete in January, and students receive a decision in March 2026.
For each option, students have an initial deadline to submit an application and a later deadline to complete it with all the required information, including test scores and transcripts (more on that below).
Early action for fall 2026
Nov. 1: Deadline to submit Early Action applications
Nov. 15: Deadline to complete Early Action applications
Dec. 8: UT sends admissions decisions to in-state students
Dec. 15: UT sends admissions decisions to out-of-state students
Regular admission for fall 2026
Dec. 15: Deadline to submit Regular Decision applications
Jan. 15, 2026: Deadline to complete Regular Decision applications
March 9, 2026: UT sends admission decisions
Admitted students must confirm their enrollment by May 1.
Anyone interested in joining UT for the spring 2026 semester has until Dec. 15 to submit a regular admission application.
What GPA do you need to get into University of Tennessee?
UT has holistic admissions process that considers students' experience, preparation and academic standing. UT looks at things like job experience, volunteer work, awards and talents when making admissions decisions.
To be admitted to UT, students must meet several requirements in addition to filling out the Common Application or a Go Vols application.
Students must complete a "Self-Reported Transcript and Academic Record" to share their high school grades and transcripts. UT calculates a weighted core GPA based on a student's grades in specific English, math, science, history, foreign language and arts classes. The full list can be found at admissions.utk.edu.
When considering standardized test scores, UT uses a super-scoring method that creates a new composite score based on the best ACT and SAT scores for applicants who have taken the tests multiple times.
Each college has its own code to submit ACT or SAT scores. The ACT code is 4026 for UT, and the SAT code is 1843.
Most students admitted to UT for the fall 2025 semester reported a grade point average of 4.0 or above, as well as a composite ACT score between 27 and 32 or an SAT equivalent score between 1275 and 1430.
Required essays and optional letters for University of Tennessee applicants
Students applying through the Common Application website need to create a Go Vols account. With their account, students can register for campus tours, update test scores and apply for programs.
Students are required to write an essay when applying, choosing one of seven prompts. A recommendation letter and supporting statement aren't required, but they can help applications stand out.
Certain colleges, like the College of Nursing and the Tickle College of Engineering, have additional requirements. Students can find more information at admissions.utk.edu.
Is there an application fee for the University of Tennessee?
There's a $75 nonrefundable fee for first-year applications. Students can apply to have the fee waived, and students applying from UT's designated flagship schools across the state, including Austin-East, Central and Fulton in Knoxville, can apply for free.
Do students declare a major when applying to University of Tennessee?
Students unsure of what degree to pursue don't have to make a snap decision. UT and the Common Application have exploratory track options for undecided students, who can start college and then figure out their major.
Students in the "University Exploratory Program" will explore different majors while making progress toward graduation. Students will work with an academic and career coach to guide them toward deciding their major. Once students hit 45 attempted college credit hours, they must declare a major.
Even within some colleges, including the College of Music and Tickle College of Engineering, exploratory tracks are available for students who are interested in a college broadly but still haven't decided which degree to pursue.
How do students qualify for guaranteed admission at UT?
UT's guaranteed admissions policy for the state's top-performing high school students applies to every campus in the UT System. The Knoxville campus has specific criteria:
Students must have a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average or finish in the top 10% of their graduating class.
Students need a 24 ACT composite score. Alternatively, they can have an SAT score of 1160-1190 or higher.
Students need to apply by the Early Action deadlines and meet this criteria to be offered guaranteed admission.
How much does it cost to attend UT?
UT has kept its tuition cost roughly the same since 2020, with just one increase in 2024. UT didn't increase tuition for the upcoming school year but did increase several mandatory fees.
In-state students should expect to pay $35,502 for the full academic year, which includes tuition, fees, housing and food. Out-of-state students should expect to pay $54,946.
See a full breakdown of tuition costs at onestop.utk.edu.
University of Tennessee at Knoxville is growing at record rates
More and more students want to become a Volunteer, with UT breaking its enrollment record by first surpassing 30,000 students in 2020 and enrolling 38,728 students for fall 2024. Also in 2024, UT had a 91.9% first-year student retention rate, a measure for how many students return for a second year.
UT projects to break its own enrollment record again, planning to surpass 40,000 students enrolled for the fall semester on campus and through the university's growing online programs.
How is University of Tennessee growing?
As the university grows, UT continues to build up its Division of Student Success to help students adjust to UT, reach their academic goals and feel prepared for life after graduation. UT is building a new facility for the division, scheduled to open in 2027.
UT tied for 52nd among the top public universities in the country in 2025, according to U.S. News & World rankings, and was 109th overall. Its nuclear engineering and supply chain management programs rank in the Top 10 nationwide.
Chancellor Donde Plowman is pushing the university to keep rising, with a heavy focus on research. High rankings make the university attractive, along with the guaranteed admissions policy. UT's growth in online programs opens new doors for students to attend the state's flagship campus from afar.
Keenan Thomas reports on higher education for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee common app deadline, acceptance rate, tuition
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