University of Kentucky vs. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK)

Two Rivalry Colleges in Southeastern Conference

  • Both University of Kentucky and The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) are public.
  • University of Kentucky is located in Lexington, KY and UTK is located in Knoxville, TN.
  • University of Kentucky has more expensive tuition of $33,406 than UTK ($31,974).
  • UTK has tighter acceptance rate of 76.97% than University of Kentucky (95.77%).
  • UTK has higher SAT scores of 1,240 than University of Kentucky (1,180).
  • UTK is larger with 33,805 students than University of Kentucky (31,547 students).
University of Kentucky

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The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

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#92 in National Universities
#1 in Kentucky
Rankings#176 in National Universities
#11 in Tennessee
Public, 4-yearsSchool TypePublic, 4-years
Lexington, KYLocationKnoxville, TN
Known asUTK
1 Year Certificate
Bachelor's
Post-Bachelor Certificate
Master's
Post-Master Certificate
Doctorate (Research)
Doctorate (Professional Practice)
Offered Degrees1 Year Certificate
Bachelor's
Post-Bachelor Certificate
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
Doctorate (Professional Practice)
Research University (very high research activity)Carnegie ClassificationResearch University (very high research activity)
Tuition & Fees
$13,212 Kentucky residents
$33,406 out-of-state
Undergraduate$13,484 Tennessee residents
$31,974 out-of-state
$14,330 Kentucky residents
$35,459 out-of-state
Graduate$13,620 Tennessee residents
$32,108 out-of-state
$11,981Financial Aid$11,518
Admission
$50 undergraduate
$65 graduate
Application Fee$50 undergraduate
$60 graduate
95.77%Acceptance Rate76.97%
26.79%Yield33.70%
1,180 SAT, 24 ACTTest Scores1,240 SAT, 28 ACT
Student Population
31,547Total Students33,805
22,735Undergraduate27,039
8,812Graduate6,766
4,064Online Enrollment2,236
Graduation Rate & Outcomes
68%Graduation Rate72%
Transfer-out Rate20%
85%Retention Rate89%
$54,000Average Earning after Graduation$56,700
Special Learning Opportunities and Student Services
Online Degree/Certificate Program Offered for Both Undergraduate and GraduateDistance Learning (Online Classes)Online Degree/Certificate Program Offered for Both Undergraduate and Graduate
ROTC
Study Abroad
Weekend/Evening College
Teacher Certifiate
Special OpportunitiesROTC
Study Abroad
Teacher Certifiate
✔ (Dormitory Capacity: 8,336)
$9,964 average annual costs
On-Campus Living✔ (Dormitory Capacity: 8,535)
Not offered or not ReportedMeal PlanNot offered or not Reported
Faculties and Staffs
17 to 1Students to Faculty Ratio18 to 1
1,754 Full-time
333 Part-time
Number of Faculties1,665 Full-time
237 Part-time
10,702 Full-time
1,528 Part-time
Number of Staffs6,790 Full-time
2,168 Part-time
$98,993 for Faculties
$62,530 Part-time
Average Salary$105,104 for Faculties
$60,159 Part-time
All data used in our site is from IPEDS (The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), U.S. Department of Education, academic year 2022-2023