1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-chattanooga/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-chattanooga/)[Cost & aid](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-chattanooga/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-chattanooga/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-chattanooga/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-chattanooga/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga? The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga’s reported acceptance rate is 81.1%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2024** 81.1% Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. How to interpret the acceptance rate The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga admits 81.1% of applicants, a figure that sits close to the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). ## What SAT and ACT scores do The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga students report? Submitted scores at The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga provide context for recent enrolled score submitters, not admission minimums. The middle half of SAT scores submitted by enrolled students, spanning the twenty-fifth through seventy-fifth percentiles, ranged from 1,013 to 1,210. For ACT submitters in the enrolled class, the middle half of scores ranged from 20 to 26. Applicants should place their SAT result alongside the university’s 1,013 through 1,210 SAT range when building an application list. Applicants using an ACT score should likewise use the university’s 20 through 26 ACT range as context. Both ranges describe only enrolled students who submitted scores, so they do not set a threshold for admission. The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Approximate lower endpoint** 1013 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1210 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. ACT: enrolled-student score range **25th percentile** 20 **75th percentile** 26 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. Figures cover fall 2024. ## Who enrolls at The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga? **Pell Grant recipients** 32.8% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 22.4% **First-year retention** 72.5% Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention. About these student measures The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga brings together a sizable undergraduate body with federal grant recipients and students arriving from prior college work. Its undergraduate enrollment is 10,074, with 32.8% of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. An estimated 22.4% enter as transfers or part-time students, so the student body includes both direct entrants and people continuing coursework begun elsewhere. This composition suggests several routes into the university rather than a campus defined by one entry pattern. The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga’s retention and completion measures sit below the medians for comparable institutions, which sets a cautious picture for enrolled students. The first-year retention rate for full-time bachelor’s-seeking entrants is 72.5%, below the peer median of 83.1% for comparable institutions. For the first-time full-time cohort, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 50.2%, also below the peer median of 65.0%. Pell recipients in that cohort complete within six years at 48.1%, below the overall rate by 2.1 percentage points. Enrolled students can expect first-year persistence and six-year completion to be tracked separately, with both overall measures below comparable-institution medians. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).