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Cost & financial aid brief

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# The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/admissions/)[Majors](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville cost after financial aid?

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville publishes a cost of attendance of $33,678. For the 2026-27 academic year, the university reported in-state tuition of $11,560 and required fees of $2,464 in its 2025-26 Common Data Set, with on-campus food and housing at $14,738.

Nonresidents face a published tuition of $31,672. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $18,976, a reduction of $14,702 from the published cost.

That means aid covers about 44% of the sticker price on average. The average net price is $3,342 above the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #555 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is $18,976 for first-time full-time aid recipients, $3,342 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 pay $10,029 on average, while those from families over $110,000 pay $25,688. Borrowers who complete a degree hold a median of $20,500 in federal student loans, $424 above the peer median of $20,076.

Net prices and debt both exceed peer medians, though the lowest income band pays far less than the published cost of $33,678.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $10,029; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $12,162; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $18,206; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $23,627; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $25,688.

Pell Grant recipients make up 18.9% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $15,659, a difference of averages that shows aid is concentrated on families with lower incomes.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$10,029

**$30–48K**
$12,162

**$48–75K**
$18,206

**$75–110K**
$23,627

**$110K+**
$25,688

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$18,976**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville publishes a sticker cost of $33,678, but the average aid recipient pays $18,976 — an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what students pay after grants and scholarships. Aid covers about 44% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $14,702 against the sticker total.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $11,560 and required fees of $2,464 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $14,738. Out-of-state students faced a published tuition of $31,672.

The average net price moves from $10,029 for families earning under $30,000 to $12,162 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $18,206 for $48,001–$75,000, $23,627 for $75,001–$110,000, and $25,688 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $15,659, a difference of averages that reflects the largest discounts going to the lowest-income families.

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville publishes a cost of attendance of $33,678. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients actually pay—varies with family income.

For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $10,029; for the middle band ($48,001–$75,000) it is $18,206; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $25,688. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $15,659.

Azimuth ranks the university #555 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 44% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $14,702 against the sticker price.

The average net price across all aid recipients is $18,976, which sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,342. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $20,500.

That median is above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions. About 82.2% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

For parent borrowers, the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $30,610. If repaid over ten years, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

For borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $20,500. 82.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a peer median federal debt of $20,076, and the university’s median is above it, with a gap of $424. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers are a separate parent-borrower population, with median borrowing of $30,610.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 40% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $34,133 per borrower. This includes 38% of graduates with federal loans, averaging $18,172 per federal borrower.

Private loans were held by 12% of graduates, averaging $57,382 per private borrower.

The return picture at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is mixed: graduates earn a solid median wage but fall short of what the model expects for similar students. Four years after completion, the median earnings are $67,631, which places the university in the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That figure sits above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,021. However, graduates earn about $7,740 less than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 26th percentile nationally.

Earnings scenarios from the program mix show a typical earnings level of $67,631, with a downside scenario of $50,756 and an upside scenario of $89,938. The spread between those scenarios reflects the range of outcomes tied to different fields of study.

Borrowers finish with a median federal debt of $20,500, which is above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month if repaid over ten years.

A solid median wage and moderate debt point in one direction, but the shortfall against the earnings model pulls the other way.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $30,610. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $233.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$30,610

**Estimated parent payment**
$389/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 22.9% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 10.3% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 4.9% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 3.2% | Safe |

The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. [Open the parent tool for your own numbers](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$20,500

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$30,610

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$233/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$389/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$622/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $67,631, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**6.4%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville#student-tool)

## 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.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.