The University of Tennessee-Chat­tanooga

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Average Rating: 58.7 Average Consensus: 69 Average Review: 76.8
No College Consensus
AVERAGE: 69
No Publisher Consensus
AVERAGE: 58.7
79.5
Student Consensus
AVERAGE: 76.8
Publisher Ratings
Student Reviews
85.6
Unigo
79.6
Grad Reports
73.4
Niche
Scores last updated on January 6, 2024
83%
Percent Admitted
32%
4-year Graduation Rate
11,283
Enrollment
16.0:1
Student-to-Faculty Ratio
$9,159
Average Undergraduate Students Aid
$9,848
In-State Tuition and Fees
$25,966
Out-of-State Tuition and Fees
= Average
Sector
Public, 4-year or above
Carnegie Classification
Doctoral/Professional Universities
Religious Affiliation
Not applicable

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga began in 1886 as a private Methodist institution, Chattanooga University, but in only a few years merged with Grant Memorial University (an institution that stands today as Tennessee Wesleyan University). Until 1969, when it became part of the University of Tennessee System, the school was the University of Chattanooga and Chattanooga City College. For the last 50 years, though, it’s been the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and has grown into a comprehensive public institution that stands as a model of the modern metropolitan, urban university. UTC is ranked one of the top 60 regional universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report.

Academic Programs

As an urban university, UTC’s strongest, most popular programs are focused on fields and professions that are most crucial to city life in a metropolitan area. The UTC College of Business has been named one of the best nationally by the Princeton Review and Bloomberg Businessweek, and offers Tennessee’s leading MBA and MAcc degree programs. Nursing and engineering are also major programs; Chattanooga is a major medical city for Tennessee, with three hospital systems, while the 21st century has seen Chattanooga named as an up-and-coming tech start-up city, with UTC’s College of Engineering & Computer Science leading the way.

In addition to traditional undergraduate programs, UT Chattanooga is a comprehensive university, offering master’s and doctoral degrees in a variety of fields. Chattanooga has grown in recent years to a national metropolis, and UTC has been there each step of the way, developing top-tier professional degrees in business, nursing, education, and other crucial fields that make city life livable. The UTC Center for Professional Education has also been a force in helping working adults and mid-career professionals increase their credentials, learn up-to-date skills, and build their resumes.

Student Life

UT Chattanooga is home to a student body of well over 12,000, mostly undergraduates (around 11,000); women slightly outnumber men, and a quarter of the student population comes from a minority background. With Chattanooga’s changing economy and demographics, UTC is attracting more older and nontraditional students as well. Student life takes full advantage of its location in one of America’s fastest-growing, most exciting up-and-coming cities, from cultural and arts events to sports and recreation, including parks, public golf courses, and a public lake. The Tennessee mountains are just a short drive away for outdoor adventure.

More than 120 on-campus, student-led clubs and organizations give both residential and commuting students plenty to do. Religious groups, hobbies, special interests, and recreation are all represented, as well as professional development and networking organizations and honor societies. The Chattanooga Mocs (short for “Mocassins,” but intended to call to mind Tennessee’s state bird, the mockingbird) compete in the NCAA Division I Southern Conference. UTC has been one of the winningest teams in the conference since entering in the 1970s, with numerous conference championships in a variety of sports to their name. Their mascot, a mockingbird named Scrappy, is named in honor of Chattanooga’s longtime football coach, “Scrappy” Moore.

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Ready to start your journey?