Quad

Head-to-head

Auburn
U. Tennessee-Knoxville

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Auburn graduates 8 pts more of its students than U. Tennessee-Knoxville (80% vs. 71%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    U. Tennessee-Knoxville costs about $6.1K less per year on average than Auburn ($29,748 vs. $35,798, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    U. Tennessee-Knoxville has 7 pts more first-gen students than Auburn (25% vs. 17%)

    First-generation students
  4. 4

    U. Tennessee-Knoxville is more diverse (index 0.38 vs. 0.31)

    Diversity index
  5. 5

    U. Tennessee-Knoxville's grants cover 27% of its full price on average, vs. 20% at Auburn

    Aid generosity
  6. 6

    U. Tennessee-Knoxville has 6 pts more Pell recipients than Auburn (19% vs. 13%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

U. Tennessee-Knoxville admits 42%, Auburn 46%; U. Tennessee-Knoxville's yield is higher, at 27%.

Acceptance rate
Auburn46%
U. Tennessee-Knoxville42%
Quad's selectivity
  • AuburnVery selective
  • U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1100–1600
Auburn
1260–1390
U. Tennessee-Knoxville
1200–1370
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • AuburnGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

U. Tennessee-Knoxville is a bit larger than Auburn (30,418 vs. 26,816 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Auburn26.8K
U. Tennessee-Knoxville30.4K
Pell Grant share
Auburn13%
U. Tennessee-Knoxville19%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at Auburn, and Marketing/Marketing Management at U. Tennessee-Knoxville.

Students per faculty member
Auburn21 to 1
U. Tennessee-Knoxville18 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • AuburnBusiness Administration and Management, General6%
  • U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleMarketing/Marketing Management, General7%

What each costs

U. Tennessee-Knoxville costs about $6.1K less a year than Auburn on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Auburn$35.8K
U. Tennessee-Knoxville$29.7K
Aid generosity
Auburn20%
U. Tennessee-Knoxville27%

What each pays off

Auburn's former students earn more, a median $65.3K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Auburn$65.3K
U. Tennessee-Knoxville$60.2K
Graduation rate
Auburn80%
U. Tennessee-Knoxville71%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • AuburnGrowing+225%
  • U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleGrowing+287%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why