Tuition Trends for Tennessee colleges Over Past 10 Years

There are 143 colleges in Tennessee - 47 public and 96 private schools. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in Tennessee is $10,201 for Tennessee residents and $19,439 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $26,356. For Tennessee community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $4,739 for state residents and $9,524 for out-of-state students.

Tennessee public 4-year colleges' in-state tuition & fees increased by 42.30% from $8,122 (2015) to $11,558 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by -8.81% over the past decade from $23,126 (2015) to $21,089 (2024). In private Tennessee colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 19.88%, from $20,491 (2015) to $24,565 (2024).

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Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased by 2.25% when living on campus and by 4.69% when living off campus at public Tennessee colleges. For private Tennessee colleges, the COA has increased by 20.62% (on-campus) and 22.96% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes of Tennessee colleges
Year	Living On Campus			Living Off Campus
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$21,202	$36,206	$33,571	$21,750	$36,754	$34,119
2015-16	$21,773 2.69%	$36,965 2.10%	$33,790 0.65%	$22,219 2.16%	$37,411 1.79%	$34,236 0.34%
2016-17	$22,791 4.68%	$37,485 1.41%	$34,934 3.39%	$23,135 4.12%	$37,829 1.12%	$35,278 3.04%
2017-18	$23,288 2.18%	$38,396 2.43%	$35,803 2.49%	$23,685 2.38%	$38,793 2.55%	$36,200 2.61%
2018-19	$23,881 2.55%	$39,062 1.73%	$36,178 1.05%	$24,314 2.66%	$39,495 1.81%	$36,611 1.14%
2019-20	$24,517 2.66%	$37,533 -3.91%	$37,212 2.86%	$24,784 1.93%	$37,800 -4.29%	$37,479 2.37%
2020-21	$24,735 0.89%	$36,805 -1.94%	$37,602 1.05%	$25,049 1.07%	$37,119 -1.80%	$37,916 1.17%
2021-22	$25,157 1.71%	$35,955 -2.31%	$37,899 0.79%	$25,485 1.74%	$36,283 -2.25%	$38,227 0.82%
2022-23	$26,847 6.72%	$37,736 4.95%	$38,486 1.55%	$27,588 8.25%	$38,477 6.05%	$39,227 2.62%
2023-24	$27,488 2.39%	$37,019 -1.90%	$40,495 5.22%	$28,946 4.92%	$38,477 0.00%	$41,953 6.95%

Tuition & Fees Changes

For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for Tennessee colleges is $13,071 for Tennessee residents and $22,827 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $24,565.

For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $13,285 for Tennessee residents and $22,343 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $19,381.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.

Tuition & Fees Changes for Tennessee colleges
Year	Undergraduate			Graduate
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$8,122	$23,126	$20,491	$9,503	$23,155	$16,353
2015-16	$8,488 4.51%	$23,680 2.40%	$20,505 0.07%	$9,860 3.76%	$23,671 2.23%	$17,152 4.89%
2016-17	$9,003 6.07%	$23,697 0.07%	$21,146 3.13%	$10,593 7.43%	$23,813 0.60%	$16,743 -2.38%
2017-18	$9,205 2.24%	$24,313 2.60%	$21,720 2.71%	$10,894 2.84%	$24,165 1.48%	$17,942 7.16%
2018-19	$9,486 3.05%	$24,667 1.46%	$21,783 0.29%	$11,090 1.80%	$23,693 -1.95%	$17,657 -1.59%
2019-20	$9,805 3.36%	$22,821 -7.48%	$22,500 3.29%	$11,292 1.82%	$22,409 -5.42%	$18,713 5.98%
2020-21	$9,875 0.71%	$21,945 -3.84%	$22,742 1.08%	$11,173 -1.05%	$21,329 -4.82%	$16,726 -10.62%
2021-22	$9,894 0.19%	$20,692 -5.71%	$22,636 -0.47%	$11,498 2.91%	$22,049 3.38%	$16,904 1.06%
2022-23	$11,280 14.01%	$22,169 7.14%	$22,919 1.25%	$11,408 -0.78%	$21,506 -2.46%	$15,934 -5.74%
2023-24	$11,558 2.46%	$21,089 -4.87%	$24,565 7.18%	$11,687 2.45%	$20,706 -3.72%	$18,402 15.49%

Tennessee 4-Year Colleges Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Tennessee Graduate Schools Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Tennessee colleges
Year	Books & Supplies
2014-15	$1,317
2015-16	$1,307 -0.76%
2016-17	$1,361 4.13%
2017-18	$1,404 3.16%
2018-19	$1,374 -2.14%
2019-20	$1,398 1.75%
2020-21	$1,357 -2.93%
2021-22	$1,316 -3.02%
2022-23	$1,231 -6.46%
2023-24	$1,193 -3.09%

Living Costs Changes

For Tennessee colleges, the living have increased 19.04% when a student lives on campus facilities and 27.64% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.

Living Costs Changes for Tennessee colleges
Year	Living On Campus	Living Off Campus
2014-15	$11,763	$12,305
2015-16	$11,978 1.56%	$12,412 1.63%
2016-17	$12,427 4.13%	$12,794 3.69%
2017-18	$12,679 2.24%	$13,134 1.83%
2018-19	$13,021 3.00%	$13,427 4.01%
2019-20	$13,314 2.09%	$13,553 2.09%
2020-21	$13,503 1.66%	$13,905 0.37%
2021-22	$13,947 2.53%	$14,270 3.58%
2022-23	$14,336 4.53%	$14,744 8.00%
2023-24	$14,737 4.63%	$15,039 12.56%

Most Searched Tennessee Colleges (last 30 days)

4-Year Colleges

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Public, four-years | Knoxville
Vanderbilt University Private, four-years | Nashville
University of Memphis Public, four-years | Memphis
Middle Tennessee State University Public, four-years | Murfreesboro
Belmont University Private, four-years | Nashville
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Public, four-years | Chattanooga
East Tennessee State University Public, four-years | Johnson City
Austin Peay State University Public, four-years | Clarksville
Tennessee Technological University Public, four-years | Cookeville
Tennessee State University Public, four-years | Nashville

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Graduate

Lipscomb University Private, four-years | Nashville
University of Memphis Public, four-years | Memphis
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Public, four-years | Chattanooga
Vanderbilt University Private, four-years | Nashville
Middle Tennessee State University Public, four-years | Murfreesboro
Belmont University Private, four-years | Nashville
East Tennessee State University Public, four-years | Johnson City
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Public, four-years | Knoxville
Lincoln Memorial University Private, four-years | Harrogate
Williamson Christian College Private, four-years | Franklin

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Online Schools

East Tennessee State University Public, four-years | Johnson City
Volunteer State Community College Public, 2-4 years | Gallatin
Tennessee State University Public, four-years | Nashville
Austin Peay State University Public, four-years | Clarksville
Vanderbilt University Private, four-years | Nashville
South College Private, four-years | Knoxville
Chattanooga State Community College Public, 2-4 years | Chattanooga
Dyersburg State Community College Public, 2-4 years | Dyersburg
Motlow State Community College Public, 2-4 years | Tullahoma
Lincoln Memorial University Private, four-years | Harrogate

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Trade Schools

Allied Health Careers Institute Private, Less than 2-years | Murfreesboro
Empire Beauty School-Nashville Private, Less than 2-years | Brentwood
Mr Wayne's School of Unisex Hair Design Private, Less than 2-years | Cookeville
Empire Beauty School-E Memphis Private, Less than 2-years | Memphis
Austin's Beauty College Inc Private, Less than 2-years | Clarksville
Brillare Beauty Institute Private, Less than 2-years | Cleveland
Arnolds Beauty School Private, Less than 2-years | Milan
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Northwest Public, 2-4 years | Newbern
Paul Mitchell the School-Knoxville Private, Less than 2-years | Knoxville
Genesis Career College-Lebanon Private, Less than 2-years | Lebanon

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Tuition Trends for Tennessee colleges Over Past 10 Years

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Tuition & Fees Changes

Books & Supplies Costs Changes

Living Costs Changes