Tennessee · Getting in
Most selective colleges in Tennessee
The short answer
The most selective four-year colleges in Tennessee are Vanderbilt (5.4% admitted), Fisk University (37% admitted) and University of Tennessee (44% admitted), by acceptance rate.
Selective here means a low acceptance rate: the share of applicants the college admitted. A low rate says how many people a college turns away, not how good a fit it is for you. Each row also shows the average price after grants.
The list (18 of 34)
Four-year colleges in Tennessee with 500 or more undergraduates, lowest acceptance rate first. The list shows 18 of the 34 colleges with an acceptance rate on file. Rates come from IPEDS (fall 2024) for 14 colleges and each college's own Common Data Set (fall 2025) for 4 colleges.
- Vanderbilt University 5.4% admitted Nashville, TN · Average price after grants: $15,497 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: Common Data Set, fall 2025
- Fisk University 37% admitted Nashville, TN · Average price after grants: $37,143 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- University of Tennessee 44% admitted Knoxville, TN · Average price after grants: $18,314 a year in-state, about $37,758 out of state (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: Common Data Set, fall 2025
- Rhodes College 52% admitted Memphis, TN · Average price after grants: $28,776 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: Common Data Set, fall 2025
- The University of the South 56% admitted Sewanee, TN · Average price after grants: $31,931 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: Common Data Set, fall 2025
- Freed-Hardeman University 60% admitted Henderson, TN · Average price after grants: $22,036 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Bethel University 60% admitted McKenzie, TN · Average price after grants: $13,267 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Union University 60% admitted Jackson, TN · Average price after grants: $22,995 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Maryville College 61% admitted Maryville, TN · Average price after grants: $20,677 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Lincoln Memorial University 63% admitted Harrogate, TN · Average price after grants: $21,394 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Johnson University 65% admitted Knoxville, TN · Average price after grants: $23,549 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Southern Adventist University 66% admitted Collegedale, TN · Average price after grants: $25,979 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Cumberland University 67% admitted Lebanon, TN · Average price after grants: $15,965 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Lipscomb University 68% admitted Nashville, TN · Average price after grants: $23,178 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Tennessee Wesleyan University 69% admitted Athens, TN · Average price after grants: $14,965 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Middle Tennessee State University 69% admitted Murfreesboro, TN · Average price after grants: $12,562 a year in-state, about $35,058 out of state (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Trevecca Nazarene University 69% admitted Nashville, TN · Average price after grants: $19,828 a year (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
- Tennessee State University 70% admitted Nashville, TN · Average price after grants: $12,154 a year in-state, about $25,954 out of state (College Scorecard, 2024-25) Source: IPEDS, fall 2024
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What are the most selective colleges in Tennessee?
The most selective four-year colleges in Tennessee are Vanderbilt (5.4% admitted), Fisk University (37% admitted) and University of Tennessee (44% admitted), by acceptance rate.
How many colleges on this list admit fewer than half of applicants?
3 of the 18 colleges listed admitted fewer than half of their applicants.
How recent are these acceptance rates?
Each row shows its year. Rates come from IPEDS, the federal college survey, for students who applied for fall 2024, or from the college's own Common Data Set for fall 2025 where that is newer.
Numbers change each year when colleges and the Department of Education publish new data. Confirm costs and admission rules with the college before you apply.