University of Tennessee

This article is about the Knoxville campus. For other uses, see University of Tennessee (disambiguation).

University of Tennessee
Other name
Tennessee (colloquially)
UT
UTK
UT Knoxville
UTenn
Former names
Blount College (1794–1807)
East Tennessee College (1807–1840)
East Tennessee University (1840–1879)
MottoVeritatem cognoscetis, et veritas vos liberabit. (Latin)
Motto in English
"You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free."
On seal: "Agriculture, Commerce"
TypePublic land-grant research university
EstablishedSeptember 10, 1794; 230 years ago (1794-09-10)
Parent institution
University of Tennessee system
AccreditationSACS
Academic affiliations
Endowment$1.01 billion (2023)
(UT Knoxville only)[1]
$1.60 billion (2023)
(system-wide)[2]
ChancellorDonde Plowman[3]
PresidentRandy Boyd
ProvostJohn Zomchick[4]
Academic staff
1,700+[5]
Administrative staff
9,791[5]
Students38,728 (fall 2024)[6]
Undergraduates30,564 (fall 2024)[6]
Postgraduates8,164 (fall 2024)[6]
Location
Knoxville
,
Tennessee
,
United States

35°57′6″N 83°55′48″W / 35.95167°N 83.93000°W / 35.95167; -83.93000
CampusMidsize city[10], 600 acres (240 ha)[5]
Total, 2,128 acres (861 ha)[7][8][9]
NewspaperThe Daily Beacon
ColorsOrange and white[11]
   
Nickname Volunteers & Lady Volunteers
Sporting affiliations
MascotSmokey XI
Websiteutk.edu

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, it is the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee system, with ten undergraduate colleges and eleven graduate colleges. It hosts more than 30,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 foreign countries. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".[12]

UT's ties to nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory, established under UT President Andrew Holt and continued under the UT–Battelle partnership, allow for considerable research opportunities for faculty and students. Also affiliated with the university are the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility, and the University of Tennessee Arboretum, which occupies 250 acres (100 ha) of nearby Oak Ridge. The university is a direct partner of the University of Tennessee Medical Center, which is one of two Level I trauma centers in East Tennessee.

Nine of its alumni have been selected as Rhodes Scholars and one alumnus, James M. Buchanan, received the 1986 Nobel Prize in Economics. It is a top producer of Fulbright scholars.[13] UT is one of the oldest public universities in the United States and the oldest secular institution west of the Eastern Continental Divide.[14]

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2023. "Endowment Overview" (PDF). University of Tennessee. February 22, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  2. ^ As of June 30, 2023. "U.S. and Canadian 2023 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2023 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY22 to FY23, and FY23 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student" (XLSX). National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). February 15, 2024. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  3. ^ "Donde Plowman". Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  4. ^ "About the Provost". Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Quick Facts". University of Tennessee Knoxville. 2017. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "University of Tennessee, Knoxville Fact Book". Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  7. ^ "Highbeam.com". Highbeam.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  8. ^ "Graduateguide.com". Graduateguide.com. October 13, 2010. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  9. ^ "UTM.edu". UTM.edu. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  10. ^ "College Navigator - The University of Tennessee-Knoxville". nces.ed.gov.
  11. ^ "Color Palettes | Brand Guidelines". Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  12. ^ "Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup". carnegieclassifications.iu.edu. Center for Postsecondary Education. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  13. ^ "Top Producing Institutions". Fulbright. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  14. ^ "1794-1860 - Early Years". Archived from the original on September 25, 2023.