(The Center Square) – Enrollment in Tennessee’s colleges and universities is up by almost 5,000 students, a jump of 2.3% from 2023, according to a report from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
The most significant increases are in the state’s community colleges, according to the 2025 Tennessee Higher Education Fact Book, which compares 2024 fall enrollment numbers with 2023 numbers.
Chattanooga State Community College is one example of a post-pandemic climb in the number of students. The school welcomed 7,156 students in 2023 and 7,657 in 2024. The school’s enrollment was 7,604 in 2020 but had declined to 7,050 in 2022, according to the report.
Among the commission’s four-year colleges, all of them increased enrollment except for Nashville’s Tennessee State University and the University of Memphis.
The decrease at the University of Memphis is attributed to a new start because of a new strategic plan called Ascend.
“Ascend focuses on success-driven education by providing multiple pathways and opportunities for students to succeed in the classroom and their future careers,” the report said. “Achieving a successful outcome for every student requires the University to raise its admissions and academic standards. Through intentional admissions efforts that focus on expanding the University’s footprint while minimizing postgraduation debt, the UofM aims to grow its qualified applicant pool while continuing to gradually increase admissions standards.”
The five University of Tennessee campuses experienced enrollment growth. The flagship institution, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, attracted the most students, jumping from 36,185 in 2023 to 38,690 in 2024.
“These gains in enrollment and retention reflect the resilience of our students and the commitment of our institutions to student success,” said Dr. Steven Gentile, THEC executive director. “As we continue to align higher education with workforce needs, it’s encouraging to see more Tennesseans earning credentials that position them for long-term opportunity and economic mobility. The data in this year’s Fact Book tells a powerful story of progress across our state.”
Students had higher tuition costs in 2024 than in the previous year, according to the report. The average cost for community college tuition was $5,003 for the 2024-25 year, a 5% increase. Students at the state’s universities paid an average of $10,705, a 4.2% increase.
