Forbes Names UT Top Public University in Tennessee

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been named Tennessee's top public university by Forbes Magazine. The annual "America's Top Colleges" list showcases 500 schools that produce successful, high-earning and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds with less student debt. Nationally, the list ranks UT 62nd among all public universities, 104th among research universities, and 142nd overall out of the 500 public and private institutions.

"This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty and staff, as well as our commitment to providing a world-class education," said Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick. "It's a testament to UT's outstanding academic programs and the innovative teaching, research, scholarship and creative activity that take place on our campus every day as we work with all our communities to make life and lives better."

The rankings are based on factors including graduation rate, retention rate and return on investment. Forbes also considers academic success, evaluating the scholastic performance of each school based on its number of national award winners and Ph.D. graduates.

This year UT produced seven National Science Foundation graduate research fellows and three Goldwater Scholars, among other nationally recognized award recipients. The university has consistently been a top producer of Fulbright student award recipients, with 12 students and recent graduates receiving Fulbright scholarship offers for the 2024-25 academic year.

Earlier this year Forbes recognized UT as one of the best employers for new graduates and one of the country's best large employers.

About the Methodology
Forbes compiled the rankings after evaluating thousands of schools using data from federal education databases, the Seattle-based software and data company PayScale, the Washington, D.C.-based public policy think tank Third Way, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, and some of Forbes's own lists.

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