Most Selective Tennessee Colleges
Tennessee has 5 four-year colleges that accept 50% or fewer of applicants, ranked from most to least selective.
Vanderbilt University is the hardest to get into in Tennessee, accepting just 6% of 45,409 applicants. Also highly selective: Visible Music College, Fisk University and The University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Selectivity does not always equal academic difficulty. Some schools admit a small share of applicants because demand exceeds capacity, not because admission standards are extreme. If you need safety schools, see our highest acceptance rate colleges in Tennessee. For academically demanding options, explore colleges with the highest SAT, highest ACT, and highest GPA averages.
Vanderbilt University
- Private 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
-
5.0 | 5 reviews
- 6% acceptance rate
- Jan 1 application deadline
Vanderbilt is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate education, music, and the sciences. The tree-lined urban campus is a designated arboretum in the heart of Nashville.
- SAT Range 1500-1570
- Avg GPA 3.89
- Net Price $25,186
Visible Music College
- Private 4 Year
- Memphis, TN
-
| 0 reviews
- 28% acceptance rate
Visible Music College is a private Christian college known for undergraduate contemporary music, worship arts, and music business. The urban campus is located in Memphis.
- SAT Range 605-1250
- Avg GPA NA
- Net Price $27,045
Fisk University
- Private 4 Year
- Nashville, TN
-
| 0 reviews
- 37% acceptance rate
- Aug 1 application deadline
Fisk is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate natural sciences and music. The historic urban campus sits in Nashville and is closely tied to the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
- SAT Range 1140-1510
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Net Price $18,595
The University of Tennessee Knoxville
- Public 4 Year
- Knoxville, TN
-
4.8 | 5 reviews
- 42% acceptance rate
Tennessee is a large public university known for undergraduate supply chain management, business, and nuclear engineering. The campus borders the Tennessee River in Knoxville.
- SAT Range 1200-1370
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.66
- Net Price $21,648
Rhodes College
- Private 4 Year
- Memphis, TN
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- 50% acceptance rate
- Jan 15 application deadline
Rhodes is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology and international studies. The collegiate Gothic campus sits in a wooded residential section of Memphis.
- SAT Range 1300-1486
- Avg GPA 3.99
- Net Price $31,037