The Best Tennessee Big Colleges
These are the top ranked large, public and private, four-year colleges in Tennessee as ranked by CollegeSimply. These schools all have total enrollment of 20,000 or more. Leading the list for 2027 is The University of Tennessee Knoxville. Learn how the Best Large Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
The University of Tennessee Knoxville
- Public 4 Year
- Knoxville, TN
-
4.8 | 5 reviews
- 38,728 total enrollment
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
- Acceptance Rate 42%
- Net Price $21,648
Middle Tennessee State University
- Public 4 Year
- Murfreesboro, TN
-
4.5 | 2 reviews
- 20,488 total enrollment
MTSU is a large public university known for undergraduate recording industry, aerospace, and music business programs. The campus is in Murfreesboro, a growing city about a half hour southeast of Nashville.
- SAT Range 1010-1230
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $13,859
University of Memphis
- Public 4 Year
- Memphis, TN
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 20,276 total enrollment
University of Memphis is a large public university known for undergraduate music, business, and journalism. The urban campus is in Midtown Memphis.
- SAT Range 915-1180
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $12,756