KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee System awarded 16,382 degrees in 2026, a 26.4% increase over five years, as more students graduated without debt and graduation rates continued to improve. At its fall meeting Friday, the UT Board of Trustees reviewed these results and other efforts to help students complete degrees, prepare for careers and meet Tennessee’s workforce needs.
More UT students are graduating on time and without debt. In 2026, 56.3% of undergraduates earned their degrees debt free, up from 46.5% in 2020. The four-year graduation rate also climbed to 61.8%, an increase of 14 percentage points over five years. And 88% of 2024–25 graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.
“The greatest decade in UT history is more than just getting students in the door,” said UT System President Randy Boyd. “It’s helping them graduate with the skills employers need, without student debt holding them back and a strong foundation for successful careers. When students succeed, our whole state benefits.”
Trustees approved naming the UT Knoxville Student Success building the Compton Center for Student Success, recognizing a transformational gift from John and Cindy Compton that represents a generational investment in the university and its students. John Compton has served as chair of the UT Board of Trustees since 2018 and has championed efforts to help students stay enrolled and complete their degrees.
“Student success has to be at the center of everything we do,” Compton said. “We have a responsibility to give students access to a high-quality education and to make sure they have the support they need to finish what they start. Cindy and I believe deeply in the transformative power of education, and we know this center will help strengthen that commitment for generations of students.”