For the 2025 Tennessee college admission cycle, a total of 4,459 enrolled students submitted SAT scores and 23,496 students submitted ACT scores to Tennessee colleges.
The average SAT score for Tennessee colleges is 1,159 and the average ACT composite score is 23. Compared to the previous year, the Tennessee's average SAT score increased by 15 points from 1,143 to 1,159, representing a 1.3% change.
The average acceptance rate for Tennessee colleges with available SAT data is 52.66% with a yield rate of 24.19%. This represents a 4.9 percentage point decrease in selectivity compared to the previous admission cycle.
Among Tennessee colleges, Vanderbilt University has the highest SAT score of 1,540.
The following table compares the SAT scores between four-years colleges in Tennessee. Those colleges have admission requirements and criteria to admit (not open admission). The green or red arrows with numbers indicate change from the previous year for each column.
| School | SAT Score | ACT Score | Acceptance Rate | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University | 1,540 | 35 | 5.86% -0.42% | 61.23% 4.20% |
| Fisk University | 1,420 90 | 21 -1 | 37.42% -20.49% | 8.75% 1.83% |
| Rhodes College | 1,385 -15 | 29 -1 | 50.35% 0.67% | 12.11% -4.03% |
| The University of the South | 1,330 25 | 29 | 56.90% 6.00% | 17.86% 0.28% |
| Union University | 1,290 100 | 26 | 60.41% 13.23% | 30.08% 7.35% |
| Lipscomb University | 1,280 40 | 26 | 67.73% 1.09% | 24.91% -0.23% |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | 1,280 20 | 28 | 41.60% -4.39% | 27.37% -1.46% |
| Belmont University | 1,260 10 | 27 | 95.28% -1.08% | 17.72% -1.63% |
| Christian Brothers University | 1,205 -10 | 21 1 | 86.70% -1.72% | 13.42% -7.05% |
| Milligan University | 1,185 -25 | 24 | 72.29% 2.02% | 27.56% -1.54% |
| Tennessee Technological University | 1,180 70 | 23 | 76.13% -7.03% | 22.84% -4.41% |
| Southern Adventist University | 1,140 30 | 22 | 65.50% -1.11% | 36.92% -4.75% |
| Lee University | 1,130 10 | 23 | 70.52% -1.67% | 34.98% -0.65% |
| Middle Tennessee State University | 1,130 30 | 22 | 69.09% 1.09% | 30.41% -0.73% |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin | 1,110 20 | 22 1 | 88.20% 0.88% | 22.76% -1.87% |
| Lincoln Memorial University | 1,100 -10 | 21 | 62.59% 3.32% | 15.83% 0.34% |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | 1,100 20 | 23 1 | 81.09% 4.07% | 29.25% -4.74% |
| Trevecca Nazarene University | 1,095 5 | 21 | 69.44% -0.58% | 26.82% -0.53% |
| East Tennessee State University | 1,080 30 | 23 1 | 86.19% -0.87% | 24.68% -0.15% |
| Carson-Newman University | 1,070 30 | 22 | 90.45% 22.18% | 16.76% -1.21% |
| Johnson University | 1,040 30 | 21 | 65.11% 11.34% | 32.30% -22.88% |
| University of Memphis | 1,035 -35 | 21 1 | 72.03% -21.35% | 18.06% 0.32% |
| Freed-Hardeman University | 1,020 10 | 22 | 59.68% -30.94% | 36.42% 8.86% |
| Austin Peay State University | 1,005 -40 | 21 1 | 96.41% 0.46% | 27.47% -3.37% |
| The University of Tennessee Southern | 990 -70 | 21 | 86.71% 4.00% | 26.10% -10.39% |
| Tennessee State University | 960 -25 | 19 | 70.11% -22.52% | 12.99% -1.83% |
| Bethel University | 920 -55 | 18 -2 | 60.23% -36.94% | 32.18% 19.71% |