Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

A liberal arts degree from UT-Knoxville comes with estimated debt of $28,426, based on what similar Tennessee public universities report for their graduates. While that debt load sits near the national median for these programs, the estimated first-year earnings of $37,437 place this degree squarely in the middle of the pack—roughly matching what other Tennessee liberal arts programs produce. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 means graduates would owe about nine months' salary, which is manageable but not exceptional for a flagship university.

What's harder to assess here is whether UT-Knoxville's stronger reputation and more selective admissions (SAT of 1304, 46% acceptance rate) translate into better career outcomes than these peer-program estimates suggest. Some Tennessee schools with reported data—like Lee University and Middle Tennessee State—show liberal arts graduates earning $45,000 or more in their first year, significantly above these estimates. That gap could indicate UT-Knoxville performs differently, or it could reflect the variability inherent in broad liberal arts programs where outcomes depend heavily on the student's specific focus and career path.

The practical challenge: you're looking at middle-of-the-road projections for a program at a school that markets itself as Tennessee's premier public institution. If UT-Knoxville's liberal arts graduates actually outperform these state medians, this could be a solid foundation degree. If they don't, you're paying flagship tuition for average outcomes.