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UT System reports record enrollment and gains in retention and four‑year graduation rates
Summary
System leadership reported record total enrollment (64,866), rising first‑year retention (85.8%) and notable gains in four‑year graduation rates across campuses; trustees requested disaggregated retention data and additional reporting on licensure pass rates and career placement.
The University of Tennessee System presented its annual Student Success Indicators report to trustees, reporting system enrollment up more than 4% year‑over‑year to 64,866 students and noting sustained growth over the past five years (more than 20% increase).
Dr. Bernie Savarese, who presented the report, said first‑year retention reached a record 85.8% and that four‑year graduation rates have increased sharply — about a 10% rise over five years — which has reduced the system average time‑to‑degree to roughly 4.14 years. Savarese said the system is on track toward an aggregate enrollment goal of 71,000 students and described this as the eleventh consecutive year of enrollment growth beginning in 2014.
Campus highlights in the presentation included: UT Knoxville’s record fall headcount (40,421) and a first‑year retention rate of 92.4%; UTC (Chattanooga) reported a record 4‑year graduation rate of 42.7%; UT Southern showed rapid gains after the Martin Methodist transition, with sharp improvements in the 4‑year cohort; UT Martin recorded five consecutive years of enrollment growth (up roughly 21% over five years); and the Health Science Center posted modest enrollment growth (1.8% year‑over‑year) after several years of flat enrollment.
Savarese and trustees discussed intra‑system transfers: system staff noted that holding students who transfer within the UT family “harmless” would raise reported retention rates at campuses with large internal flows. Trustees asked for additional breakdowns, including second‑ and third‑year retention metrics, disaggregated outcomes for first‑generation and low‑income students, and college‑level licensure passage rates for UTHSC programs; system staff committed to provide those data and to explore career‑placement and employer reporting.
Trustees also asked for more explicit system retention goals to accompany system enrollment targets and for clearer reporting on online enrollments. President Randy Boyd and staff said a retention goal could be calculated as a weighted average of campus goals and that a system‑wide online‑enrollment strategy and clearer online reporting are next steps.
