HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Tennessee-Knoxville vs University of Memphis

University of Tennessee-Knoxville clears +$1.34M in 30-year net value, University of Memphis +$1.09M — both pay off, University of Tennessee-Knoxville by +$248K.

Two Tennessee public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN

clears more

30-year net value
+$1.34M
Total cost of attendance
$103,936
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$54,851
Breaks even by age
46

University of Memphis · Memphis, TN

30-year net value
+$1.09M
Total cost of attendance
$82,752
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$50,316
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of Tennessee-Knoxville vs University of Memphis: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/tennessee-vs-memphis

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Questions

Is University of Tennessee-Knoxville or University of Memphis a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, University of Tennessee-Knoxville clears +$1.34M and University of Memphis +$1.09M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; University of Tennessee-Knoxville comes out ahead by +$248K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does University of Tennessee-Knoxville pay off than University of Memphis?
About +$248K over a 30-year horizon (+$1.34M vs +$1.09M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
+$1.34M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $103,936, median earnings ten years out $54,851, breaking even around age 46. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.