KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — Even after seeing record enrollment, University of Tennessee , Knoxville is still looking to attract more students.
UT saw a record number of first-year applications this year, with nearly 60,000 submitted, and the UT system saw an 18.4% increase overall. This growth trajectory also positions the UT System to exceed its 2030 goal of 71,000 students across all campuses.
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At a Board of Trustees meeting Friday, System President Randy Boyd explained how he plans to maintain that trend.
“We’re not trying to increase our enrollment for our ego, because it boosts us up in rankings, those things don’t matter,” he said.
He said in addition to providing an education for more students, boosted enrollment means helping the state’s industries and economy.
“The employers of the state of Tennessee are desperate for talent, and who better to provide them the talent than the University of Tennessee. We’re not growing just to keep score, we’re doing it because it’s our mission and this is a key way in which we serve the state of Tennessee,” he said.