As a new academic year begins on college campuses across the country, students and families are considering one of the most important investments they will ever make: a college education. And many are asking: Is it worth it?
That question arises amid a national narrative that increasingly portrays higher education as too expensive, out of reach and no longer worth the investment. Those concerns deserve to be taken seriously. But when that narrative is fueled by incomplete comparisons, inaccurate information or broad claims that simply do not match facts, it does a disservice to the students and families trying to make informed decisions.
Recent reporting about college tuition claimed tuition is increasing faster than inflation. That is simply not the case at the University of Tennessee. Over the past five years, average increases in undergraduate tuition and fees across our campuses have remained modest. For 2026-27, the approved increases range from approximately 1% at UT Knoxville to 3% at UT Chattanooga, UT Martin and UT Southern, continuing our focus on keeping a UT education within reach. The five-year averages are similarly below inflation, ranging from 1% to 2.6%.
Universities have a responsibility to keep higher education within reach, and we should be held accountable for doing so. But we risk losing sight of the other side of the equation: what students receive in return.
At UT, that means looking at the entire student experience and the outcomes that follow. More than half of our students graduate debt free. Programs such as UT Promise are expanding access and providing free pathways to a degree, while new academic programs have the potential to reduce the time and cost required to earn a degree.