KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — UT System President Randy Boyd shared new enrollment figures showing continued growth across the System, along with research showing rising public confidence in UT and the value of higher education, during Friday’s UT Board of Trustees Executive Committee meeting.
The UT System enrolled 65,618 students this fall, up 1.2% from 2025, with enrollment highlights across its campuses:
- UT Knoxville: 41,287 students, up 2.1%, including a record 7,205 first-year students.
- UT Chattanooga: 11,809 students, down 2.1%, with record graduate enrollment of 1,749 and record doctoral enrollment of 571.
- UT Southern: 1,110 students, down 1.9%, while new first-year enrollment increased 16% to 199 students.
- UT Martin: 8,245 students, up 1.8%, with increases in new graduate and dual enrollment students.
- UT Health Sciences: 3,167 students, up 0.3%, with undergraduate enrollment increasing 9.8%.
The enrollment growth comes as Tennesseans’ confidence in the University of Tennessee and the value of higher education is also rising. A public perception pulse survey conducted in July found that 80% of Tennesseans agree that UT campuses offer a high-quality education, up from 73% from 2025. This metric is a specific measure in UT’s Be One UT strategic plan, with a goal of reaching 85% by 2030. The survey also found significant gains in how Tennesseans view the value and affordability of higher education. Seventy-two percent now agree that a four-year degree from a Tennessee public college or university is worth the investment, compared with 59% in 2025. Full survey results can be found here. Full survey results can be found here.
“At a time when the national conversation increasingly questions the value of higher education, Tennesseans are telling us a different story,” Boyd said. “They have growing confidence that a college degree is worth the investment and that our University of Tennessee institutions provide a high-quality, affordable education. We’re seeing that confidence in enrollment numbers, too. That’s incredibly encouraging, but we’re not finished. We have to keep working every day to earn that confidence.”
The Executive Committee meeting also marked the first meeting for two new members of the UT Board of Trustees.
Christi Branscom and Misty Mayes have been appointed to six-year terms on the Board of Trustees, ending June 30, 2032. Branscom was appointed by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, while Mayes was appointed by Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton.
Branscom is general counsel and managing broker with Partners Development, a real estate firm specializing in facilities planning, financing and development. She previously served nearly six years as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services, where she oversaw one of the largest capital programs in state history. Before joining Gov. Bill Lee’s cabinet, she served as chief operating officer and deputy mayor for the City of Knoxville. A UT Knoxville alumna and past recipient of its Accomplished Alumni Award, Branscom will serve on the board’s Finance and Administration Committee.
Mayes is the founder and CEO of Management Solutions LLC, a woman-owned, national award-winning small business headquartered in Knoxville. The company provides program management, workforce solutions, digital solutions, environmental services, and engineering and technical advisory services. A UT Knoxville alumna and past Chair of the Tickle College of Engineering and past recipient of UT Knoxville’s Alumni Service Award, Mayes will serve on the board’s Education, Research and Service Committee and continue to serve on the UT Foundation Board.
“Christi and Misty are accomplished leaders who bring valuable experience and perspectives to the board,” Board Chair John Compton said. “We thank them for their willingness to serve and look forward to working alongside them on behalf of the University of Tennessee and the people of Tennessee.”
“Thank you to Lt. Gov. McNally and Speaker Sexton for appointing two tremendous leaders to our Board of Trustees,” Boyd said. “Christi and Misty care deeply about Tennessee and the future of the university. Their leadership and experience will help us continue building the greatest decade in the history of UT.”
The board also recently welcomed two one-year appointments, with terms running through June 30, 2027. Jay H. Fowke, chief of the Division of Epidemiology and interim chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences, was appointed as the faculty representative to the Education, Research and Service Committee. Thaddeus Weiss, a finance and economics student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was appointed as the board’s student trustee.
