Do Kentucky Residents Get In-State Tuition in Tennessee? (Undergraduate, 2026)
ACM — in-state rate
Sometimes — Kentucky and Tennessee both belong to Academic Common Market, which can bring undergraduate tuition at University of Tennessee, Knoxville down to the in-state rate of about $14,100 from $33,700, but only for approved majors. It is not automatic in-state status.
- You would pay
- $14,100/yr
- Resident pays
- $14,100/yr
- Non-resident rate
- $33,700/yr
- Saved over 4 yrs
- $78,400
Conditional: Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
Tuition and mandatory fees only, compiled from published rates and rounded. Excludes housing, books and course differentials. Eligibility is decided by the institution, not by this page.
Open this pair in the checker to switch level, compare other states, or copy a link to the result.
Both states take part in Academic Common Market, so the in-state rate at University of Tennessee, Knoxville is reachable: $14,100 a year. The condition is the degree itself, not your circumstances.
15 other states offer Kentucky residents a reduced undergraduate rate, the lowest being Mississippi at about $9,900. At home, in-state undergraduate tuition is $13,700 at University of Kentucky, so Tennessee works out at $400 a year more than staying home.
The failure mode is timing. Awards of this kind are funded annually and allocated in the order applications arrive, so a student admitted in March can find the program closed while a student admitted in November does not.
Every route from Kentucky to Tennessee
| Route | What it gives you | Per year | Saving | Guaranteed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Common Market | An approved ACM student pays the receiving institution's full in-state tuition rate. The gate is availability at home: the program must appear on SREB's approved inventory for your state, which in practice means your own state's public universities do not offer that specific degree. You are certified as ACM-eligible by your home state's ACM coordinator before the receiving institution will apply the rate. | $14,100 | $19,600 | Conditional |
| Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements | Kentucky's Council on Postsecondary Education maintains reciprocity agreements with each bordering state, granting in-state or near-in-state rates to students from designated counties at designated institutions. Scope varies by partner state and is reviewed regularly. | $14,100 | $19,600 | Conditional |
Where Kentucky residents pay less
Staying home, a Kentucky resident pays $13,700 a year for in-state undergraduate tuition at University of Kentucky. The cheapest Tennessee option for you is $14,100 at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, which is $400 a year more than staying home, or $1,600 over 4 years.
Kentucky belongs to Academic Common Market (ACM) at undergraduate level, so 16 of 50 states offer Kentucky undergraduate students a reduced rate, and Tennessee is one of them.
| State | Route | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky to Mississippi | Academic Common Market · University of Mississippi | $9,900 |
| Kentucky to West Virginia | Academic Common Market · West Virginia University | $9,900 |
| Kentucky to Arkansas | Academic Common Market · University of Arkansas | $10,300 |
| Kentucky to Maryland | Academic Common Market · University of Maryland, College Park | $11,900 |
| Kentucky to Indiana | Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements · Indiana University Bloomington | $12,000 |
Kentucky's neighboring states, compared
What a Kentucky resident pays for undergraduate tuition in each state that borders Kentucky, cheapest first:
- West Virginia$9,900/yr · Academic Common Market
- Indiana$12,000/yr · Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements
- Missouri$12,400/yr · Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements
- Ohio$13,200/yr · Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements
- Tennessee$14,100/yr · Academic Common Market
- Illinois$18,000/yr · Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements
- Virginia$22,300/yr · Academic Common Market
Compare all 50 states from Kentucky in the checker. Each figure is one reference campus per state, not a state average.
Tennessee residency, in brief
Tennessee grants in-state tuition after 12 months of domicile before the term begins (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0240-02-02), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile. Moving to Tennessee to enroll does not by itself start the clock.
Tennessee residency requirements in full · how long every state requires
Step by step
- Check that your chosen Tennessee campus participates in Academic Common Market — membership is a state-level agreement, but each campus decides whether to offer it and how many awards to fund.
- Confirm your intended major is on the approved list. Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
- Apply for the award at the same time as admission, and well before the campus deadline — most participating institutions award on a first-come basis and close early.
- Keep your Kentucky residency documentation current; the program is only open to residents of a member state.
- Compare the result against the residency route: Tennessee grants in-state status after 12 months of domicile, currently $14,100 a year.
Official links
Related
Asked and answered
›Do Kentucky residents get in-state tuition in Tennessee?
Effectively yes, through Academic Common Market, but it is not residency. You pay the in-state rate of about $14,100 while remaining a Kentucky resident for every other purpose, and the benefit ends if you leave the approved program.
›How long does it take to get in-state tuition in Tennessee?
Tennessee requires 12 months of domicile before the term begins (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0240-02-02), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile.
›How much would undergraduate study in Tennessee actually cost a Kentucky resident?
About $14,100 a year in tuition and mandatory fees under Academic Common Market, against $33,700 at the published non-resident rate and $14,100 for a Tennessee resident. Over 4 years that is roughly $78,400 saved. Figures are compiled 2025–26 published rates and exclude housing, books and course-specific differentials.
›Is there more than one way to lower the cost?
Yes — 2 routes apply to this pair: Academic Common Market, Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements. They are not stackable. You take the one you qualify for, and where more than one applies the campus normally applies whichever produces the lower rate.
›Where can Kentucky residents get reduced undergraduate tuition?
In 16 states at undergraduate level. Outside Tennessee, the lowest are Mississippi ($9,900), West Virginia ($9,900), Arkansas ($10,300). Each figure is one reference campus, and awards are made campus by campus.
›Is studying in Tennessee cheaper than staying in Kentucky?
No. Kentucky's in-state undergraduate rate is $13,700 a year at University of Kentucky, and the cheapest Tennessee option for a Kentucky resident is $14,100, so Tennessee costs about $400 more a year, or $1,600 over 4 years, in tuition and fees alone.
Sources
Every eligibility rule on this page is checked against the operating compact commission or the state's own residency authority. Last verified 2026-08-07.
Tuition figures on this page are compiled 2025–26 published rates (basis: published compiled), rounded to the nearest $100 and refreshed each June. Eligibility rules are checked against the cited compact commission or residency authority.
- Tennessee Higher Education Commission — residency for tuition purposes ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- University of Kentucky — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
How this page was made
Compiled and checked by Billy Reiner, editor of In-State Check. Last verified 2026-08-07.
- Compiled from published rate pages
- The in-state and non-resident figures are tuition and mandatory fees for one full-time year, read from University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s own 2025–26 rate page and rounded to the nearest $100. Housing, books, travel and course-specific differentials are not included in them.
- Checked against the administering body
- Compact membership at this level was checked against the commission that runs the program (SREB). The residency test — the durational requirement, the domicile evidence and the dependent-student rule — was checked against Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0240-02-02. Nothing here is taken from another comparison site.
Not advice. In-State Check is independent of every college, compact and state agency named here. Residency classification and award decisions are made by the institution you apply to. Found an error? Send the page URL and the source that contradicts it to [email protected], and the page is corrected and re-dated. Full methodology.