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Martin-Lindell-Street-tnPhoto: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Colleges in and near Martin

Martin is a college town: 28 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Tennessee-Martin (5,066 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Tennessee, 5 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town28% of residents are studentsThe University of Tennessee-Martin

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Martin. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
5,066 students on campus
Nearest college
0.7 mi
The University of Tennessee-Martin
Residents in college
28%
Above TN (5%)
Nearest community college
36.2 mi
Dyersburg State · $4,758 tuition
Nearest public university
0.7 mi
The University of Tennessee-Martin · $10,560 in-state
Students on campus in Martin
5,066
next to 11,060 residents

What stands out about college in Martin

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town28 of every 100 Martin residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.A university in MartinThe University of Tennessee-Martin has 5,066 students on campus in Martin, 53% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at The University of Tennessee-MartinLiving in Tennessee, The University of Tennessee-Martin charges $10,560 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $16,600. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 36.2 miles awayDyersburg State Community College in Dyersburg: tuition and fees $4,758 a year for Tennessee residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Martin

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

28 of every 100 Martin residents are in college (TN: 5).

5,066students on campus at The University of Tennessee-Martin, next to 11,060 residents (dorm students count as residents)
1,291college students live in Martin households rather than dorms
24.5median age · TN 38.9
58%of homes rented · TN 33%
$859median rent · 28% below the state
MartinMartin, TN
Cost of living$859/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIC+HealthCDC estimatesC−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Martin’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income D

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 26.6% of Martin residents are below the poverty line, 21.2% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 6 points either way). 58% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (28% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health C−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Martin’s median age is 24.5 (Tennessee 38.9), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C+

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Martin

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Martin.

5 mi10 mi15 miThe University of Tennessee-MartinMartin
University or collegeCommunity college
The University of Tennessee-MartinUniversity or college · Public · 5,066 on campus · In Martin88%admitted$11knet price53%graduate$44kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Martin’s median household income ($43,381) falls.

The University of Tennessee-MartinIn Martin · sticker $23,079$8,961a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Martin: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →The University of Tennessee-Martin
The University of Tennessee-Martin53% graduate$44k earnings$21k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Martin

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at The University of Tennessee-Martin, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Agriculture 19%Business 17%Interdisciplinary 13%Parks & recreation 8%Education 6%Health professions 5%Everything else 32%

Biggest programs

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness85 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations80 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods69 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Agriculture, General67 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Psychology, General44 graduates a year
$37k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing41 graduates a year
$77k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services33 graduates a year
$65k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections30 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Martin

Is Martin a college town?

Yes. 28 of every 100 Martin residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 5 across Tennessee. The University of Tennessee-Martin has 5,066 students on campus, next to 11,060 residents.

What colleges are in Martin?

The University of Tennessee-Martin is inside the city. Dyersburg State Community College is 36.2 miles away in Dyersburg.

Why is Martin’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 26.6% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 21.2% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 6 points).

What is the closest community college to Martin, and what does it cost?

Dyersburg State Community College in Dyersburg, 36.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,758 a year for Tennessee residents; the federal net price, $4,612, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into The University of Tennessee-Martin?

The University of Tennessee-Martin admitted 88% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 970–1,210 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Martin. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →