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Otey-Parish-Sewanee-tn1Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Sewanee

Sewanee is a college town: 68 of every 100 residents are students

The University of the South (1,693 students on campus) is inside the town. Across Tennessee, 5 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town68% of residents are studentsThe University of the South

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 Sewanee. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
1,693 students on campus
Nearest college
0.5 mi
The University of the South
Residents in college
68%
Above TN (5%)
Nearest community college
24.3 mi
Motlow State · $4,738 tuition
Nearest public university
36.6 mi
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga · $10,448 in-state
Students on campus in Sewanee
1,693
next to 2,936 residents

What stands out about college in Sewanee

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

A college town68 of every 100 Sewanee residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Tennessee.A university in SewaneeThe University of the South has 1,693 students on campus in Sewanee, 80% of whom graduate within six years.A community college 24.3 miles awayMotlow State Community College in Tullahoma: tuition and fees $4,738 a year for Tennessee residents.In-state price at The University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaLiving in Tennessee, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga charges $10,448 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,512. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Sewanee

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

68 of every 100 Sewanee residents are in college (TN: 5).

1,693students on campus at The University of the South, next to 2,936 residents (dorm students count as residents)
107college students live in Sewanee households rather than dorms
21.5median age · TN 38.9
19%of homes rented · TN 33%
$1,173median rent · 1% below the state
SewaneeSewanee, TN
Cost of living$1,173/mo median rentC−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Sewanee’s other numbers

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

Jobs & income B+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 12.7% of Sewanee residents are below the poverty line, 12.4% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 13 points either way). 15% 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 C−

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 (68% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Sewanee’s median age is 21.5 (Tennessee 38.9), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

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 Sewanee

One private college within 0.5 miles. The nearest public four-year college, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, is 36.6 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miThe University of the SouthSewanee
University or collegeCommunity college
The University of the SouthUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,693 on campus · In Sewanee57%admitted$28knet price80%graduate$65kearnings

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 and the nearest public four-year college. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at Over $110k, where Sewanee’s median household income ($136,111) falls.

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga36.6 mi · Chattanooga · sticker $25,489$19,137a year
The University of the SouthIn Sewanee · sticker $71,986$38,762a 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: 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 the SouthThe University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga50% graduate$51k earnings$20k typical debt
The University of the South80% graduate$65k earnings$23k 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 Sewanee

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

Social sciences 25%Biology 15%English 9%Interdisciplinary 8%Psychology 7%Business 6%Everything else 29%

Biggest programs

Psychology, General46 graduates a year
$59k4 yrs out
Economics45 graduates a year
$88k4 yrs out
Political Science and Government38 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Biology, General35 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
International/Globalization Studies16 graduates a year
$71k4 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 Sewanee

Is Sewanee a college town?

Yes. 68 of every 100 Sewanee residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 5 across Tennessee. The University of the South has 1,693 students on campus, next to 2,936 residents.

What colleges are in Sewanee?

The University of the South is inside the town. Motlow State Community College is 24.3 miles away in Tullahoma.

Why is Sewanee’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 12.7% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 12.4% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 13 points).

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

Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma, 24.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,738 a year for Tennessee residents; the federal net price, $15,742, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into The University of the South?

The University of the South admitted 57% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,260–1,390 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 Sewanee. 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 →