Celebrating Our Successes
2024 has been another great year for this university.
As you know, we reached our highest retention rate ever, with 91.9 percent of last year’s first-year students returning for their second year. As those numbers increase, so do our graduation rates. Our student success efforts have garnered national attention, bringing professionals from more than 200 higher education institutions to Rocky Top to learn from our campus leaders and other experts in the field.
Our research expenditures have hit a record of more than $380 million, and we’re seeing more collaborative projects receive high-profile funding.
Faculty experts in the Herbert College of Agriculture are developing the playing surfaces for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—the largest and most-watched sporting event in the world.
We are continuing to expand opportunities to more Tennesseans through our digital learning initiative with Arizona State University and look forward to rolling out more degree options.
And of course, our athletics department continues to win on and off the field. In addition to a top three finish in the Learfield Director’s Cup, a national championship for the baseball team, and participation in the College Football Playoff, our athletes posted their best two semesters in the classroom with record GPAs.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this success this year, both on campus and in our community. Congratulations to our fall graduates. I look forward to the new year and all the opportunities ahead.
Go Vols!