| Student Headcount Enrollment - Universities | |||||||||||
| 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | |
| Austin Peay | 2,894 | 3,186 | 3,270 | 3,540 | 3,816 | 3,668 | 4,111 | 3,918 | 4,160 | 4,454 | 4,850 |
| East Tennessee | 8,903 | 8,966 | 9,181 | 9,291 | 9,544 | 9,530 | 9,291 | 9,050 | 10,288 | 10,092 | 10,037 |
| Memphis State | 15,101 | 16,344 | 17,449 | 18,701 | 19,667 | 20,079 | 20,545 | 21,345 | 22,364 | 21,269 | 21,275 |
| Middle Tennessee | 6,257 | 6,779 | 7,425 | 8,078 | 8,630 | 9,325 | 9,660 | 10,119 | 10,562 | 10,239 | 10,223 |
| Tennessee State | 4,793 | 4,536 | 4,543 | 4,402 | 4,436 | 4,640 | 4,442 | 4,709 | 5,167 | 5,498 | 4,945 |
| Tennessee Tech | 5,593 | 5,672 | 5,902 | 6,142 | 6,235 | 6,607 | 6,886 | 6,896 | 6,968 | 7,134 | 7,270 |
| UT Chattanooga* | -- | -- | 3,741 | 4,386 | 4,801 | 4,917 | 4,980 | 5,034 | 5,808 | 6,162 | 6,628 |
| UT Knoxville** | 22,537 | 22,815 | 23,842 | 24,745 | 26,194 | 26,415 | 26,766 | 28,011 | 29,999 | 29,499 | 30,234 |
| UT Martin | 3,168 | 3,755 | 4,197 | 4,588 | 4,874 | 4,962 | 4,884 | 4,978 | 5,188 | 5,082 | 4,957 |
| TOTAL | 69,246 | 72,053 | 79,550 | 83,873 | 88,197 | 90,143 | 91,565 | 94,060 | 100,504 | 99,429 | 100,419 |
| 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | |
| Austin Peay | 5,161 | 5,447 | 5,214 | 5,156 | 5,002 | 5,426 | 5,311 | 5,012 | 4,943 | 5,111 | 5,168 |
| East Tennessee | 9,947 | 10,195 | 9,153 | 9,472 | 9,429 | 9,805 | 9,646 | 9,596 | 9,736 | 9,976 | 10,754 |
| Memphis State | 21,191 | 21,248 | 20,656 | 20,074 | 20,624 | 22,042 | 21,295 | 20,753 | 20,046 | 20,473 | 20,270 |
| Middle Tennessee | 10,327 | 10,880 | 11,275 | 10,931 | 10,933 | 11,369 | 11,228 | 11,293 | 11,408 | 11,975 | 13,165 |
| Tennessee State | 5,305 | 8,438 | 8,318 | 7,730 | 8,011 | 8,131 | 7,651 | 7,006 | 6,734 | 7,012 | 7,353 |
| Tennessee Tech | 7,256 | 7,665 | 8,098 | 7,777 | 7,870 | 7,849 | 7,494 | 7,684 | 7,625 | 7,935 | 7,901 |
| UT Chattanooga* | 7,104 | 7,545 | 7,600 | 7,483 | 7,543 | 7,839 | 7,474 | 7,564 | 7,484 | 7,355 | 7,526 |
| UT Knoxville** | 29,480 | 30,110 | 30,033 | 28,323 | 26,752 | 26,671 | 25,799 | 25,042 | 25,463 | 25,525 | 24,568 |
| UT Martin | 5,090 | 5,163 | 5,328 | 5,538 | 5,525 | 5,690 | 5,366 | 5,053 | 4,923 | 4,785 | 4,653 |
| TOTAL | 100,861 | 106,691 | 105,675 | 102,484 | 101,689 | 104,822 | 101,264 | 99,003 | 98,362 | 100,147 | 101,358 |
| 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
| Austin Peay | 6,292 | 6,347 | 7,670 | 7,816 | 8,073 | 7,440 | 7,556 | 8,187 | 7,803 | 7,508 | 7,440 |
| East Tennessee | 11,185 | 11,358 | 11,711 | 11,611 | 11,272 | 11,261 | 11,276 | 11,386 | 11,347 | 11,486 | 11,187 |
| University of Memphis | 20,613 | 20,688 | 20,454 | 20,583 | 20,375 | 19,851 | 19,975 | 19,271 | 19,851 | 20,100 | 20,301 |
| Middle Tennessee | 14,136 | 14,865 | 15,673 | 16,787 | 17,383 | 17,120 | 17,424 | 17,924 | 18,366 | 18,432 | 18,993 |
| Tennessee State | 7,362 | 7,393 | 7,405 | 7,590 | 7,851 | 8,180 | 8,464 | 8,643 | 8,625 | 8,750 | 8,836 |
| Tennessee Tech | 8,063 | 8,134 | 7,863 | 8,242 | 8,338 | 8,226 | 8,166 | 8,173 | 8,262 | 8,215 | 8,584 |
| UT Chattanooga* | 7,564 | 7,725 | 7,888 | 8,147 | 8,325 | 8,281 | 8,331 | 8,296 | 8,528 | 8,682 | 8,604 |
| UT Knoxville** | 25,187 | 25,579 | 25,817 | 26,226 | 25,890 | 25,412 | 25,251 | 25,086 | 25,039 | 25,605 | 25,981 |
| UT Martin | 5,088 | 5,363 | 5,479 | 5,646 | 5,537 | 5,608 | 5,801 | 5,729 | 5,997 | 5,837 | 5,741 |
| TOTAL | 105,490 | 107,452 | 109,960 | 112,648 | 113,044 | 111,379 | 112,244 | 112,695 | 113,818 | 114,615 | 115,667 |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
| Austin Peay | 7,121 | 7,033 | 7,482 | 7,623 | |||||||
| East Tennessee | 10,821 | 11,093 | 11,131 | 11,395 | |||||||
| University of Memphis | 19,986 | 20,332 | 19,797 | 19,911 | |||||||
| Middle Tennessee | 19,121 | 20,073 | 21,163 | 21,744 | |||||||
| Tennessee State | 8,640 | 8,664 | 8,881 | 9,024 | |||||||
| Tennessee Tech | 8,409 | 8,653 | 8,890 | 9,107 | |||||||
| UT Chattanooga* | 8,319 | 8,485 | 8,524 | 8,528 | |||||||
| UT Knoxville** | 25,474 | 25,592 | 25,517 | 24,803 | |||||||
| UT Martin | 5,870 | 5,892 | 5,714 | 5,770 | |||||||
| TOTAL | 113,761 | 115,817 | 117,099 | 117,905 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| * Prior to 1969, UT Chattanooga was a private institution and was not included in public enrollment. | |||||||||||
| ** Prior to 1976, UT Space Institute was included in UT Knoxville enrollment numbers. | |||||||||||
| Sources: Statistical Abstract of Tennessee Higher Education, THEC Basic Enrollment Reports, THEC Status of Appropriation reports | |||||||||||
| THEC, minutes of called meetings. | |||||||||||