Hamilton Reporter

College tuition fees rose 0.7% in Hamilton County in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Data shows that students paid $13,528 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $89 more than the previous school year.

Among the six institutions in the county, Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $32,240. Southern Adventist University followed with an average of $23,870 per year. Chattanooga State Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $5,327.

At the time, a total of $43.4 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Hamilton County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $17.1 million.

Currently there are six higher education institutions in Hamilton County, including Southern Adventist University, The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers.

Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.

According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.

Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.

Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.

Institution	Number of Students Receiving Grants	Total Amount of Grants Received	Average Amount of Grant Per Student	Number of Students Receiving Loans	Total Amount of Loans Received	Average Amount of Loans Per Student
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	2,064	$20,296,942	$9,834	928	$6,059,240	$6,529
Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga	1,511	$6,416,283	$4,246	1,277	$7,493,666	$5,868
Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers	70	$445,822	$6,369	70	$442,149	$6,316
Chattanooga State Community College	1,147	$8,071,514	$7,037	89	$452,628	$5,086
Southern Adventist University	616	$7,696,861	$12,495	277	$2,157,217	$7,788
Academy of Allied Health Careers	80	$445,888	$5,574	76	$483,939	$6,368