Public · University

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee · Large city

72.0%
Admit rate
$12,397
Avg net price
51%
Graduation rate
$48,458
Median earnings

University of Memphis is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Memphis, Tennessee (large city setting), enrolling 12,701 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 12,701 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 72% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · American Athletic Conference

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Memphis's admitted students.

Admit rate
72.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
915–1180
Avg GPA (est.)
3.16

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Memphis's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Memphis's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Occupying a substantial bluff rising from the Mississippi River, the site of Memphis has been a natural location for human settlement by varying indigenous cultures over thousands of years. One of the largest celebrations of the city is Memphis in May. The month-long series of events promotes Memphis's heritage and outreach of its people far beyond the city's borders. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
7 miles to Memphis, TN
To the ocean
322 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Memphis (MEM) · major hub

How University of Memphis compares

Selectivity72.0%

More selective than 60% · #22 most selective of 37 in Tennessee

SAT average1088

Higher than 25%

Graduation rate51%

Higher than 42% · #22 of 43 in Tennessee

First-year retention77%

Higher than 53%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$48,458

Higher than 34% · #21 of 43 in Tennessee

Average net price$12,397

Cheaper than 83% · #10 cheapest of 42 in Tennessee

Median debt at graduation$23,300

Lower than 49%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment12,701

Larger than 91%

Percentiles compare University of Memphis with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Tennessee.

University of Memphis campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

17,207students
  • Undergraduate12,70174%
  • Graduate4,50626%

Undergraduates by gender

12,701undergrads
  • Women7,64560%
  • Men5,05640%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White35%
  • Black41%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian4.7%
  • Other or multiracial7.2%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
12,701
Graduate enrollment
4,506
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
41%
First-generation students
37%
Students over 25
18%
Median family income
$28,800
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$86,688
Endowment
$377,603,467

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 2,591 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Tennessee80%
  • Other U.S. states18%
  • International2.8%

Most first-years stay in state — University of Memphis draws overwhelmingly from Tennessee.

3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
72.0%
Test scores
Required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
915–1180
SAT average
1088
SAT reading
480–600
SAT math
435–580
ACT composite
18–24
Average GPA (estimated)
3.16

Cost

In-state tuition
$10,728
Out-of-state tuition
$15,384
Room & board
$11,342
Books & supplies
$920
Total cost of attendance
$25,169
Average net price
$12,397

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
51%
Graduated on time (4 years)
33%
First-year retention
77%
Transferred to another college
14%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$40,921
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$48,458
Median debt at graduation
$23,300
Students with federal loans
38%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
34%

About 17% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
33%
Low-income (Pell)
43%
First-generation
43%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,864
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
23%
Housing charge (year)
$6,330
Meal plan (year)
$4,560
Application fee
$25
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
American Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
573 (378 men · 195 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)172
Football165
Soccer71
Baseball37
Softball33
Basketball31
Volleyball21
Tennis18
Golf16
Rifle9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
31
Property offenses (2022–2024)
172

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (20,276 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

68reported offenses a year
10 violent a year57 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
48
Burglary
9.0
Aggravated assault
3.7
Rape
2.7
Robbery
2.7
Fondling
1.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$10,607
$30–48k
$10,968
$48–75k
$13,923
$75–110k
$17,384
$110k+
$18,691

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$62,853

$13,923/year × about 4.5 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

66%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$4,051
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 66% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,051. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 2,322 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$48,458
Typical debt at graduation
$23,300
Debt vs. one year's pay
48%
Out-earn a HS grad
58%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$44,779
Men
$56,392

Men out-earn women by $11,613 (26%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
92°F
Winter low
33°F
Annual rain
54.9″
Annual snow
2.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.05.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Memphis Intl AP, TN US station (5.1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of Memphis

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Memphis side by side →

Colleges near University of Memphis

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.