What Kind of University It Is
University of Memphis is a public institution offering programs of four years or more, located in the city of Memphis, within Shelby County, in a large metropolitan area. The census code places it in a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not tell you how to get to campus or what there is to do nearby—that is something you find out by driving the route on a weekday, at the exact time of your child’s classes. The map almost never gets the actual travel time right.
It is a large university with a strong research focus: Carnegie places it among the doctoral institutions with the highest research activity in the country, and it reports the doctoral degree as the highest level it offers. Carnegie also classifies it as a primarily nonresidential institution—either fewer than one in four undergraduate students live on campus, or fewer than half study full-time; the data does not distinguish which of those two conditions applied, and that does not mean dormitories do not exist. If your child will be commuting from home, what you need to count is the bus, the gas, and the hours on the road, not the distance on the map.
Carnegie also identifies it as one of the institutions that enroll many transfer students. If your child plans to come here after studying somewhere else, ask in writing, before enrolling, which courses will count and which will not. The label says that many transfer students arrive; it does not say how many credits they bring or how many credits are lost along the way.
University of Memphis is not listed as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), tribal college or university, or land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; this one has none. That does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. You find that out directly by talking with someone who already studies on campus.
The Size of the Community and Who Makes It Up
In the official fall count, University of Memphis reported an enrollment of 21,736 students—the highest band the government uses to measure scale. Compared with the 519 selective-admission, four-year public schools in this census, it is on the large side: only between one and three out of every ten have more students.
But that large number includes graduate students. The total is divided between 16,771 undergraduate students and 4,965 graduate students. If your child is starting an undergraduate degree, the number that matters to them is 16,771, not the overall total of 21,736. A substantial part of this school’s community consists of people who have already completed a degree and returned for another one.
Who are the undergraduate students? Of every 100 students, 60 are women. 18 are between 25 and 64 years old—a genuine mix of ages, not just recent high school graduates. And 80 out of every 100 first-time students reported a permanent address in Tennessee: above all, this is a community from within the state.
As for Hispanic or Latino students: they account for 11 out of every 100 undergraduate students. It is a small minority. Compared with the 519 selective public schools in this census, University of Memphis ranks above the midpoint of that group, without reaching the highest quartile—but that comparison does not account for where in the country each school is located, and that matters. If finding a Latino community is important to your family, do not stop at the percentage: during your visit, ask what exists today—a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish.
How Academics Work
The year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The university reported that it accepts credit from AP exams and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, prior licenses or certifications, and even military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a hard and simple truth: the university’s stating that it accepts AP does not mean it will award credit for every exam. It does not say what scores are required or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific degree. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for what students can study: between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 2,948 bachelor’s degrees across 25 program families (CIP). No family accounts for a large share: the most popular, business and management, represented only 18 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Compared with 514 selective public schools in this census, it is in the quartile with the most program families represented in its reported offerings. It is a broad selection—but 25 families with a row in the report do not equal 25 exact majors, and a row may show no degrees awarded that year. Verify the specific program that interests your child.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 17 to 1—a middle-of-the-range figure, neither among the lowest nor among the highest for similar schools. This number does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class; that is not included in the report.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, a complete program that can be taken entirely at night or on weekends, and pathways for preparation and state approval for teacher certification.
Getting In: How Selective It Is and What It Requires
University of Memphis does not have open admission. It reviews parts of the application before saying yes. Of the nine considerations the government asks about, it marks three as required: the high school record, high school GPA, and an English proficiency exam for applicants for whom it applies. Other items are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, recommended course plan, essay, letters of recommendation, portfolio or competency exam, work experience, and whether a family member previously studied there. Your child cannot change that last factor—legacy status. If it does not apply, do not spend energy on it; spend it on what is within your child’s control. The undergraduate application fee is $25.
Now for the figure that probably interests you most: in the 2023 cycle, University of Memphis received 15,640 first-time applications and offered admission to 14,605. That is 93 out of every 100. It is a very accessible university—on the high side among the 519 selective public schools in this census. Even so, 1,035 applicants did not receive an offer. It is a school that does admit applicants, but the application must be complete and on time.
Here is something that often surprises people: out of every 100 admitted students, only 18 ultimately enrolled. The other 82 had a place here and did not take it. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made their decision. What it does tell you is something useful: what others decided does not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your letter with the net price—the real number—before deciding whether this school stays on the list.
The SAT and ACT are optional: if you submit them, they are considered; if you do not, the application remains valid. In practice, almost no one submits them: only 3 out of every 100 enrolled students submitted SAT scores, one of the lowest proportions among universities of its type. Among those who did submit them, the middle half scored between 465 and 615 in reading and writing, and between 440 and 590 in mathematics. Those numbers describe students who were already enrolled and chose to submit scores—they are not a minimum that must be reached or a guarantee of anything.
Regarding transfers: among the first-time, full-time cohort that entered in 2017, 15 out of every 100 left for another institution without finishing here—a proportion on the low side compared with similar schools. In the other direction, incoming transfer enrollment is high: 1,053 students enrolled at University of Memphis for the first time in fall 2023 after studying somewhere else. Changing schools is not failing. If your child transfers, in either direction, ask for the list of accepted courses in writing before making the move.
The Price: What It Costs and What Is Actually Paid
At University of Memphis, among 668 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $10,985. Among 208 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,357; among 134 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $19,252. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (668 students) and the highest-income band (134 students) is $8,267. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $13,656.
$10,985 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
How It Is Paid For: Grants, Loans, and Options
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students, 81 received a grant or other aid that does not have to be repaid—the average among recipients was $9,873 per year. And 47 out of every 100 received Pell Grants, the federal aid for low-income families. These are two separate figures with different denominators: they should not be multiplied by each other.
As for loans: 39 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan in 2022-23, with an average of $6,630 among borrowers. That proportion is in the middle of the range compared with similar schools. This average does not include Parent PLUS loans, bank debt, or credit-card debt, nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates—that would require adding all years together, and that number is not in this report.
Here is the simple truth behind all these percentages: they describe other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow comes from their own financial aid letter. Wait for it before ruling out the school and before committing to it. And when it arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what has to be earned through work. Many letters combine them in a single column.
The university also reports a guaranteed tuition plan, an installment payment plan, and institutional participation in a Promise program.
Campus Life, Course Delivery, and Support
University of Memphis does have institution-controlled housing, with a reported maximum capacity of 2,864 students, on or off campus. It does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by plan. The existence of housing does not guarantee a bed; ask in writing for the rate, the deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC: the university marked all three branches—Army, Navy, and Air Force—as well as the Marine Corps option within Navy. Marking all three is not common: of 3,012 universities in this guide, only 135 do so. But a checkmark does not prove that the program is conducted on this specific campus, nor does it indicate capacity or scholarships. Ask about each pathway by name.
In sports, it competes in the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. That does not say which division each sport competes in or whether scholarships are awarded. Contact the coach of the sport that interests your child directly.
Regarding distance education: the university offers distance courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduate students, 21 took their entire course load at a distance; 79 took at least one in-person class. It also reported offering at least one complete distance program, although the data does not confirm the specific level. Confirm this with the particular program.
The library operates with paid staff, reports annual expenditures above the government’s reporting threshold of $100,000, has physical and digital materials, and participates in interlibrary lending. The university also reports a broad list of support services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services, on-campus childcare, a comprehensive program for students with intellectual disabilities, Yellow Ribbon participation, a point of contact for veterans and military personnel, and a student veterans’ organization. Their being reported does not indicate how accessible or effective they are in practice. Ask about them by name.
What Happens After Enrollment: Retention and Graduation
Here we come to the numbers that carry the most weight, and they need to be stated plainly.
Of the cohort that entered full-time in fall 2022, 71 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is on the low side: seven out of every ten similar universities retained a larger share.
Of the full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017: after four years, 31 out of every 100 had graduated. After six years, 49 out of every 100 had graduated. It is nearly an even split. The difference between those two figures—18 points—matters greatly for the family budget: four years is the period most families plan to pay for, and here a substantial share of those who graduate do so later. Compared with similar schools, University of Memphis ranks below the midpoint of the group on this six-year measure.
A broader eight-year measure follows a different cohort that entered in 2015-16, including full-time and part-time students: 55 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the reporting cutoff. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 50 out of every 100—10 points lower than among nonrecipients. Compared with similar schools, it also ranks below the midpoint of the group.
I am not telling you that these numbers condemn your child to not graduating, or that they guarantee your child will graduate. I am telling you what they do say: at this school, completing a degree on time—in four years—is not the most common outcome among those who enroll, and the path to a degree frequently takes longer than planned. That has a real cost in money and years. Before deciding, ask what specific support the university offers to help your child finish and how long the particular program that interests them typically takes in practice.
What This Map Cannot Tell You
Everything above describes University of Memphis as an institution: its official reports, its averages, its proportions. None of these numbers predicts what will happen to your child in particular. They are the terrain, not the destination.
What follows is not in any government report, which is why this article does not invent it: what your child wants to study, how far from home they are willing to live, how much they can picture themselves at a large campus with a strong research focus, and how much your family can and is willing to pay once the actual financial aid letter arrives.
You now know in detail one of the pieces you need to decide: what University of Memphis really is and offers, according to its own data. Combine that with what your child wants and has accomplished, and with what your family can afford. A plan comes from that combination—not from a single number or a single article.
Source note: the information in this article comes from University of Memphis reports to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily corresponding to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, except where a different period is indicated. Best College Aid does not represent University of Memphis or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help families understand it.