More selective than 44% of Tennessee colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,169. College Scorecard.
Higher than 47% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 47% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 36% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of Memphis acceptance rate & admissions
Of 15,640 applicants, University of Memphis admitted 14,605 and 2,591 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 915–1180 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of Memphis tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Tennessee residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What University of Memphis costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Memphis took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Tennessee. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,607 | $47,307 | 3.4 years |
| $30–48k | $10,968 | $48,917 | 3.5 years |
| $48–75k | $13,923 | $62,097 | 4.5 years |
| $75–110k | $17,384 | $77,533 | 5.6 years |
| $110k+ | $18,691 | $83,362 | 6.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (31% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($48,458) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,940 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
University of Memphis majors, earnings & careers
University of Memphis offers 51 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 10
- Engineering · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Science & Math · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Technology & Computing · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of Memphis
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $90,207 | $24,672 |
| Computer Engineering | $89,702 | $25,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $89,516 | $27,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $89,515 | $23,000 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $88,279 | $26,500 |
| Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $79,914 | $27,600 |
| Civil Engineering | $79,598 | $29,750 |
| Nursing | $75,444 | $27,168 |
Quick list of all 51 majors
- Accounting$71,038
- Air Transportation—
- Anthropology$46,560
- Biology$53,784
- Biomedical Engineering$88,279
- Business Administration$65,045
- Business Economics$57,162
- Chemistry$46,490
- Civil Engineering$79,598
- Communications$42,605
- Computer Engineering$89,702
- Computer Science$90,207
- Criminal Justice$53,399
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$44,293
- Education (Subject Teaching)$50,497
- Electrical Engineering$89,515
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians$79,914
- English$41,383
- Environmental Design—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$51,232
- Finance$65,132
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History$47,449
- Hospitality Management$52,627
- Human Resources—
- International Business$62,729
- International Relations—
- Journalism$49,445
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$50,126
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$48,798
- Linguistics$39,001
- Management Information Systems$73,323
- Marketing$67,468
- Mathematics$65,079
- Mechanical Engineering$89,516
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$49,707
- Music$45,321
- Nursing$75,444
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$50,070
- Psychology$45,700
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising$58,237
- Social Work$46,494
- Sociology$43,595
- Special Education$47,465
- Studio Art$48,064
- Theatre$38,440
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Memphis
Overall prices in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,301. Housing costs 20% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 55 inches of rain a year, 3 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Shelby County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Shelby County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of Memphis with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Tennessee by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Memphis | 72% | $12,397 | 51% | $48,458 | This school |
| Middle Tennessee State University | 69% | $13,359 | 54% | $48,541 | |
| The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | 81% | $14,265 | 50% | $51,151 | |
| Tennessee Technological University | 76% | $14,246 | 58% | $48,501 | |
| East Tennessee State University | 86% | $15,983 | 53% | $44,859 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Memphis would cost you $962 less per year than Middle Tennessee State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of Memphis, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$1,112).
- University of Memphis gives aided families $1,842 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | University of Memphis | Middle Tennessee State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,728 | $10,266 | +$462 |
| Books & supplies | $920 | $1,260 | −$340 |
| Housing & meals | $10,344 | $11,704 | −$1,360 |
| Personal & travel | $6,462 | $5,350 | +$1,112 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,285 | −$4,291 | +$1,006 |
| Sticker price | $25,169 | $24,289 | +$880 |
| Average grants | −$12,772 | −$10,930 | −$1,842 |
| You pay | $12,397 | $13,359 | −$962 |
“+” means University of Memphis costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about University of Memphis
What is the University of Memphis acceptance rate?
University of Memphis accepts 72% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 14,605 of 15,640 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 915–1180 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
How much does University of Memphis cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,169 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,397 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,607 and families earning $110k+ pay $18,691.
How much do University of Memphis graduates earn?
Former University of Memphis students earn a median $48,458 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of Memphis graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a University of Memphis degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Memphis costs about $62,097 after grants ($13,923 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $48,458 ten years after starting, $13,940 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 4.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Memphis: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-memphis (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).