University of Memphis

Admission to the University of Memphis has become noticeably more accessible in recent years. In the 2027 U.S. News rankings, the institution placed at 288 among national universities, moving down from 230 in 2019. In 2025, the undergraduate admit rate reached 72%, which is higher than only 10% of peer schools in a group of 30 public national universities with similar rankings. At the same time, the yield rate—the share of admitted applicants who choose to enroll—was relatively low at 18.1% in 2025. This yield rate is higher than 30% of schools in its peer comparison group, indicating that the university faces significant competition in converting admitted students into matriculants. Overall, the combination of a softening ranking position, an expanding acceptance rate, and modest yield suggests that qualified applicants face relatively few admission hurdles, but the institution struggles to draw the majority of students it admits.

Standardized test scores are required for admission to the University of Memphis. For 2025, the middle half of enrolled students earned an ACT Composite score between 18 and 24. Most incoming undergraduates choose the ACT, which accounted for 90% of test submissions in 2025. In peer comparisons among similarly ranked public universities, the school's median SAT performance is higher than 19% of peer schools. High school transcripts demonstrate that the institution welcomes students with a broad range of academic records, though incoming cohorts typically hold solid secondary school marks with a considerable portion having earned top marks. Overall, these academic criteria reflect accessible admission thresholds compared to institutional peers. Applicants holding moderate standardized exam results alongside consistent classroom grades will find themselves well aligned with the university's general admission profile.

Academic degrees at the University of Memphis reflect a distinct separation between undergraduate enrollment volume and top-ranked graduate specializations. In 2025, the university awarded 2,906 bachelor's degrees, with the top three majors accounting for 28.7% of graduates. The two largest undergraduate programs were Exercise Science and Kinesiology followed by Registered Nursing. While these high-volume undergraduate programs do not hold national top rankings, several graduate offerings stand out in the 2026 U.S. News specialty rankings, including Audiology and Rehabilitation Counseling, both tied at 18th nationally, and Speech-Language Pathology at 40th. Earning outcomes from 2023 show strong early career returns in specialized technical fields; bachelor's degree recipients in Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering achieved median first-year earnings of $78,667, closely followed by Registered Nursing at $77,155. This demonstrates that while undergraduate awards concentrate in health sciences and kinesiology, the strongest technical and clinical majors deliver competitive initial compensation.

The student body at the University of Memphis totaled 20,276 students in 2025, with Black and White students making up the largest domestic groups across undergraduate programs. Among entering freshmen, Asian students accounted for 92 individuals, or 4.7% of the class, while international undergraduates made up a modest share. The graduate division displayed a substantially larger global footprint, where international students numbered 1,233, constituting 27.4% of all graduate students. Asian graduate students formed a smaller cohort, representing 3.5% of the graduate population. Female students represented the majority across both undergraduate and graduate levels. Overall, while international students remain a minor presence in undergraduate classrooms, they form a major pillar of the graduate school community.

The age distributions of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Memphis show distinct student populations across degree levels. In 2025, undergraduates were predominantly of traditional college age, with students aged 18 to 19 accounting for 24.9% of the undergraduate body and those aged 20 to 21 making up 24.8%. In contrast, graduate degree seekers are older and spread across different age brackets. The largest group of graduate students was between ages 25 and 29 at 28.8%, while those aged 22 to 24 represented 25.9%. These figures indicate that undergraduate peer groups largely consist of young adults continuing directly after secondary school, whereas graduate classrooms bring together early-career and mid-career adults with varying life experience.

International student representation at the University of Memphis varies dramatically by level of study. In 2025, international students made up only 1.8% of the undergraduate student body, compared to 27.4% of graduate students. This contrast is also visible among graduating classes: international scholars accounted for a minor fraction of bachelor's degree recipients, but earned 40.5% of all master's degrees awarded in 2025. International graduate students are heavily clustered in technical and computing disciplines. For example, international students made up 98.1% of master's graduates in Data Science, and they comprised overwhelming majorities in Computer Science and Information Technology. By comparison, prominent undergraduate programs like Exercise Science and Kinesiology graduated very few international students. Prospective international applicants will find substantial global representation in advanced technical programs, while undergraduate cohorts remain almost entirely domestic.

Applicants researching the University of Memphis may also want to evaluate several nearby higher education options within the surrounding region. Located just 3.9 kilometers away in Memphis, Rhodes College is a private institution ranked 49th on the 2027 U.S. News Liberal Arts College ranking list. For families considering large public institutions, University of Mississippi is situated 56.8 kilometers away and ranked 179th among national universities, while Mississippi State University is located 132.3 kilometers away and ranked 208th. In addition, Harding University lies 101.4 kilometers away in Arkansas, holding the 276th rank among national universities. These neighboring institutions provide students with viable alternatives ranging from private liberal arts study to prominent public research campuses.

Campus safety data for the University of Memphis shows a low to moderate overall rate of reported incidents, with property crime representing the main concern. In 2025, the campus recorded a crime rate of 5.6 per 1,000 students, up from 3.5 in 2016. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, motor vehicle theft was by far the largest single incident category, with 177 reported cases. Disciplinary referrals for drugs were the second most frequent category over those three years, totaling 56 incidents, followed by smaller numbers of domestic violence reports, thefts, weapon-related arrests, and alcohol disciplinary referrals. For students choosing to live or commute to campus, these records suggest that vehicle security in parking areas warrants primary attention, while violent offenses and weapons violations occur far less often.