Memphis Standard

Black or African American students were the most represented ethnicity among students at Shelby County universities in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Of the 35,055 students attending institutions in the county at the time, 44.5% were Black or African American. This is a decrease of 2.1% in enrollment numbers, compared to the previous year.

White students comprised the second largest ethnic group in the county, followed by Hispanic students.

Countywide, the number of undergraduates attending the 20 universities in the county during the 2022-23 school year fell by 1.4%. University of Memphis reported the largest student body, with 16,708 students.

Graduation rates reveal a significant achievement gap among different ethnicities. While white students graduate at a rate of 62.1%, Black and Hispanic students graduate at a rate of around 40%.

Ethnic Group	% of Total Student Body
Black or African American	44.5%
White	34.3%
Hispanic	7.9%
Unknown	3.9%
Multiracial	3.7%
Asian	3.5%
U.S. nonresident	1.3%
American Indian or Alaskan Native	0.1%