Larry Griffin, President | Mid-South Christian College
Larry Griffin, President | Mid-South Christian College
Data shows that students paid $13,446 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $183 more than the previous school year.
Among the 19 institutions providing full disclosure in the county, Rhodes College stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $52,310. Christian Brothers University followed with an average of $35,520 per year. Southwest Tennessee Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $4,689.
At the time, at least $64.3 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Shelby County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached more than $16.9 million.
Currently there are 20 higher education institutions in Shelby County, including The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, University of Memphis, and Visible Music College.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Of the 20 institutions in Shelby County, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center did not provide detailed data on tuition fees.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remington College-Memphis Campus | 143 | $875,372 | $6,121 | 116 | $881,523 | $7,599 |
| Gould's Academy | 75 | $390,557 | $5,207 | 94 | $660,058 | $7,022 |
| Gould's Academy | 50 | $267,062 | $5,341 | 54 | $321,246 | $5,949 |
| William R Moore College of Technology | 48 | $240,055 | $5,001 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Christian Brothers University | 175 | $5,088,293 | $29,076 | 66 | $479,072 | $7,259 |
| Mid-South Christian College | 5 | $26,320 | $5,264 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis | 332 | $1,506,364 | $4,537 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | 34 | $204,580 | $6,017 | 14 | $42,250 | $3,018 |
| Massage Institute of Memphis | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Health-Tech Institute of Memphis | 5 | $28,070 | $5,614 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Le Moyne-Owen College | 113 | $1,243,060 | $11,001 | 53 | $389,682 | $7,352 |
| Strayer University-Tennessee | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Vibe Barber College | 8 | $43,172 | $5,397 | 8 | $69,500 | $8,688 |
| Visible Music College | 33 | $210,777 | $6,387 | 30 | $164,885 | $5,496 |
| The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Concorde Career College-Memphis | 1,014 | $4,944,481 | $4,876 | 922 | $5,962,152 | $6,467 |
| Southwest Tennessee Community College | 934 | $6,669,355 | $7,141 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Rhodes College | 478 | $17,945,375 | $37,543 | 259 | $1,636,296 | $6,318 |
| University of Memphis | 2,167 | $24,343,365 | $11,234 | 1,003 | $5,721,014 | $5,704 |
| Empire Beauty School-E Memphis | 72 | $323,680 | $4,496 | 75 | $571,678 | $7,622 |
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