Best Liberal Arts Schools Near Memphis, TN (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Memphis, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $38,420 to $48,038 per year for indexed programs. Memphis has a population of about 629,063. Median household income is $51,211 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $94,980 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Memphis

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Memphis, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Memphis city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Memphis. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Christian Brothers University

Memphis, TN 1.6 miles from Memphis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 87%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,478
Avg net price $9,854/yr
Tuition
In‑state$38,420
Out‑of‑state$38,420
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Memphis

Memphis, TN 2.4 miles from Memphis
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,458
Avg net price $12,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Le Moyne-Owen College

Memphis, TN 3.4 miles from Memphis
  • 4 year
24.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,594
Avg net price $7,099/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Rhodes College

Memphis, TN 3.5 miles from Memphis
  • 4 year
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,651
Avg net price $28,585/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Southwest Tennessee Community College

Memphis, TN 7.4 miles from Memphis
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,071
Avg net price $4,754/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Tennessee schools on the Tennessee liberal arts page.

Liberal Arts Wages Near Memphis

Memphis is part of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (BLS area code 32820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Public Relations Specialist $61,000 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $66,161
Management Analyst $94,980 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $103,015
Technical Writer $90,710 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $98,384
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist $62,560 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $67,852
Editor $56,420 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $61,193
Training and Development Specialist $62,250 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $67,516
Human Resources Specialist $69,150 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $75,000

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Memphis at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 629,063 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,211 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Shelby County 2,862 workers, 124 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Memphis-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Memphis, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Memphis. The closest is Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southwest Tennessee Community College (7.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Memphis?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Memphis are: Management Analyst ($94,980), Technical Writer ($90,710), Human Resources Specialist ($69,150). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Southaven instead of Memphis?

Southaven, MS is 10.6 miles from Memphis and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Memphis an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Memphis’s median household income of $51,211 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Memphis while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Memphis

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Memphis:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Liberal Arts Schools in Tennessee: Online Programs (2026)