Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Memphis, TN (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Memphis, Tennessee has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $9,412 to $27,692 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 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Memphis. Distances are calculated from Memphis city center.

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.

Published tuition$9,412 - $27,692

Online programsYes

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Published tuitionContact school for pricing

Online programsYes

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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

Southaven, MS – 10.6 mi away (53,214 pop)
Germantown, TN – 11.1 mi away (39,056 pop)
Horn Lake, MS – 11.4 mi away (27,042 pop)
Olive Branch, MS – 12.4 mi away (36,699 pop)
Bartlett, TN – 12.6 mi away (58,622 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Memphis. The closest is University of Mississippi in University, MS (57.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Coahoma Community College (67.7 miles). 2 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: June 11, 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.

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