10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$157,168at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
University of Memphis
⌖ Memphis, TN · 62 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$157,168 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
31.7 yrsModeled economic break-even
−68%Modeled 10-year ROI
$52,242Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$12,397Average net price / year
$25,169Cost of attendance
$52,242Median earnings · year 5 after completion
50.9%Completion rate
72.0%Admission rate
12,701Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$42,466Year 1
$57,507Year 4
$52,242Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$115,6102Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$113,8433Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Doctoral Degree$110,9774Curriculum and Instruction · Doctoral Degree$97,5725Computer and Information Sciences, General · Master's Degree$96,5466Accounting and Related Services · Master's Degree$95,7947Health and Medical Administrative Services · Master's Degree$94,7228Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$90,207Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in TN
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Cookeville, TN
Tennessee Technological University
- Annual net price
- $14,246
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $51,599
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -72%
Middle Tennessee State University
- Annual net price
- $13,359
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,530
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -76%
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
- Annual net price
- $14,265
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,104
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -66%
The University of Tennessee Southern
- Annual net price
- $12,798
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,965
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -83%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $115,610 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $113,843 | Not available |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Doctoral Degree | $110,977 | Not available |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Doctoral Degree | $97,572 | Not available |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $96,546 | Not available |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $95,794 | Not available |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $94,722 | Not available |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $90,207 | $24,672 |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $89,702 | $25,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $89,516 | $27,500 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $89,515 | $23,000 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $88,279 | $26,500 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $85,070 | Not available |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $81,169 | Not available |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | Bachelor's Degree | $79,914 | $27,600 |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $79,598 | $29,750 |
| Public Health | Master's Degree | $75,873 | Not available |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $75,444 | $27,168 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $73,323 | $29,768 |
| Education, General | Master's Degree | $71,521 | Not available |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $71,038 | $26,975 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | Master's Degree | $68,417 | Not available |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $67,468 | $21,904 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $66,928 | Not available |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Master's Degree | $66,104 | Not available |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Master's Degree | $65,320 | Not available |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $65,132 | $27,000 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $65,079 | $24,125 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $65,045 | $25,500 |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | Graduate/Professional Certificate | $64,833 | Not available |
| International Business | Bachelor's Degree | $62,729 | $21,500 |
| Social Work | Master's Degree | $61,683 | Not available |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $58,237 | $25,000 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $57,162 | $26,000 |
| Music | Master's Degree | $57,099 | Not available |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's Degree | $56,248 | Not available |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $53,784 | $25,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $53,399 | $27,000 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $52,627 | $29,000 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $51,734 | Not available |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $51,232 | $32,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $50,497 | $21,747 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $50,126 | $27,500 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $50,070 | $24,450 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $49,707 | $30,430 |
| Journalism | Bachelor's Degree | $49,445 | $26,875 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $48,798 | $38,972 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $48,064 | $28,850 |
| Special Education and Teaching | Bachelor's Degree | $47,465 | $23,397 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $47,449 | $25,000 |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $46,560 | $20,081 |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $46,494 | $36,506 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $46,490 | $20,000 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $45,700 | $27,000 |
| Music | Bachelor's Degree | $45,321 | $22,060 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $44,293 | $28,439 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $43,595 | $29,250 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $42,605 | $23,381 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $41,383 | $23,708 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $39,001 | $25,750 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $38,440 | $22,875 |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $27,000 |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.