The University of Memphis

What The University of Memphis does

The University of Memphis is a public Carnegie R1 research university founded in 1912 and governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, serving approximately 20,000 students annually across 230+ areas of study with a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The institution operates through multiple channels: a main residential campus at 3720 Alumni Ave in Memphis, Tennessee; a 57-acre regional campus (UofM Lambuth) in Jackson, TN; UofM Global, an online education division offering 100+ fully online degree programs delivered via the Canvas learning management system; dual enrollment programs for high school students; and six corporate partnership programs (APEX with Access Corp, LiFE with FedEx, MAAP with Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, COMPETE and RISE with the City of Memphis, Lane Four with Nike) that provide employer-funded tuition pathways for employees. Specialized units include the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) program, Finish Line degree-completion program, PACE professional and continuing education, the $25M GROWWTH workforce development initiative, and the Tennessee Delta Alliance.

Revenue mechanics combine tuition and fees (varying by residency and program), employer tuition assistance via corporate partnerships, non-credit training through PACE, and significant grant funding — most notably a $25,000,000 Tennessee Opportunity Pilot Initiative Implementation Grant awarded in November 2022, the largest grant in the university's history. The institution holds SACSCOC accreditation and maintains 25 Chairs of Excellence plus five state-approved Centers of Excellence. Recent strategic moves include the 2026 launch of a Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence (the first code-light applied AI master's program in Tennessee), expansion of UofM Global, and continued scaling of corporate employer partnerships. Spring 2026 commencement celebrated 2,430 graduates, and the Finish Line program had produced 1,260 degree completers by that point.

Name

The University of Memphis

Legal name

The University of Memphis

Website

https://memphis.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The University of Memphis is a Carnegie R1 public research university founded in 1912, serving approximately 20,000 students across 230+ degree programs via main campus, UofM Lambuth regional campus, UofM Global online, corporate employer partnerships, and workforce development initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Graduate Schools (Master’s & Doctoral Programs) (EDAHALAD), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Online degree programs
• Corporate tuition partnerships
• Dual enrollment programs
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs for on-campus and online students. Tuition varies by residency status and program.
2. Corporate Partnership Programs: Employer tuition assistance programs where corporate partners (FedEx, Nike, Methodist Le Bonheur, Access Corp, City of Memphis) fund employee education, providing revenue through tuition billing arrangements.
3. Continuing Education and Professional Development: Non-credit training programs through PACE (Professional and Continuing Education) including customized business training, CEU credits, certificate programs, and workforce development courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The University of Memphis delivers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across 230+ areas of study through residential campuses in Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee, and through UofM Global, the online education division offering 100+ fully online degree programs. It supplements degree education with employer-sponsored corporate partnership programs, dual enrollment for high school students, Credit for Prior Learning, Finish Line completion pathways, and non-credit professional development through PACE.

Product overview

The University of Memphis is a Tennessee flagship research university (Carnegie R1 institution) serving approximately 20,000 students with over 230 areas of study. The institution operates a unified but multi-channel educational portfolio comprising: (1) Main campus instruction in Memphis, Tennessee with a satellite campus in Jackson (Lambuth); (2) UofM Global, the online education division offering 100+ fully online degree programs across undergraduate and graduate levels in Business, Health, Humanities, and Social Sciences; (3) Dual Enrollment programs for high school students; (4) Corporate Partnership Programs (APEX, LiFE, MAAP, COMPETE, RISE, Lane Four) providing employer-sponsored educational pathways; (5) Adult completion programs including Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), Finish Line, and PACE professional development; and (6) Community initiatives including GROWWTH workforce development and Tennessee Delta Alliance economic enrichment. The institution recently launched a Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence (2026) as its first code-light applied AI degree program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UofM Global: Online education division offering 100+ fully online degree programs
• UofM Lambuth
• CREE (Center for Regional Economic Enrichment)
• PACE (Professional and Continuing Education)

Products and services

• UofM Global Online Degree Programs Online degree programs delivered fully asynchronously through the Canvas LMS, conferring the same diploma as on-campus programs and available globally for adult learners and working professionals.
• Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary master's degree designed to train applied AI users rather than developers, with five concentrations across business, public health, engineering, language, and smart cities tracks.
• Dual Enrollment Program Program allowing high school students to earn college credit while meeting high school graduation requirements through High School Based, Campus Based, and Home Schooled options with reduced fees and Tennessee Lottery Dual Enrollment Grant eligibility.
• Corporate Partnership Programs (APEX, LiFE, MAAP, COMPETE, RISE, Lane Four) Employer-sponsored educational programs providing employees of FedEx, Nike, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Access Corp, and City of Memphis with degree programs offering potentially no out-of-pocket tuition costs, dedicated student advocates, and Credit for Prior Learning.
• Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) Program awarding up to 30 undergraduate credit hours for knowledge and skills acquired through professional work, military service, certifications, and life experiences, with Pre-Assessed and Portfolio-based pathways.
• Finish Line Program Degree-completion pathway serving stop-out students who have completed 90+ credit hours but left before graduating, offering completion concierge services, online courses, low-cost options, and self-paced formats to enable completion within one academic year.
• PACE (Professional and Continuing Education) Non-credit training and workforce development programs offering customized corporate training, CEU credits, certificate programs through ed2go, cybersecurity boot camp, medical assisting certification, SHRM certification prep, and construction engineering management certificate.
• GROWWTH Program $25 million Tennessee Opportunity Pilot Initiative providing financial assistance, career development, transportation solutions, childcare support, and workforce readiness training to low-income families in 21 West Tennessee counties, targeting 2,500 households over four years.
• UofM Lambuth Campus 57-acre regional campus in Jackson, Tennessee offering undergraduate and graduate programs with small class sizes, experienced faculty, dual enrollment through Lambuth Academy, and planetarium programming.
• Lambuth Academy Dual enrollment program for area high school and homeschooled students offering general education courses in afternoons and evenings at the Lambuth Campus at reduced rates with TSAC grant eligibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,430 students graduated at Spring 2026 commencement
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Job Center Southwest TennesseeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022GROWWTH initiative partnership with American Job Center Southwest Tennessee and Northwest Tennessee to address workforce development needs in West Tennessee's 21 counties.
• Access CorpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPEX (Access Promotes Education to Excel) partnership between Access Corp and UofM Global empowers Access team members with online degree options and personalized student support. Prep Academy provides self-paced coursework with no upfront costs for new or returning learners.
• FedExcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiFE (Learning inspired by FedEx) collaboration offers eligible FedEx employees a higher education degree program with potentially no out-of-pocket costs. Includes courses suited to prior education, 24/7 tutoring, and dedicated UofM Global LiFE Coach.
• Methodist Le Bonheur HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAAP (MLH Associate Advancement Program) provides Methodist Le Bonheur associates with higher education degree and certificate options with potentially no out-of-pocket tuition costs. Includes 24/7 tutoring and dedicated UofM Global Advocate.
• City of MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMPETE program prepares City of Memphis employees for undergraduate or graduate degrees. RISE (Responders Initiating Success through Education) is a sister program designed specifically for first responders including MFD employees, offering cost-effective degree pathways with dedicated support team.
• NikecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLane Four partnership offers Nike Distribution Center employees educational program to earn degrees online with potentially no out-of-pocket tuition costs. A high school diploma is not required, and a dedicated student success team supports participants.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• University of Mississippi (Ole Miss): Public R1 in neighboring Mississippi with online program expansion. Comparable Carnegie profile, regional employer-base overlap (logistics, healthcare, manufacturing), and similar applied/professional program strategy as UofM.
• University of Arkansas: Public R1 in nearby Arkansas with Global Campus online programs and employer partnerships (notably with Walmart and Tyson). Comparable Carnegie tier and adult-learner strategy to UofM Global.
• Mississippi State University: Public R1 in Starkville, Mississippi with significant online education and extension activity. Comparable enrollment scale to UofM and overlapping regional employer relationships in logistics and manufacturing.

Direct peers

• University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Tennessee's flagship public R1 university and UofM's primary in-state peer for academic reputation, state funding, and online program competition. Comparable scale, similar Carnegie R1 status, and overlapping employer-partnership territory make it the most directly comparable institution.
• Purdue University Global: Public university system's online-dedicated division (formerly Kaplan University) competing directly in fully online undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs — particularly for working adults and military-affiliated learners, mirroring UofM Global's CPL and corporate-partnership positioning.
• Southern New Hampshire University: The leading online-first nonprofit university in the U.S. with massive adult-learner enrollment and 200+ online degree programs. SNHU is UofM Global's most direct national competitor for working-adult, employer-sponsored, and fully online undergraduate and graduate enrollment.
• Middle Tennessee State University: Large public Tennessee university with a substantial online education division (MTSU Online) and broad corporate-employer partnership activity. Competes directly with UofM for Tennessee adult learners, transfer students, and state appropriations.
• Western Governors University: Nonprofit, competency-based online university serving ~150,000 students nationally. WGU competes aggressively with UofM Global on tuition price, employer partnerships (especially in healthcare and IT), and accelerated degree pathways for adult learners.

Broad incumbents

• Vanderbilt University: Private R1 university in Nashville, Tennessee. While Vanderbilt is a different governance model, it competes for the same Tennessee talent pool, faculty, research funding, and corporate partnerships as UofM — particularly in applied AI and professional graduate programs.
• Arizona State University: Large public R1 with ASU Online, one of the most successful scaled online university operations in the U.S. ASU is the gold-standard benchmark for online program breadth, employer relationships, and brand reach — comparable to UofM Global's strategic ambition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/uofmemphis
• Facebookfacebook.com/163464558272
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school
• Instagraminstagram.com/uofmemphis
• Xx.com/uofmemphis

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The University of Memphis