Liberal arts college
#2 Best colleges in TennesseeRhodes College
Memphis, TN · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $28,585 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,761 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best small colleges in America#35 of 906
- Best colleges for business in America#80 of 1,563
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#68 of 1,238
- Best colleges for education in America#75 of 1,318
- Best colleges in America#132 of 1,829
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#135 of 1,829
Show 16 more
- Best colleges for psychology in America#111 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#118 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#113 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#113 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#116 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#112 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#117 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#116 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#116 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#111 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#79 of 750
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#55 of 430
- Best colleges for economics in America#114 of 788
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#105 of 704
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#141 of 693
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#143 of 690
In Tennessee
- Best colleges for business in Tennessee#1 of 38
- Best small colleges in Tennessee#1 of 24
- Best colleges in Tennessee#2 of 43
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Tennessee#2 of 43
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Tennessee#2 of 36
- Best colleges for education in Tennessee#2 of 36
Show 18 more
- Best colleges for English in Tennessee#2 of 36
- Best colleges for history in Tennessee#2 of 36
- Best colleges for music in Tennessee#2 of 35
- Best colleges for chemistry in Tennessee#2 of 34
- Best colleges for mathematics in Tennessee#2 of 34
- Best colleges for psychology in Tennessee#2 of 34
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Tennessee#2 of 29
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Tennessee#2 of 28
- Best test-optional colleges in Tennessee#2 of 28
- Best colleges for art and design in Tennessee#2 of 27
- Best colleges for computer science in Tennessee#2 of 25
- Best colleges for economics in Tennessee#2 of 16
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Tennessee#2 of 10
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Tennessee#2 of 10
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Tennessee#3 of 10
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Tennessee#3 of 10
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Tennessee#3 of 10
- Most selective colleges in Tennessee#3 of 10
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.85%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.92%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,362 · ACT 29
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.9 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$16,723
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $71,136 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,936 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 41% · Women 59% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 13% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 62% |
| Total students | 1,952 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $28,585 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $71,136 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,761 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 85% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 70% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 66% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 84% |
| First-year retention | 92% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $66,651 |
| Admission rate | 50% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Early decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | November 1 |
| Second early decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | January 15 |
| Early action deadline College website, 2026-27 | November 15 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,154 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 16% |
| Average SAT | 1362 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 650–733 |
| SAT math | 650–753 |
| ACT composite | 26–32 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Economics | |
| Computer science | |
| Business administration | |
| Political science | |
| International relations | |
| Biology | |
| English |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Communication studies, Education (general), Educational leadership, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Fine arts, German, Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities, History, International business, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Religious studies, Romance languages, Theatre, Urban Studies/Affairs.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Business | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 5% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $13,620 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Southern Athletic Asssociation |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 9 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 22%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 85%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $211,334IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 83% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Frederick W. Smith International Airport (MEM)About 8 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Town population | 618,980Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | MemphisAbout 3 miles away · about 10 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 42°F in January · 83°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Memphis International Airport, TN, about 7 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.54 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.54 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 2.15 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.54 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Rhodes College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 8% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Rhodes College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $28,585 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Rhodes College?
- Rhodes College admitted 50% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Rhodes College’s graduates do?
- 85% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $66,651; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,761.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 221351
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Presbyterian Church (USA)
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