Admit rate has ranged 45%–57% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Rhodes College is a small, selective liberal arts college in Memphis that punches above its weight with a rigorous academic culture, strong community engagement, and a surprisingly vibrant Greek scene. Known for its Gothic architecture and intimate 10:1 student-faculty ratio, Rhodes combines Southern charm with intellectual intensity—producing graduates who outperform national averages in both graduation rates and early-career earnings.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,836
In-state tuition
$57,110
Out-of-state tuition
$57,110
Acceptance Rate
50%
Student-Faculty Ratio
10:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
85%
Greek Life Participation
50%+
Avg Financial Aid Package
$42,669
Median Early-Career Earnings
$36,427
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$66,651
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.3×
Median debt at graduation
$21,761
Graduation rate
85%
First-year retention
92%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
84%
Pell (lower-income) share
29%
First-generation share
13%
Endowment / student
$235,067
Financial health
2.3 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer Science$61,516
Business Administration, Management and Operations$48,667
Economics$46,087
Political Science and Government$43,128
Anthropology$37,208
Fine and Studio Arts$33,993
English Language and Literature, General
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
2
Per 1,000 students
1.09
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
84
Summer high
89°F
Winter low
37°F
Annual rain
55.2"
Annual snow
3.4"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
101
Scholarly works
3,324
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.3%
Bottom → top quintile
58%
From bottom quintile
2%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Rhodes College?
Rhodes College's acceptance rate is approximately 50% (Memphis, TN), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Rhodes College?
Admitted students at Rhodes College typically score 1300–1486 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Rhodes College cost?
At Rhodes College, the average net price (after aid) is about $28,585 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Rhodes College?
Rhodes College enrolls approximately 1,836 undergraduate students.
Where is Rhodes College located?
Rhodes College is located in Memphis, TN.
Admissions
Rhodes is selective but not cutthroat, admitting roughly half of its applicants—a rate that has hovered between 49-53% in recent years. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 1318-1463 on the SAT or 27-33 on the ACT, with an average high school GPA of 3.92. Notably, 49% of enrollees graduated in the top 10% of their high school class, and 93% had at least a 3.5 GPA. The college received 6,019 applications for the Class of 2027, admitting 3,195 students.
With 21 departments and 13 interdisciplinary programs, Rhodes offers over 70 majors and minors—from neuroscience to computer science—with a distinctive emphasis on community engagement (ranked 11th nationally for student service by The Princeton Review). Popular majors include Business Administration (12%), Biology (9%), Computer Science (8%), and Neuroscience (7%). The college’s interdisciplinary approach encourages hands-on learning, with students praising the accessibility of professors and robust internship opportunities in Memphis.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$30,119
History$29,685
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Life at Rhodes revolves around a tight-knit campus where over 50% of students join Greek organizations—a dominant social force. The college balances this with a strong emphasis on community service and intellectual engagement. Students describe a packed calendar of free campus events, from club-sponsored activities to cultural programs. The library, a standout facility built in 2004, serves as both an academic hub and a social space. Memphis provides off-campus opportunities, but the college’s Gothic architecture and leafy quad foster a self-contained, residential feel.
Rhodes graduates outperform peers nationally, with an 85% six-year graduation rate—7% higher than comparable liberal arts colleges. Alumni report median earnings of $36,427 one year post-graduation. The Class of 2021-22 hit the college’s 85% graduation goal, and male students graduate at rates well above national averages. Notably, Rhodes’ career services leverage Memphis’s corporate and nonprofit networks, helping students secure internships and jobs in healthcare, tech, and finance.
Tuition at Rhodes is steep—$58,000 annually—but the college mitigates costs with generous aid. 50% of students receive financial aid, with average packages totaling $42,669. Need-based awards range from $22,000 to $69,010, and merit scholarships are substantial. The Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. calculator suggests many families pay significantly less than the sticker price, with post-aid costs averaging $30,590 for recipients.
Rhodes merges the rigor of a top-tier liberal arts college with the energy of Memphis—a city that fuels its community engagement and internship programs. Its Gothic campus feels like an academic oasis, yet students engage deeply with the city’s cultural and professional opportunities. The college’s balance of Southern hospitality (think: professors who host dinners) and intellectual intensity (evidenced by its 85% graduation rate) creates a unique environment where Greek life coexists with a commitment to service. For students seeking a small-college experience with urban advantages, Rhodes delivers—especially for those drawn to its strengths in neuroscience, business, and community leadership.
