Best Colleges in Memphis

Questions About Going to College in Memphis

How are the career opportunities for college graduates in this city?

Grads interested in transportation and logistics can’t go wrong in Memphis. The city’s Chamber of Commerce calls it “America’s Aerotropolis: Where Runway, Road, Rail, and River Merge.” FedEx, UPS, USPS, and over 400 trucking companies call it a heck of a good place to do business. Other contributors to the economy include manufacturing, financial services, and healthcare. And the small-business sector may grow substantially with a community-wide initiative known as The Entrepreneurship-Powered Innovation Center. It helps prospective business owners with funding and resources. The goal is creating 500 new companies by 2024.

What major companies/industries are hiring what type of graduates/skills in Memphis?

With roughly 32,000 employees, the package delivery service FedEx ranks as the city’s largest private employer. Its corporate headquarters in Memphis hires in a variety of areas, including administration, financial services, engineering, management, and information technology. Three other Fortune 1000 corporations that also call Memphis home—International Paper, ServiceMaster, and AutoZone—similarly hire for a range of positions. Health science grads may find employment with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. Shelby County Schools seek teachers and other educational professionals.

Is Memphis more of a college town or a great place to start a career and family?

Home to University of Memphis, Rhodes College, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, plenty of young professionals flock to Memphis to advance their knowledge and careers. However, with more than 650,000 residents, as the largest city in Tennessee, Memphis obviously attracts more than just students. A cost of living well below the national average provides a major lure, especially for young families looking to stretch their dollars.

What do the locals in Memphis like to do for fun?

Residents come out in droves for Memphis in May, an annual month-long celebration highlighted by the largest pork barbecue cooking contest in the world. It also features a music festival on iconic Beale Street with performers in 2015 including Lenny Kravitz and Paramore. Other seasons bring plenty of events too. Fans of pro basketball enjoy cheering on the Memphis Grizzlies, while minor league baseball’s Memphis Redbirds attract families interested in an afternoon of low-cost summer fun. And Shelby Farms Park with its 4,000+ acres of green space and 6.5 miles of urban trail encourages biking, walking, and other outdoor activities. Try its Go Ape adventure, which will have you swinging and climbing through trees!

What's the dating scene like in Memphis? Will I meet my perfect mate?

Nightlife in Memphis is said to begin and end on Beale Street. And while it may be the official “Home of the Blues,” plenty of singles find the clubs and restaurants there happy places to mingle. Into art? Find a picture-perfect mate while taking a photography class or strolling the picturesque grounds at Dixon Gallery and Gardens. Note, too, that Memphis has a larger African American population than much of Tennessee (about 63 percent compared to 16 percent for the state as a whole), benefiting those seeking diversity.