Two Memphis colleges bucked the trend this fall. LeMoyne-Owen College opened with 957 students, up 37% from 697 last fall and well past its goal of 840, its highest enrollment in recent memory. Just down the road, Southwest Tennessee Community College grew enrollment 10%, from 6,720 students in 2025 to 7,388 this year, an increase of 668 students, according to SWTCC spokesperson Diana Fedinec (The Daily Memphian).
At LeMoyne-Owen, a big share of the growth is coming from adult learners. The college’s Accelerated Studies for Adults & Professionals program now enrolls 133 students, about one in every seven Magicians on campus, as more adults look for an affordable, flexible way back into the classroom.
The college points to a run of investment behind the numbers: new faculty, a new Religion major, the launch of LOC Online, loan repayment assistance and Kick Start scholarships, and campus expansion into the former YWCA building and Soulsville Town Center. “Our college continues making magic and advancing the legacy of preparing graduates for leadership and success,” said President Dr. Christopher B. Davis.
Both schools are growing against the grain. Colleges nationwide are facing an “enrollment cliff” as the college-age population shrinks, and several Memphis schools felt it this fall: the University of Memphis dipped 3.4% (19,652 to 18,980) and Rhodes College fell 4.8% (1,780 to 1,693). LeMoyne-Owen and Southwest are the exceptions, proof that growth is still possible in a tightening market.
Southwest Tennessee Community College saw a 10% jump in enrollment this fall. (The Daily Memphian)
Together, LeMoyne-Owen and Southwest are a reminder of the options Memphis students have close to home, and of how much local investment and adult-learner outreach can move the needle even as the wider market tightens.
