The Largest Dual Enrollment Provider in Tennessee: The University of Memphis
Dual enrollment, where students can begin earning college credit in high school, has been gaining more attention, funding and credibility in Tennessee over the last decade, most apparent at the University of Memphis. Currently, the University’s Dual Enrollment (DE) programtouts the largest number of students in the state, at 3,074 as of Fall 2025.
The University partners with nearly 100 high schools, public, private and charter, throughout the state on the program, most of which are located in Shelby County. Through DE, high school students can earn college credit while fulfilling their high school requirements for graduation. What’s more is 95% of DE students pay zero dollars out of pocket for tuition thanks to grants and scholarships.
UofM senior biology major, Isabella Stavrides took 12 hours of dual enrollment credits at Arlington High School. “Dual Enrollment gave me the opportunity to complete general education requirements before starting college. My dual enrollment credits gave me a head start and allowed me to jump into my major classes,” Stavrides said.
As a parent, Armella Smith, coordinator of UofM Recruitment Operations, said her children also had a great experience with the program. Combined, Smith’s three children earned 63 college credit hours through participating in Dual Enrollment. “I gained a new respect for DE students and realized how important the program is to students’ futures. All three of my children are very different, but all were able to take DE courses. They all saw the benefits from different perspectives, but all agreed that this was one of the best decisions made in high school.”
Courses are taught in the participating high schools as part of the high school-based program. The UofM Dual Enrollment program also offers campus-based course models where students can come on campus and be integrated with real undergraduates or take online courses to expand opportunities. Unlike Advanced Placement (AP), which is a test-based way to earn college credit, high school students registered in DE are UofM students.
“It helped them shorten their time in college and helped them decide on their major in college. The most impactful benefit is that they learned how to navigate as a college student while they still had the wrap around support from their high school counselors, teachers and the DE liaisons,” Smith said. “They became academically, mentally and socially prepared for college while in high school. This helped ease their anxiety as well as mine for the next big step in their lives. As a parent, it definitely saved us money, but I knew that they were prepared for college and that was the goal for me.”
Smith said these were essential to her children’s success and all three are now college graduates living in different cities with successful careers.
There is also no limit to how many courses students can take per semester. Past participants of the program have entered college their freshman year with upward of 30 college credit hours.
Additional highlights include:
- Admission into the UofM upon successful completion of the program
- 96.5% average success rate (students earn a “C” or higher)
- 18 academic department liaisons work with high school instructors to offer 34 subject areas
- Grant eligible students can take up to 10 courses for $0 tuition out-of-pocket
- DE does not impact students’ eligibility for freshman scholarships
- Most credits are transferrable across higher educational institutions in the state
“I always encourage high schoolers to take advantage of these classes,” Stavrides said. “I was able to get involved on campus earlier thanks to my dual enrollment classes and able to just take 12 hours because I was already ahead. This made my transition into college a lot smoother.”
Applications should be submitted by December 1, 2025, for the spring term by visiting memphis.edu/dualenrollment/de_apps.php. UofM’s DE office can be reached at (901) 675-5218 or [email protected].
Originally published by the University of Memphis. Republished with permission.
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