Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Kent State University at Kent, Central Michigan University, University of Memphis. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Kent StateKent, OH | Central MichiganMount Pleasant, MI | MemphisMemphis, TN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 86.3% | 89.8% | 72.0% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1010–1240 | 960–1200 | 915–1180 |
| Average net price | $20,78728.5% on Pell grants | $17,59731.4% on Pell grants | $12,39741.2% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $13,232 in-state · $23,082 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $14,760 in-state · $14,760 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,728 in-state · $15,384 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 63.7% | 58.7% | 50.9% |
| First-year retention | 80.9% | 75.4% | 77.4% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 28.5% | 31.4% | 41.2% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $45,388 | $55,874 | $48,458 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $24,500 | $27,000 | $23,300 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 21:1 | 16:1 | 17:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 19,320 | 10,035 | 12,701 |
| Consensus percentile | 55Lower is better | 59Lower is better | 52Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 72 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 71 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 84 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Kent State | Central Michigan | Memphis |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #232 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #283 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #273 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #544 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #807 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #301 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #466 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #287 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #403 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #560 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #599 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #201 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | #1053 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1419 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1372 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Kent State University at Kent on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Central Michigan University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Memphis on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profile