LeMoyne-Owen College is seeing soaring enrollment with 957 full-time, part-time, dual enrollment, and adult students registered for the Fall 2026 semester, a 37 percent increase over the 697 students enrolled in Fall 2025. The college also surpassed its enrollment goal of 840 by 117 students, reaching 113.9 percent of its target.
Adult learners are a key part of that story. This fall, 133 students are enrolled through the college’s Accelerated Studies for Adults & Professionals (ASAP) program, nearly one in every seven LOC students. Even as rising costs and economic uncertainty squeeze household budgets, adults across Memphis are choosing LeMoyne-Owen as a source for affordable, flexible education that fits around work and family.
“Our college continues making magic and advancing the legacy of preparing graduates for leadership and success,” said Dr. Christopher B. Davis, President of LeMoyne-Owen College. “We drive Memphis’ economy with majority of our alumni living and establishing careers here, and we look forward to further momentum of increasing Black excellence in our city and beyond.”
The growth follows a period of intentional investment. LOC has strengthened academics, appointed new faculty, including community and small business leaders, and expanded the student experience through athletics, fine arts, and institutional partnerships. Recent additions include a Religion major, the new LOC Online learning program, the Magician Advantage Loan Repayment Assistance Program, Kick Start Scholarships, and the Lowery Communication Center.
The college is also undergoing plans for campus expansion with recent purchases of the former YWCA Greater Memphis Building for the School of Education, the Soulsville Town Center project, and the former Bethel Presbyterian Church as a new home for the School of Business and Entrepreneurship.