Students seeking a small, private liberal arts experience who value close faculty relationships and personalized attention in their academic journey. Families comfortable with higher private college costs but who want reasonable debt levels and solid long-term earning potential, particularly those interested in business or professional programs.
Students at Birmingham-Southern College achieve above-average long-term earnings that reflect the value of personalized education and strong career preparation.
The college's combination of solid financial outcomes and high graduation rates demonstrates its effectiveness in supporting students through to successful career launches.
Birmingham-Southern College is a small private nonprofit institution in Alabama that delivers above-average long-term financial outcomes for graduates. With median 10-year earnings of $59,481, the college places in the 66th percentile nationally for return on investment, demonstrating that graduates achieve solid financial success despite the institution's modest size and regional focus.
The college serves a relatively selective student body, with about 23% of students receiving Pell Grants and 17% being first-generation college students. Graduation rates are strong, with 64% of students completing their degrees within six years and 71% finishing within eight years. This combination of solid completion rates and above-average earnings outcomes reflects the institution's ability to support students through to successful career launches.
As a small private college, Birmingham-Southern offers the intimate academic environment typical of liberal arts institutions while maintaining connections to regional employers and professional networks. The college's business programs, in particular, show strong aggregate returns, combining meaningful enrollment with competitive earnings outcomes that help drive the institution's overall financial performance.
Birmingham-Southern College's program portfolio centers around liberal arts disciplines with particular strength in business administration, which serves as both the college's largest major and its highest aggregate return program. Business Administration graduates about 49 students annually, representing a significant portion of the college's total output and demonstrating sustained student interest in professional preparation within the liberal arts framework.
The business program's combination of meaningful enrollment and career-focused curriculum makes it a key driver of the institution's overall economic outcomes. While early-career earnings for business graduates average $33,993, this figure typically represents a starting point that grows substantially as graduates advance in their careers and leverage both their technical business skills and the broader critical thinking abilities developed through Birmingham-Southern's comprehensive educational approach.
As a small liberal arts college, Birmingham-Southern's program mix emphasizes breadth and intellectual development rather than narrow specialization. This approach prepares graduates for diverse career paths and provides the adaptability that employers increasingly value in a rapidly changing economy. The college's regional connections and alumni network support career placement across various fields, contributing to the solid long-term outcomes that distinguish Birmingham-Southern from many similar small private institutions.
Birmingham-Southern College graduates achieve solid long-term earnings that place the institution above average nationally. Ten years after enrollment, graduates earn a median of $59,481, positioning the college in the 66th percentile for return on investment among all institutions. This performance reflects the college's ability to prepare students for careers that provide meaningful financial stability and growth potential over time.
The college's strongest program outcomes center around business administration, which serves as both the largest major and the highest aggregate return program. Business Administration graduates about 49 students annually with median 10-year earnings of $33,993, though this figure represents early-career performance that typically grows substantially over time. The program's combination of solid enrollment and career preparation makes it a key driver of the institution's overall economic outcomes.
While Birmingham-Southern's earnings don't reach the levels seen at large research universities or highly selective institutions, they represent strong value for students seeking the benefits of a small college environment. The institution's regional connections and personalized career support help graduates transition effectively into professional roles, contributing to the above-average financial outcomes that distinguish the college from many similar small private institutions.
Birmingham-Southern College operates as a private institution with pricing that reflects its personalized educational model, though net costs vary significantly by family income level. Low-income students pay about $19,562 annually after aid, while middle-income families see net prices around $21,634, and higher-income families pay approximately $25,419. These figures place the college in the 35th percentile nationally for affordability, indicating that costs run somewhat higher than many public alternatives.
The college's financial aid approach helps moderate costs for students from lower-income backgrounds, with meaningful grant assistance that brings net prices down from the full sticker price. However, families across all income levels should expect to contribute substantially more than they would at public institutions, reflecting the premium associated with small class sizes, personalized attention, and the comprehensive liberal arts experience that defines the Birmingham-Southern model.
Despite higher upfront costs, the college's debt outcomes remain within manageable ranges for most graduates. The combination of solid long-term earnings and reasonable borrowing levels helps ensure that the investment in a Birmingham-Southern education can pay off over time, particularly for students who thrive in smaller academic environments and benefit from the close mentoring relationships that characterize the institution.
Birmingham-Southern College serves a student body that includes meaningful representation from diverse economic backgrounds, though access patterns reflect the institution's private college profile. About 23% of students receive Pell Grants, and 17% are first-generation college students, indicating that the college attracts some students from lower-income families despite its private pricing structure.
The transfer-in rate of about 3% suggests that most students begin their college careers at Birmingham-Southern rather than transferring from other institutions. Graduation outcomes show the college's ability to support students through to degree completion, with particularly strong performance for students who stay enrolled beyond the traditional four-year timeline.
While 56% of students graduate within four years, this figure rises to 64% at six years and 71% at eight years, demonstrating that the college provides pathways for students who need additional time to complete their degrees. This pattern is common at small private institutions where students may take gap years, study abroad, or pursue internships that extend their academic timeline.
The college's mobility outcomes place it in the 76th percentile nationally, indicating above-average performance in helping students achieve upward economic progress. While specific low-income earnings data is limited, the institution's overall strong return on investment suggests that graduates from all backgrounds benefit from the career preparation and professional networks that Birmingham-Southern provides, contributing to meaningful economic advancement over the long term.
Birmingham-Southern combines moderate access with strong mobility outcomes, serving 23% Pell Grant recipients while achieving above-average economic advancement results.
The college's 76th percentile mobility ranking reflects its ability to help students from diverse backgrounds achieve meaningful career success, supported by high graduation rates and solid long-term earning potential.
Birmingham-Southern College Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
