How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
University of Alabama at Birmingham demonstrates well above average access performance, ranking at the 77.0th percentile nationally on Azimuth's access index. The institution maintains open access with an 88.4% admission rate while enrolling 33.2% Pell-eligible students and 34.1% first-generation students, indicating strong commitment to educational opportunity. Transfer students comprise 34.8% of enrollment, reflecting UAB's role in supporting diverse educational pathways. Despite open admission, students achieve strong test scores with SAT ranges of 1130-1400, demonstrating academic quality alongside accessibility and positioning University of Alabama at Birmingham as an institution serving diverse backgrounds with solid academic preparation.
The connection between access and mobility at University of Alabama at Birmingham reflects the institution's mission to serve diverse populations while maintaining pathways to economic advancement. The earnings distribution from $33,873 to $80,711 demonstrates mobility potential across program choices, with healthcare and technology programs providing particularly strong advancement opportunities. Open admission combined with moderate earnings creates sustainable pathways for first-generation and lower-income students seeking career advancement through higher education, supporting UAB's designation as an Opportunity Builder institution.
University of Alabama at Birmingham ranks at the 86.0th percentile for mobility, earning well above average recognition for economic advancement outcomes. As an Opportunity Builder institution, UAB combines educational access with meaningful career outcomes that support upward economic mobility. Low-income graduates earn $47,000, demonstrating the institution's effectiveness in supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Pell-eligible students graduate at 52.8% compared to the overall completion rate of 62.6%, creating a 9.8 percentage point gap that indicates challenges for lower-income students. The $1,737 in earnings beyond expectations shows University of Alabama at Birmingham effectively supports economic advancement despite serving populations that typically face barriers to degree completion and career success.
Pell-eligible students at University of Alabama at Birmingham complete degrees at 52.8% compared to the overall completion rate of 62.6%, creating a 9.8 percentage point gap. This substantial gap indicates that lower-income students face additional challenges in degree completion, though the majority of Pell students do successfully graduate. The gap suggests areas for enhanced support services for students facing economic barriers to persistence.
