Birmingham-Southern College vs The University of Tennessee Southern
Birmingham-Southern College and The University of Tennessee Southern, while both offering quality education, present distinct experiences for prospective students. Birmingham-Southern, a private liberal arts college, boasts a selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 65%, while The University of Tennessee Southern, a public university, offers a more open admissions policy with an acceptance rate of 99%. Birmingham-Southern's student body is predominantly White (68%) and female (60%), while The University of Tennessee Southern's student body is more diverse, with a larger proportion of male students (53%) and a significant African American population (28%). Both institutions offer a range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Birmingham-Southern including Business, Biology, and Psychology, and popular majors at The University of Tennessee Southern including Business, Education, and Nursing. With Birmingham-Southern's higher graduation rate (63% vs. 42%) and smaller average class size (16 vs.
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![]() Birmingham-Southern College |
![]() The University of Tennessee Southern |
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Overview |
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Location | Birmingham, Alabama | Pulaski, Tennessee |
Campus setting | City: Midsize | Town: Distant |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Private (Non Profit) |
Calendar system | 4-1-4 | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 78.0% | 55.0% |
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Yes | No |
Religious affiliation | Methodism | Methodism |
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 65.9% | 92.2% |
Application fees | $50 | |
SAT range | 1090 - 1240 | 971 - 1008 |
ACT range | 22 - 28 | 18 - 23 |
Students submitting SAT score | 7.0% | 9.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 54.0% | 86.0% |
Total number of applicants | 2,461 | 408 |
Total number of admissions given out | 1,622 | 376 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 244 | 215 |
Yield rate | 15.0% | 57.2% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Required |
Recommendation letters | Not required | Not required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Not required | Required |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price | $33,790 | $30,900 |
Average net price | $22,888 | $20,305 |
Tuition | $18,850 | $9,000 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$7,900
Meal plan:
$5,650
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$8,600 |
Available payment plans |
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Financial Aid |
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Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
97.0%
Average amount $10,781 |
100.0%
Average amount $20,950 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
79.0%
Average amount $3,074 |
54.0%
Average amount $5,150 |
Students taking out private loans |
6.0%
Average amount $13,570 |
3.0%
Average amount $12,617 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
1,058
Men 48.7% Women 51.3% |
852
Men 43.3% Women 56.7% |
Graduate students | N/A |
24
Men 37.5% Women 62.5% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
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Very Low
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Out-of-state students | 38.4% | N/A |
International students | 1.5% | 4.5% |
Campus local/setting | City: Midsize | Town: Distant |
Dormitory capacity | 1,418 | 320 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Alabama Georgia Tennessee Florida Texas | N/A |
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Academics |
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Popular study areas |
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Students to faculty ratio | 10:1 | 13:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 69.8% | 34.1% |
Dropout rate | 4.8% | 65.5% |
Transferred out | 24.7% | N/A |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
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Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
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