University of Southern Mississippi (USM) vs The University of Alabama (UA)

Envision yourself as a student, embarking on a journey of higher education. As you navigate the vast landscape of universities, two prominent institutions emerge: The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and The University of Alabama (UA). While both offer exceptional academic opportunities, they possess distinct characteristics that may influence your decision. USM, nestled in the heart of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, welcomes a diverse student body, fostering a close-knit community. In contrast, UA, situated in the vibrant city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, boasts a larger student population, providing a dynamic and diverse campus experience. Delve into our comprehensive comparison table to uncover further distinctions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Discover which university aligns with your aspirations and sets the stage for your academic success.

	The University of Alabama	University of Southern Mississippi
Overview
Location	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	89.0%	70.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	78.9%	95.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1070 - 1370	N/A
ACT range	21 - 31	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%
Students submitting ACT score	63.0%	99.0%
Total number of applicants	42,421	9,314
Total number of admissions given out	33,472	8,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll	7,593	1,587
Yield rate	22.7%	17.8%
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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $31,024 Out of state: $50,494	In state: $25,100 Out of state: $27,100
Average net price	$21,263	$13,651
Tuition	In state: $10,780 Out of state: $30,250	In state: $9,094 Out of state: $11,094
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,900 Meal plan: $4,234	$10,950
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	76.0% Average amount $16,363	91.0% Average amount $9,072
Students receiving federal student loan	37.0% Average amount $5,221	54.0% Average amount $5,327
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $23,617	4.0% Average amount $12,298

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	31,685 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%	10,693 Men 35.3% Women 64.7%
Graduate students	6,631 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%	3,453 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	62.2%	25.7%
International students	3.0%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	9,385	3,592
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alabama Georgia Illinois Texas Tennessee	Mississippi Louisiana Alabama Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Engineering Family and Consumer Sciences Education	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.2%	51.8%
Dropout rate	7.7%	46.0%
Transferred out	18.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $104,741 Year 2: $119,061 Year 3: $121,674 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,175 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $101,082 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,913 Year 2: $80,004 Year 3: $96,574 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,715 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $89,742 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,858 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $83,044 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,725 Year 2: $75,832 Year 3: $82,831 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $75,975 Year 2: $75,921 Year 3: $82,382 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,535 Year 2: $90,412 Year 3: $81,427 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,760 Year 2: $65,281 Year 3: $76,647 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $62,913 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $76,479	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $157,573 Year 2: $156,846 Year 3: $164,002 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $95,073 Year 3: $99,130 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: $71,295 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $67,024 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,957 Year 2: $56,254 Year 3: $57,464 Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,555 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,239 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,332 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $52,453 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,129 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $50,674 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,726 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $49,610 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,917 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $48,921

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