University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) vs University of Southern Mississippi (USM)

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) are two distinct universities with unique offerings. UAB, located in the vibrant city of Birmingham, boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to USM's 70%. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with UAB excelling in fields like nursing, biology, and public health, while USM shines in business, education, and psychology. UAB's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students, while USM has a slightly larger student population. When it comes to graduation rates, UAB maintains a slight edge over USM, with a 6-year graduation rate of 60% compared to USM's 58%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more, allowing you to assess which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
University of Alabama at Birmingham logo

University of Alabama at Birmingham

University of Southern Mississippi logo

University of Southern Mississippi

Overview

Location Birmingham, Alabama Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Campus setting City: Midsize 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 84.0% 70.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 88.5% 95.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $60
SAT range 1173 - 1388 N/A
ACT range 23 - 30 19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score 7.0%
Students submitting ACT score 65.0% 99.0%
Total number of applicants 11,906 9,314
Total number of admissions given out 10,541 8,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,415 1,587
Yield rate 22.9% 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) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $27,630

Out of state: $39,462
In state: $25,100

Out of state: $27,100
Average net price $16,990 $13,651
Tuition
In state: $8,568

Out of state: $20,400
In state: $9,094

Out of state: $11,094
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,767

Meal plan: $4,540
$10,950
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

93.0%
Average amount $10,940
91.0%
Average amount $9,072
Students receiving federal student loan 46.0%
Average amount $5,208
54.0%
Average amount $5,327
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $14,247
4.0%
Average amount $12,298

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 13,547
Men 37.9% Women 62.1%
10,693
Men 35.3% Women 64.7%
Graduate students 8,742
Men 34.1% Women 65.9%
3,453
Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 16.8% 25.7%
International students 5.0% 2.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Small
Dormitory capacity 3,480 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 Tennessee Louisiana Florida Mississippi Louisiana Alabama Florida Tennessee

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Engineering
  • 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 62.4% 51.8%
Dropout rate 16.5% 46.0%
Transferred out 17.9% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $158,993
  • Year 2: $169,894
  • Year 3: $175,573
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,128
  • Year 2: $111,769
  • Year 3: $139,245
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $117,171
  • Year 2: $130,034
  • Year 3: $128,873
Systems Science and Theory (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,948
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $123,089
Optometry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,176
  • Year 2: $96,457
  • Year 3: $107,084
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,582
  • Year 2: $99,737
  • Year 3: $105,689
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,298
  • Year 2: $89,564
  • Year 3: $99,770
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,552
  • Year 2: $95,215
  • Year 3: $98,530
Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,497
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $94,486
Engineering, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,743
  • Year 2: $88,820
  • Year 3: $90,200
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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Alabama State University Alabama State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs The University of Alabama The University of Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Auburn University at Montgomery Auburn University at Montgomery
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of West Alabama University of West Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Montevallo University of Montevallo
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Samford University Samford University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Spring Hill College Spring Hill College
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Troy University Troy University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Alaska Anchorage University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Florida State University Florida State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of South Florida University of South Florida
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Fort Valley State University Fort Valley State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Illinois Chicago University of Illinois Chicago
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Iowa State University Iowa State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Louisville University of Louisville
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Maryland, Baltimore University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Mississippi University of Mississippi
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Mississippi University for Women Mississippi University for Women
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Mississippi State University Mississippi State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Southern Mississippi University of Southern Mississippi
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of Missouri-St Louis University of Missouri-St Louis
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Rowan University Rowan University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Kean University Kean University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Rutgers University-Newark Rutgers University-Newark
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs CUNY Bernard M Baruch College CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of North Dakota University of North Dakota
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Cleveland State University Cleveland State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs Augusta University Augusta University
University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB vs University of North Georgia University of North Georgia
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs The University of Alabama The University of Alabama
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of West Alabama University of West Alabama
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Troy University Troy University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of Central Arkansas University of Central Arkansas
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Valdosta State University Valdosta State University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Ball State University Ball State University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Iowa State University Iowa State University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of New Orleans University of New Orleans
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of Louisiana at Monroe University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Western Michigan University Western Michigan University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Jackson State University Jackson State University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of Central Missouri University of Central Missouri
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs East Carolina University East Carolina University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Carolina at Asheville
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of North Carolina Wilmington University of North Carolina Wilmington
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of North Carolina at Pembroke University of North Carolina at Pembroke
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Kent State University at Kent Kent State University at Kent
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Texas State University Texas State University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs The University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at El Paso
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs The University of Texas at Tyler The University of Texas at Tyler
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs The University of Texas Permian Basin The University of Texas Permian Basin
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs Texas Woman's University Texas Woman's University
University of Southern Mississippi USM vs University of Vermont University of Vermont