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Bishop State Community College

Public Mobile, AL · Urban · Southeast · 73% data
A Affordability A- Value B Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
31% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$29,916 D
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$5,397 A
69% less than the typical college
Enrollment
2,437
Earnings -27% vs avg
Graduation -46% vs avg
Net Price +-69% vs avg
Mobility Top 21%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 34.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $34.4 over 20 years.

34.4× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $34.4 over 20 years. Net gain: $720,214.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduate earnings fall 27% below the national college median.

  3. Graduation of 31% — 46% below the national average.

  4. Social mobility rate of 2.27% — an engine of upward economic mobility.

  5. Every $1 invested returns $34.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Bishop State Community College Matters

Bishop State Community College is a public college in Mobile, AL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
2,437
Setting
Urban
Designations
HBCU
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Transportation, Health Professions, Culinary & Personal Services

Why students choose Bishop State Community College

Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
HBCU community
A historically Black college with a strong leadership pipeline
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 44% overall
D
Earnings
$29,916 median
A-
Value
5.5× net price
A
Affordability
$5,397/yr net
F
Graduation
31% graduate
B
Social Mobility
2.3% climb Q1→Q5
C-
Diversity
0.49 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Bishop State Community College serves 2,437 students and has a net price of just $5,397, making it an accessible option for many students in Alabama. The college emphasizes practical skills, particularly in its top programs like Transportation, Health Professions, and Culinary Services. This affordability is critical for those seeking education without accumulating significant debt.

The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data on mobility isn’t available, but the college’s graduation rate stands at 31%. This suggests that while some students thrive and complete their programs, many may need additional support to succeed. With 39% of students receiving Pell Grants, Bishop State targets low-income individuals, helping them access education and training for better job opportunities.

Graduates from Bishop State earn a median income of $29,916 a decade after enrollment. This figure highlights the college's focus on career-oriented programs that cater to local job markets. Students who excel here are typically those seeking hands-on training and a direct path to employment in various fields.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Bishop State Community College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Bishop State Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Bishop State Community College, located in Mobile, Alabama, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 31%.

Retention Rate
55%
Full-Time Faculty
34%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$7,633
Student–Faculty Ratio
18:1
Diversity Index
0.49
First-Gen Students
49%

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Bishop State Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Bishop State Community College is $9,210, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,397. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,157 after need-based grants.

In-State Tuition
$5,340
Out-of-State
$9,210
Avg Net Price
$5,397
Pell Grant Rate
39%
Federal Loan Rate
0%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$5,157
Family Income $30K–$48K
$5,788
Family Income $48K–$75K
$5,621
Family Income $110K+
$10,865

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Bishop State Community College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Bishop State Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Bishop State Community College report median earnings of $29,916, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$25,100
8 Years
$27,738
10 Years
$29,916
Earning > $25K
32%

Earnings Trajectory

$25,100 6yr $27,738 8yr $29,916 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (133)
21%
100% (133)
21%
100% (133)
21%
100% (133)
21%

How Bishop Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation31%Earnings 10yr$30KNet Price$5KRetention55%Pell Grant Rate39%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$5K$0-30K$6K$30-48K$6K$48-75K$11K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%40.9%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%5.5%MOBILITY2.27%

College ROI Calculator

Is Bishop State Community College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Bishop State Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $5,397/year ($21,588 total). Graduates earn $29,916 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $741,802 in total earnings — a net gain of $720,214 (34.4× your investment).. With a 31% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$21,588
Projected 20yr Earnings
$741,802
Net Return
$720,214
ROI Multiple
34.4×
Cost Per Year
$5,397
Graduation Rate
31%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Bishop State Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Bishop State Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.27%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 40.9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 5.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $31,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
2.27%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
5.5%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
40.9%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$42,662
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Bishop State Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Bishop State Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.39, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.12). Around 2% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
0.39
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.12
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
2.5%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
$151,105
Federal Grants
$6,115,452
Investment Income
$26,090

Top Programs

The fields Bishop State Community College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Bishop State Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Bishop State Community College, located in Mobile, Alabama, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 31%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Bishop State Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Bishop State Community College is $9,210, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $5,397. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $5,157 after need-based grants.

Is Bishop State Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Bishop State Community College report median earnings of $29,916, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Bishop State Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Bishop State Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.27%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 40.9% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 5.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $31,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Bishop State Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Bishop State Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.39, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.12). Around 2% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Bishop State Community College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys