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University of Alabama at Birmingham

#1 Best Biology Colleges in Alabama
Public Birmingham, AL · Urban · Southeast · 100% data
B Earnings B Diversity B- Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
63% C+
Solid completion rate — most students graduate
Earnings (10yr)
$54,501 B
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$18,749 C-
Close to the national average
Acceptance Rate
88% D+
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +34% vs avg
Graduation +11% vs avg
Net Price 9% vs avg
Mobility Top 32%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 17.6× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $17.6 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Biology Colleges in Alabama.

17.6× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $17.6 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,241,951.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Earnings 34% above the national college median.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $17.6 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why University of Alabama at Birmingham Matters

University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public research university in Birmingham, AL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a top-tier research enterprise and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

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

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Research University
Carnegie Class
R1 · Very High Research
Enrollment
11,635
Setting
Urban
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Biology & Biomedical, Psychology

Why students choose University of Alabama at Birmingham

Strong STEM core
A heavy concentration in technical fields
Top-tier research university
R1 status: undergraduates work alongside leading researchers
Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C+
Top 39% overall
B
Earnings
$54,501 median
C+
Value
2.9× net price
C-
Affordability
$18,749/yr net
C+
Graduation
63% graduate
B-
Social Mobility
1.9% climb Q1→Q5
D+
Selectivity
88% admit rate
B
Diversity
0.69 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has an acceptance rate of 88%, making it accessible for a broad range of students. This statistic highlights the university's commitment to welcoming a diverse student body while maintaining a manageable enrollment of 11,635.

According to Opportunity Insights data, the economic mobility for students at UAB is promising, with a median earnings of $54,501 ten years after graduation. This suggests that graduates have the potential to improve their financial situations significantly over time, especially those who may come from lower-income backgrounds.

With a net price of $18,749 and a median debt of $22,300, UAB presents a financially viable option for students. Those who thrive here generally pursue popular programs like Health Professions, Business & Marketing, and Engineering. This combination of affordability and strong earning potential makes UAB an attractive choice for many.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective University of Alabama at Birmingham 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 University of Alabama at Birmingham? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Birmingham, Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 88%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,258. The graduation rate is roughly 63%.

Acceptance Rate
88%
Retention Rate
80%
SAT Average
1258
ACT Midpoint
27
SAT Range
1210–1450
ACT Range
23–30
Full-Time Faculty
77%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$12,612
Student–Faculty Ratio
18:1
Diversity Index
0.69
First-Gen Students
34%
Applicants
9,947
Admitted
8,622

Inside the Admissions Office

School-reported Common Data Set · 2024-25

The acceptance rate tells you how hard University of Alabama at Birmingham is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 7% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.

Yield Rate
7%
of admits enroll
Submitted SAT
4%
of enrolled freshmen
Submitted ACT
43%
of enrolled freshmen

Test-optional, in practice. Only about 47% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.

Source: University of Alabama at Birmingham's Common Data Set, 2024-25 View the source document on collegedata.fyi →

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 University of Alabama at Birmingham? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of Alabama at Birmingham is $22,562, 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 $18,749. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $16,172 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $22,300 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$9,098
Out-of-State
$22,562
Avg Net Price
$18,749
Median Debt
$22,300
Pell Grant Rate
34%
Federal Loan Rate
40%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$16,172
Family Income $30K–$48K
$15,500
Family Income $48K–$75K
$19,161
Family Income $110K+
$22,597

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 University of Alabama at Birmingham — 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 University of Alabama at Birmingham Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of Alabama at Birmingham earn a median of $54,501, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$46,572
8 Years
$51,431
10 Years
$54,501
Debt-to-Earnings
0.41x
Earning > $25K
67%

Earnings Trajectory

$46,572 6yr $51,431 8yr $54,501 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (654)
38%
100% (654)
38%
100% (654)
38%
100% (654)
38%

How University Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation63%Earnings 10yr$55KNet Price$19KRetention80%Median Debt$22KPell Grant Rate34%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$16K$0-30K$16K$30-48K$19K$48-75K$23K$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%12.1%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%15.7%MOBILITY1.89%

College ROI Calculator

Is University of Alabama at Birmingham Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, University of Alabama at Birmingham delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $18,749/year ($74,996 total). Graduates earn $54,501 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,316,947 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,241,951 (17.6× your investment). The median debt is $22,300, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 63% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$74,996
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,316,947
Net Return
$1,241,951
ROI Multiple
17.6×
Cost Per Year
$18,749
Median Debt
$22,300
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
63%

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 University of Alabama at Birmingham Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

University of Alabama at Birmingham 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 1.89%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12.1% 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 15.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $74,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.89%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
15.7%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
12.1%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$101,355
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is University of Alabama at Birmingham? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Its economic connectedness score is 1.33, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.33
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.04
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
6.8%
Support Ratio
0.98
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

Investment Income
$-519,999,976

Top Programs

The fields University of Alabama at Birmingham 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 University of Alabama at Birmingham? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Birmingham, Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 88%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,258. The graduation rate is roughly 63%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of Alabama at Birmingham? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of Alabama at Birmingham is $22,562, 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 $18,749. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $16,172 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $22,300 in federal student loans.

Is University of Alabama at Birmingham Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of Alabama at Birmingham earn a median of $54,501, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

Does University of Alabama at Birmingham Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

University of Alabama at Birmingham 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 1.89%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12.1% 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 15.7% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $74,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is University of Alabama at Birmingham? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Its economic connectedness score is 1.33, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Does University of Alabama at Birmingham offer Early Decision?

No. University of Alabama at Birmingham does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2024-25 Common Data Set).

Is University of Alabama at Birmingham really test-optional?

In practice, yes. Only about 47% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at University of Alabama at Birmingham (2024-25 Common Data Set).

What percentage of admitted students enroll at University of Alabama at Birmingham?

About 7% of admitted students choose to enroll at University of Alabama at Birmingham — its yield rate (2024-25 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.

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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