Birmingham-Southern College vs Elon University

Birmingham-Southern College and Elon University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Birmingham-Southern, nestled in the vibrant city of Birmingham, Alabama, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on liberal arts education. Elon University, located in the charming town of Elon, North Carolina, prides itself on its strong emphasis on experiential learning and global engagement. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Birmingham-Southern College	Elon University
Overview
Location	Birmingham, Alabama	Elon, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	78.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	65.9%	77.7%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1090 - 1240	N/A
ACT range	22 - 28	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	7.0%
Students submitting ACT score	54.0%
Total number of applicants	2,461	17,834
Total number of admissions given out	1,622	13,859
Admitted students who chose to enroll	244	1,591
Yield rate	15.0%	11.5%
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	$33,790	$55,647
Average net price	$22,888	$40,366
Tuition	$18,850	$38,218
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,900 Meal plan: $5,650	Room/dormitory: $6,593 Meal plan: $6,829
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $10,781	67.0% Average amount $13,677
Students receiving federal student loan	79.0% Average amount $3,074	30.0% Average amount $5,259
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,570	7.0% Average amount $25,192

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,058 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%	6,302 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%
Graduate students	N/A	825 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	38.4%	80.6%
International students	1.5%	2.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,418	4,192
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	North Carolina New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Psychology Business Computer and Information Science Education	Business Legal Profession Health Professions Communication and Journalism Education
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.8%	83.3%
Dropout rate	4.8%	16.7%
Transferred out	24.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,374 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $50,065 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,048 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,580 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,556 Year 2: $104,061 Year 3: $105,320 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,803 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $78,720 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,320 Year 2: $60,016 Year 3: $77,567 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,276 Year 2: $54,192 Year 3: $77,220 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,564 Year 2: $62,154 Year 3: $76,604 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,888 Year 2: $69,629 Year 3: $70,208 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,091 Year 2: $50,022 Year 3: $64,255 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,189 Year 3: $59,817 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,293 Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $58,053 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,055 Year 3: $55,617

Compare Similar Colleges

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Birmingham-Southern College

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