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University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL 12,118 Undergrads 57.3% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$27,826
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$17,727
After Aid
Median Earnings
$54,501
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$17,727
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$54,501
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate57.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients33.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time80.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS74.4%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
88.4%
SAT Avg
1,251
SAT Reading
25th: 57063775th: 700
SAT Math
25th: 56064475th: 700
ACT Composite
25th: 222775th: 30
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$473k
+$77k
-$11k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$410k
+$13k
-$75k
Full Cost$28k/yr
+$373k
-$23k
-$111k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-117%
Full Cost$28k/yr
Never
-111%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return-101%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-78%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$63,551
Lifetime Value Added
+$6k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$62,080
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$21,250
Earnings (5yr)
$55,561
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$22,676
Earnings (5yr)
$85,321
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,800
Lifetime Value Added
+$70
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$59,510
Lifetime Value Added
-$26k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$25,750
Earnings (5yr)
$84,553
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$21,360
Earnings (5yr)
$39,661
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (5yr)
$101,625
Lifetime Value Added
+$292k
Criminal Justice and Corrections
BachCIP: 4301
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$48,974
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$24,784
Earnings (2yr)
$19,227
Lifetime Value Added
-$355k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$23,362
Earnings (5yr)
$99,457
Lifetime Value Added
+$276k
Engineering, General
BachCIP: 1401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$129,181
Lifetime Value Added
+$497k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$22,373
Earnings (5yr)
$36,019
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$19,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,298
Lifetime Value Added
+$65k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$23,437
Earnings (5yr)
$41,015
Lifetime Value Added
-$178k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$25,125
Earnings (5yr)
$58,386
Lifetime Value Added
-$35k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,750
Earnings (5yr)
$47,929
Lifetime Value Added
-$120k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$21,614
Earnings (5yr)
$50,137
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (5yr)
$74,931
Lifetime Value Added
+$92k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$22,072
Earnings (5yr)
$62,426
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Materials Engineering
BachCIP: 1418
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$88,034
Lifetime Value Added
+$190k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$23,571
Earnings (5yr)
$52,520
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (5yr)
$87,901
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (2yr)
$32,569
Lifetime Value Added
-$233k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$21,868
Earnings (5yr)
$44,287
Lifetime Value Added
-$150k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$49,049
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$18,000
Earnings (5yr)
$84,228
Lifetime Value Added
+$162k
Social Sciences, Other
BachCIP: 4599
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,950
Lifetime Value Added
-$95k
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$24,990
Earnings (5yr)
$45,369
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$38,987
Lifetime Value Added
-$195k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$28,267
Earnings (5yr)
$47,772
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$22,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,189
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$29,751
Earnings (5yr)
$94,452
Lifetime Value Added
+$359k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
MastCIP: 5109
Median Debt
$109,751
Earnings (5yr)
$121,212
Lifetime Value Added
+$588k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$34,459
Earnings (5yr)
$105,063
Lifetime Value Added
+$450k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
MastCIP: 5110
Median Debt
$50,980
Earnings (5yr)
$65,499
Lifetime Value Added
+$110k
Communication and Media Studies
MastCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$34,167
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (5yr)
$68,212
Lifetime Value Added
+$133k
Engineering, General
MastCIP: 1401
Median Debt
$34,166
Earnings (5yr)
$128,054
Lifetime Value Added
+$646k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$132,670
Lifetime Value Added
+$686k
Management Information Systems and Services
MastCIP: 5212
Median Debt
$40,861
Earnings (5yr)
$111,404
Lifetime Value Added
+$505k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$36,487
Earnings (5yr)
$63,734
Lifetime Value Added
+$94k
Public Health
MastCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$32,000
Earnings (5yr)
$83,804
Lifetime Value Added
+$268k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
MastCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$116,130
Lifetime Value Added
+$545k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
MastCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$67,010
Earnings (5yr)
$76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$202k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$37,000
Earnings (5yr)
$56,678
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
$47,260
Earnings (5yr)
$53,500
Lifetime Value Added
+$336
Systems Science and Theory
MastCIP: 3006
Median Debt
$35,696
Earnings (5yr)
$148,357
Lifetime Value Added
+$818k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (5yr)
$55,361
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
MastCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$23,875
Earnings (5yr)
$59,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$55k
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
$15,350
Earnings (5yr)
$55,520
Lifetime Value Added
+$19k
Graduate Certificates
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences
Gr-CertCIP: 5105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$245,003
Lifetime Value Added
+$1816k
Education, General
Gr-CertCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$58,673
Lifetime Value Added
+$150k
Educational Administration and Supervision
Gr-CertCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$90,585
Lifetime Value Added
+$415k
Doctoral Degrees
Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$88,506
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
DocCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$48,950
Earnings (5yr)
$144,920
Lifetime Value Added
+$557k
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
DocCIP: 5123
Median Debt
$89,010
Earnings (5yr)
$78,076
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Professional Degrees
Dentistry
ProfCIP: 5104
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$171,066
Lifetime Value Added
+$745k
Optometry
ProfCIP: 5117
Median Debt
$164,956
Earnings (5yr)
$120,051
Lifetime Value Added
+$378k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.