Birmingham Southern College vs. Berea College

Should I go to Birmingham Southern College or Berea College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Birmingham Southern College or Berea College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Birmingham Southern College vs. Berea College comparison
Birmingham Southern College Berea College College 3 College 4
Birmingham Southern College Berea College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Birmingham Southern College Berea College
Location Birmingham, AL Berea, KY
Setting Midsize City Distant Town
Enrollment 975 1,433
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsc.edu berea.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Birmingham Southern College Berea College
Tuition (In State) $20,000 $44,300
Tuition (Out of State) $20,000 $44,300
Room & Board $14,000 $7,742
Avg Net Price $21,153 $2,020
Avg Grant Aid $14,163 $55,298
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Birmingham Southern College Berea College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,019 2,217
Admitted 1,726 545
Acceptance Rate 57.2% 24.6%
Enrolled % 14.1% 64.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.72 3.62
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 22/29 23/27
SAT Range 1150/1280 1136/1298
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Mar 31, 2025

Academics

Birmingham Southern College Berea College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • History (7%)

Outcomes

Birmingham Southern College Berea College
Graduation Rate 62% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $36,100
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 62%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,850 $5,800
Median Loan Payment $277 $59

Diversity

Birmingham Southern College Berea College
% Men 53% 41%
% Women 47% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 79% 60%
% Black 11% 16%
% Hispanic 2% 8%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 5%
% International 0% 8%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Birmingham Southern College Berea College
% In-State 55% 45%
% Out-of-State 44% 46%

Campus

Birmingham Southern College Berea College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Berea College is larger than than Birmingham Southern College based on total student enrollment (1,433 students vs. 975 students)

Birmingham Southern College vs. Berea College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Birmingham Southern College or Berea College?

  • Berea College is 121.5% more expensive to attend than Birmingham Southern College for in-state tuition ($44,300.00 vs. $20,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 121.5% higher at Berea College than Birmingham Southern College ($44,300.00 vs. $20,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Berea College than Birmingham Southern College ($2,020 vs. $21,153)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Berea College are 80.8% lower than costs at Birmingham Southern College ($7,742 vs. $14,000)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Birmingham Southern College as Berea College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Berea College students is 290.4% larger than aid received Birmingham Southern College ($55,298 vs. $14,163)

Birmingham Southern College vs. Berea College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Birmingham Southern College or Berea College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Berea College or Birmingham Southern College .

  • The average SAT score at Birmingham Southern College (1167) is 50 points higher than at Berea College (1117)
  • Incoming Birmingham Southern College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Berea College (24)
  • Accepted freshman Birmingham Southern College students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at Berea College (3.62)
  • Birmingham Southern College has a higher acceptance rate (57.2%) than Berea College (24.6%)

Birmingham Southern College vs. Berea College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Birmingham Southern College or Berea College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Berea College and Birmingham Southern College.

  • Graduates from Birmingham Southern College earn on average $14,900 more per year than Berea College graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $36,100)
  • Berea College students graduate with a $21,050 lower median federal student loan debt than Birmingham Southern College graduates. ($5,800 vs. $26,850)
  • Berea College graduates are paying $218 less per month on federal student loans than Birmingham Southern College graduates. ($59 vs. $277)
  • More Birmingham Southern College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Berea College students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 62%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/