Birmingham Southern College vs. BLC

Should I go to Birmingham Southern College or Bethany Lutheran College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Birmingham Southern College or BLC 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.

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Birmingham Southern College vs. Bethany Lutheran College comparison
Birmingham Southern College Bethany Lutheran College College 3 College 4
Birmingham Southern College
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Overview

Birmingham Southern College BLC
Location Birmingham, AL Mankato, MN
Setting Midsize City Remote Town
Enrollment 975 830
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation United Methodist Other (none of the above) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsc.edu blc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Birmingham Southern College BLC
Tuition (In State) $20,000 $28,330
Tuition (Out of State) $20,000 $28,330
Room & Board $14,000 $8,270
Avg Net Price $21,153 $18,525
Avg Grant Aid $14,163 $20,705
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Birmingham Southern College BLC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,019 665
Admitted 1,726 389
Acceptance Rate 57.2% 58.5%
Enrolled % 14.1% 45.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.72 3.51
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/29 20/25
SAT Range 1150/1280 990/1290
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 Jul 1, 2025

Academics

Birmingham Southern College BLC
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • History (7%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (18%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Psychology (10%)

Outcomes

Birmingham Southern College BLC
Graduation Rate 62% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $37,300
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 80%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,850 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $277 $240

Diversity

Birmingham Southern College BLC
% Men 53% 48%
% Women 47% 52%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 88%
% Black 11% 3%
% Hispanic 2% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 1%
% International 0% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Birmingham Southern College BLC
% In-State 55% 59%
% Out-of-State 44% 23%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Birmingham Southern College is larger than than BLC based on total student enrollment (975 students vs. 830 students)

Birmingham Southern College vs. BLC Cost Comparison

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

  • Bethany Lutheran College is 41.7% more expensive to attend than Birmingham Southern College for in-state tuition ($28,330.00 vs. $20,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 41.7% higher at BLC than Birmingham Southern College ($28,330.00 vs. $20,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bethany Lutheran College than Birmingham Southern College ($18,525 vs. $21,153)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bethany Lutheran College are 69.3% lower than costs at Birmingham Southern College ($8,270 vs. $14,000)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Birmingham Southern College as Bethany Lutheran College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Bethany Lutheran College students is 46.2% larger than aid received Birmingham Southern College ($20,705 vs. $14,163)

Birmingham Southern College vs. BLC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Birmingham Southern College (1167) is 93 points higher than at BLC (1074)
  • Incoming Birmingham Southern College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at BLC (23)
  • Accepted freshman Birmingham Southern College students have a 0.21 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at BLC (3.51)
  • BLC has a higher acceptance rate (58.5%) than Birmingham Southern College (57.2%)

Birmingham Southern College vs. BLC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Birmingham Southern College or BLC? 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 BLC and Birmingham Southern College.

  • The graduation rate at Birmingham Southern College is higher than Bethany Lutheran College (62% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from Birmingham Southern College earn on average $13,700 more per year than BLC graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $37,300)
  • Bethany Lutheran College students graduate with a $3,600 lower median federal student loan debt than Birmingham Southern College graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,850)
  • BLC graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Birmingham Southern College graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More BLC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Birmingham Southern College students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 75%)

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