Birmingham Southern College vs. Covenant College

Should I go to Birmingham Southern College or Covenant College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Birmingham Southern College or Covenant 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. Covenant College comparison
Birmingham Southern College Covenant College College 3 College 4
Birmingham Southern College Covenant College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Birmingham Southern College Covenant College
Location Birmingham, AL Lookout Mountain, GA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 731 928
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation United Methodist The Presbyterian Church in America - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsc.edu covenant.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Birmingham Southern College Covenant College
Tuition (In State) $21,500 $39,270
Tuition (Out of State) $21,500 $39,270
Room & Board $14,300 $12,272
Avg Net Price $24,170 $25,471
Avg Grant Aid $14,223 $27,957
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 98%

Admission

Birmingham Southern College Covenant College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,987 751
Admitted 2,071 614
Acceptance Rate 51.9% 81.8%
Enrolled % 7.1% 40.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.72 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/27 23/30
SAT Range 1150/1340 1130/1390
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 1, 2026

Academics

Birmingham Southern College Covenant College
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • History (7%)
  • Business (36%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • General Studies (7%)

Outcomes

Birmingham Southern College Covenant College
Graduation Rate 62% 51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $45,600
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,850 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $222

Diversity

Birmingham Southern College Covenant College
% Men 2% 1%
% Women 0% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 87%
% Black 11% 2%
% Hispanic 2% 3%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 0% 3%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

Birmingham Southern College Covenant College
% In-State 61% 35%
% Out-of-State 38% 63%

Campus

Birmingham Southern College Covenant College
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

  • Covenant College is larger than than Birmingham Southern College based on total student enrollment (928 students vs. 731 students)

Birmingham Southern College vs. Covenant College Cost Comparison

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

  • Covenant College is 82.7% more expensive to attend than Birmingham Southern College for in-state tuition ($39,270.00 vs. $21,500.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 82.7% higher at Covenant College than Birmingham Southern College ($39,270.00 vs. $21,500.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Birmingham Southern College than Covenant College ($24,170 vs. $25,471)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Covenant College are 16.5% lower than costs at Birmingham Southern College ($12,272 vs. $14,300)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Birmingham Southern College than Covenant College (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Covenant College students is 96.6% larger than aid received Birmingham Southern College ($27,957 vs. $14,223)

Birmingham Southern College vs. Covenant College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Covenant College (1189) is 22 points higher than at Birmingham Southern College (1167)
  • Incoming Covenant College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Birmingham Southern College (26)
  • Accepted freshman Birmingham Southern College students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at Covenant College (3.7)
  • Covenant College has a higher acceptance rate (81.8%) than Birmingham Southern College (51.9%)

Birmingham Southern College vs. Covenant College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Birmingham Southern College or Covenant 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 Covenant College and Birmingham Southern College.

  • The graduation rate at Birmingham Southern College is higher than Covenant College (62% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Birmingham Southern College earn on average $5,400 more per year than Covenant College graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $45,600)
  • Covenant College students graduate with a $5,350 lower median federal student loan debt than Birmingham Southern College graduates. ($21,500 vs. $26,850)
  • Covenant College graduates are paying $55 less per month on federal student loans than Birmingham Southern College graduates. ($222 vs. $277)
  • More Covenant College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Birmingham Southern College students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 75%)

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