Birmingham Southern College vs. Shorter

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

Birmingham Southern College Shorter
Location Birmingham, AL Rome, GA
Setting Midsize City Small City
Enrollment 975 1,515
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #872
Religious Affiliation United Methodist Baptist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bsc.edu shorter.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Birmingham Southern College Shorter
Tuition (In State) $20,000 $22,380
Tuition (Out of State) $20,000 $22,380
Room & Board $14,000 $9,400
Avg Net Price $21,153 $13,490
Avg Grant Aid $14,163 $20,057
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Birmingham Southern College Shorter
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,019 871
Admitted 1,726 849
Acceptance Rate 57.2% 97.5%
Enrolled % 14.1% 31.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.72 3.25
Typical High School Grades A- B
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/29 17/25
SAT Range 1150/1280 960/1290
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 Aug 25, 2025

Academics

Birmingham Southern College Shorter
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • History (7%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

Birmingham Southern College Shorter
Graduation Rate 62% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $49,300
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 38%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,850 $28,418
Median Loan Payment $277 $293

Diversity

Birmingham Southern College Shorter
% Men 53% 44%
% Women 47% 56%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 79% 62%
% Black 11% 24%
% Hispanic 2% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 0% 4%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Birmingham Southern College Shorter
% In-State 55% 84%
% Out-of-State 44% 15%

Campus

Birmingham Southern College Shorter
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

  • Shorter University is larger than than Birmingham Southern College based on total student enrollment (1,515 students vs. 975 students)

Birmingham Southern College vs. Shorter Cost Comparison

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

  • Shorter University is 11.9% more expensive to attend than Birmingham Southern College for in-state tuition ($22,380.00 vs. $20,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.9% higher at Shorter than Birmingham Southern College ($22,380.00 vs. $20,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Shorter University than Birmingham Southern College ($13,490 vs. $21,153)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shorter University are 48.9% lower than costs at Birmingham Southern College ($9,400 vs. $14,000)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Birmingham Southern College as Shorter University (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Shorter University students is 41.6% larger than aid received Birmingham Southern College ($20,057 vs. $14,163)

Birmingham Southern College vs. Shorter Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Birmingham Southern College (1167) is 198 points higher than at Shorter (969)
  • Incoming Birmingham Southern College students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Shorter (21)
  • Accepted freshman Birmingham Southern College students have a 0.47 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at Shorter (3.25)
  • Shorter has a higher acceptance rate (97.5%) than Birmingham Southern College (57.2%)

Birmingham Southern College vs. Shorter Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Birmingham Southern College is higher than Shorter University (62% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Birmingham Southern College earn on average $1,700 more per year than Shorter graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $49,300)
  • Birmingham Southern College students graduate with a $1,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Shorter graduates. ($26,850 vs. $28,418)
  • Birmingham Southern College graduates are paying $16 less per month on federal student loans than Shorter graduates. ($277 vs. $293)
  • More Birmingham Southern College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Shorter students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 38%)

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