Quad

Head-to-head

U. South Alabama
Middle Tennessee State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Middle Tennessee State's yield is 9 pts higher than U. South Alabama's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Middle Tennessee State has 1.8× as many undergrads as U. South Alabama

    Undergrads
  3. 3

    Middle Tennessee State graduates 6 pts more of its students than U. South Alabama (56% vs. 50%)

    Graduation rate
  4. 4

    U. South Alabama has 6 pts more Pell recipients than Middle Tennessee State (38% vs. 32%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  5. 5

    Middle Tennessee State's SAT midpoint is 40 points higher than U. South Alabama's

    SAT midpoint
  6. 6

    Middle Tennessee State has 3 pts more first-gen students than U. South Alabama (36% vs. 33%)

    First-generation students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Middle Tennessee State admits 69%, U. South Alabama 71%; Middle Tennessee State's yield is higher, at 30%.

Acceptance rate
U. South Alabama71%
Middle Tennessee State69%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. South AlabamaAccessible
  • Middle Tennessee StateAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
U. South Alabama
970–1190
Middle Tennessee State
1010–1230
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. South AlabamaRigor, GPA, and tests very important50%
  • Middle Tennessee StateGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Middle Tennessee State has 1.8× as many undergrads as U. South Alabama; U. South Alabama has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. South Alabama8.9K
Middle Tennessee State16.3K
Pell Grant share
U. South Alabama38%
Middle Tennessee State32%

Majors and faculty

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse leads at U. South Alabama, and Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies at Middle Tennessee State.

Students per faculty member
U. South Alabama19 to 1
Middle Tennessee State17 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. South AlabamaRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse20%
  • Middle Tennessee StateMulti-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other7%

What each costs

U. South Alabama costs about $1.6K less a year than Middle Tennessee State on average; grants cover the same share of the price at both, 34%.

Average cost, all students
U. South Alabama$17.4K
Middle Tennessee State$19K
Aid generosity
U. South Alabama34%
Middle Tennessee State34%

What each pays off

U. South Alabama's former students earn more, a median $49.4K ten years after enrolling; both graduate at least 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. South Alabama$49.4K
Middle Tennessee State$48.5K
Graduation rate
U. South Alabama50%
Middle Tennessee State56%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; U. South Alabama got more selective while Middle Tennessee State held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. South AlabamaGrowing+131%
  • Middle Tennessee StateGrowing+60%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;University of South Alabama Common Data Set 2020–21, Fall 2020;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why