Quad

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (20% of graduates). 19 students for every faculty member, more than at 87% of colleges. 65% of faculty are full-time. Spends $11,135 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

1,793 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 40% of graduates; 59 programs in 20 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 51.380120% 350
    Graduates in this field earn $78,024 4 years out
  2. Psychology, General 42.01016.2% 111
    Graduates in this field earn $43,384 4 years out
  3. Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology 26.09085.6% 100
  4. Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 30.00004.9% 88
    Graduates in this field earn $43,023 4 years out
  5. Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.01014.1% 74
    Graduates in this field earn $54,090 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Biology, 5.2% → 13% of graduates since 2014–15 (239 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$100,166 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $81,499

    4 years after completion$100,166
    National median: $100,647About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $96,810 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $22,500 · 55 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Chemical Engineering$93,943 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $71,116

    4 years after completion$93,943
    National median: $98,158Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $89,657 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $20,116 · 57 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Mechanical Engineering$89,052 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $67,175

    4 years after completion$89,052
    National median: $92,135About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $84,703 · Non-Pell: $79,122(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $24,000 · 117 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Computer Science$80,317 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $55,256

    4 years after completion$80,317
    National median: $107,009Below typical

    Median federal debt: $25,750 · 96 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Civil Engineering$78,187 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $59,547

    4 years after completion$78,187
    National median: $86,517Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $75,081 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $26,366 · 65 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college19 to 1
19 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 87% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 17 to 1 in its Common Data Set (11,767 students, 682 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

54%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 5% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–943529%
10–1937825%
20–2934423%
30–3917812%
40–491047%
50–99594%
100+131%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Accelerated program
  • Cross-registration
  • Distance learning
  • Double major
  • Dual enrollment
  • English as a Second Language
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Honors program
  • Internships
  • Student-designed major
  • Teacher certification
  • Weekend college
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in arts, computer literacy, English composition, history, humanities, math, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty65%
National median: 67%About typical
Average faculty salary

$70,376

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other public colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable. Many public universities' endowments sit mostly in a separate foundation this survey doesn't count, so this likely understates what's actually available.

Instruction spending per student$11,135
$11,135
← Lessmore than 55% of 557More →
Endowment per student$52,814
$52,814
← Lessmore than 90% of 537More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;University of South Alabama Common Data Set 2020–21, Fall 2020;University of South Alabama Common Data Set 2020–21, 2020–21;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)