Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Middle Tennessee State University, College of Charleston, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Middle TennesseeMurfreesboro, TN | College ofCharleston, SC | Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 69.1% | 60.0% | 88.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1010–1230 | 1140–1310 | 1210–1450 |
| Average net price | $13,35931.8% on Pell grants | $18,96018.8% on Pell grants | $18,74934.0% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $10,266 in-state · $31,574 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $12,978 in-state · $38,296 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $9,098 in-state · $22,562 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 53.7% | 65.8% | 64.2% |
| First-year retention | 79.5% | 82.0% | 80.1% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 31.8% | 18.8% | 34.0% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $48,541 | $56,416 | $54,501 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $20,000 | $23,250 | $22,300 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 17:1 | 16:1 | 18:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 16,301 | 10,558 | 11,635 |
| Consensus percentile | 64Lower is better | 52Lower is better | 50Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 73 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 80 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 75 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Middle Tennessee | College of | Alabama at Birmingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #257 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #9 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 | #132 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #467 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #431 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #313 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #888 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| WSJ | #425 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #377 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #392 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #529 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #803 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #86 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #1145 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Middle Tennessee State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing College of Charleston on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Alabama at Birmingham on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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