Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Texas State University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Louisville. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Texas StateSan Marcos, TX | Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL | LouisvilleLouisville, KY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 89.3% | 88.2% | 79.4% |
| SAT middle 50% | 980–1200 | 1210–1450 | 1040–1270 |
| Average net price | $16,80537.2% on Pell grants | $18,74934.0% on Pell grants | $17,98830.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $11,450 in-state · $22,930 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 | $13,136 in-state · $29,482 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 55.3% | 64.2% | 61.2% |
| First-year retention | 80.1% | 80.1% | 81.5% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 37.2% | 34.0% | 30.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $56,906 | $54,501 | $53,899 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,000 | $22,300 | $20,500 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 21:1 | 18:1 | 14:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 36,177 | 11,635 | 14,727 |
| Consensus percentile | 50Lower is better | 50Lower is better | 49Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 69 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 75 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 72 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 | Texas State | Alabama at Birmingham | Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #257 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #132 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #158 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #408 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #313 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #309 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #521 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #244 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 | #396 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #316 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #86 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #178 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | #1145 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1161 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Texas 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 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.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Louisville 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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