Birmingham-Southern College

"What all of this says is that Birmingham-Southern is a high-quality, caring place where a person from any part of the country would not only be comfortable but would grow intellectually, morally, and personally."
-Loren Pope

CHARACTER

• Four-year, private liberal arts college founded in 1856 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church

• A liberal arts education of distinctive quality; a sheltering institution for Phi Beta Kappa since 1937

• Academic calendar of two semesters and a January Exploration Term, an intensive program of experiential learning that offers students unique opportunities to be further enriched through on- and off-campus projects, independent study or research, foreign study, and challenging and unusual internships

• Beautifully landscaped residential campus located on 192 acres near downtown Birmingham, Alabama, featuring modern academic and student life facilities, including a new Admission Welcome Center, football complex, Urban Environmental Park with lake for leisure and academic use, apartments for student living, and two suite-style residence halls for men and women.

WORTH NOTING

• Birmingham-Southern College is recognized nationally for its quality academics, its value, and its safety preparedness.

• Forbes magazine ranks Birmingham-Southern as the best college or university in Alabama—public or private—in its annual “America’s Top Colleges” listing based on the quality of the education, the experiences of the students, and how much they achieve.

• Birmingham-Southern is one of only 310 colleges in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain highlighted in the 2012 Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of the “best and most interesting” schools.

• Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, which ranks “the top schools that provide a high-quality education at an affordable price, included Birmingham-Southern on its list of the “Best Values in Private Colleges.”

• Birmingham-Southern College is one of the nation's “Best 376 Colleges” for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review.

• The Princeton Review also ranks Birmingham-Southern as one of America’s “286 Greenest Colleges” for its eco-friendly campus.

• Birmingham-Southern was the highest ranked liberal arts college in the nation for “safety preparedness” in a recent Reader’s Digest survey.

• For the fifth straight year, Birmingham-Southern is on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.

• Each year, more than 50 percent of the college’s graduates go on to graduate school at some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities. The college annually ranks No. 1 in Alabama and among the nation’s best in percentage of all graduates accepted to medical, dental, or health career programs. The college also ranks high nationally in graduates accepted to law school. And for those who choose to move directly into their professional careers, BSC graduates have a distinguished record of job placement.

ENROLLMENT

• More than 1,300 students from 33 states and 16 foreign countries

• 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio

• More than 70% of students participate in volunteer service-learning projects, including several ongoing community partnerships and national or international trips during Alternative Spring Break and January Exploration Term.

• The academic program at BSC is complemented by opportunities that give students a wealth of life experiences in and out of the classroom, and is distinguished by these innovative programs: Harrison Honors Program, Bunting Center for Engaged Study and Community Action, Hess Center for Leadership and Service, Sklenar Center for International Programs, Vail College Fellows Program, Stump Entrepreneurship Programs, and Foreign Languages Across The Curriculum.

FACULTY & ACADEMICS

• More than 96% of full-time faculty hold the most advanced degree in their field.

• Five bachelor's degrees in more than 50 areas of study, and interdisciplinary and individualized majors.

• Birmingham-Southern’s new Explorations curriculum moves general education away from a more traditional, “check-box” approach—which emphasizes disciplinary requirements—to one that stresses the importance of what students learn to do. This new pedagogy of doing is illustrated by requirements that guide students in learning how to communicate effectively, solve complex problems in creative ways, connect their coursework to the wider world, engage with their social and political world, and engage in self-directed teaching and learning. These are precisely the skills and perspectives that professional schools, graduate schools, and employers are seeking in today’s increasingly complex and inter-connected world.

• In addition to Phi Beta Kappa, more than 20 other honorary and professional societies in various academic fields.

TUITION & FEES

• Tuition: $28,250; Residence Hall: $5,450; Meal Plans: $4,170; Fees: $1,040; Automobile Registration: $60.

• More than 95% of students receive some form of financial aid from federal, state, and institutional programs, amounting to more than $30 million annually.

CAMPUS LIFE

• 85% of students live on campus; 45% are members of one of the 13 national fraternity and sorority chapters

• Long-established Honor Code

• Active Student Government Association and more than 80 other student interest groups and organizations, including intramural sports, marching band, fine arts performances and exhibits, residence hall staff, and several student publications

• Five weekly denominational and non-denominational worship services

• Twenty-two varsity NCAA Division III and Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference sports—11 for women and 11 for men.

ACADEMIC PROFILE OF ENTERING CLASS

• 278 freshmen from 22 states and 6 foreign countries

• Average GPA: 3.43

• Average ACT score: 26

• Average SAT: 1134 (based on 1600 scale)