South University-Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 7/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
South University-Montgomery, a private for-profit in Montgomery, AL, scores 7 on the ROI index. Net price is $27,807 against sticker tuition of $18,145, meaning the all-in cost (with fees and living estimates) substantially exceeds tuition. Average earnings at six years are $32,500, rising only to a median $34,421 at 10 years - almost no growth. The payback period is reported at 999 years, the algorithm's signal that earnings never recoup cost. The earnings premium is -0.5% (graduates earn less than a high-school-only baseline), debt-to-earnings is 0.804 against $26,123 median debt, and the completion rate is just 9.1%. The three-year repayment rate is 45.3%. Enrollment is 299, Pell rate 66%, and the school operates in a regional Alabama market. Across nearly every dimension this is a profile of a high-cost institution serving a low-income population with poor outcomes.
How South University-Montgomery scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score7/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate9.1% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
South University-Montgomery
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,145/yr |
| Average net price | $27,807/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $111,228 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,421 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,123 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $277 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 9.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 299 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $18,145/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $27,807/year, or roughly $111,228 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $27,444/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $31,493/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,123, which works out to about $277 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,500) and comes to 0.80, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $27,444 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $26,220 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $31,519 |
| $110,001+ | $31,493 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
$0-$30,000 households pay $27,444 - essentially the same as the median net price. Aid does not differentiate by income at the bottom band. The $30,001-$48,000 bracket is not reported. Low-income families paying $27K against $32,500 six-year earnings face the worst kind of for-profit math; the 9.1% completion rate compounds the risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
$48,001-$75,000 pays $26,220 - the lowest reported bracket - a mild reverse-progressive pattern. $75,001-$110,000 jumps to $31,519. The price-by-income curve is essentially flat across bands, again indicating minimal need-based aid.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $31,493 - only marginally below the $75-110K band. Total 4-year cost exceeds $111,000.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at South University-Montgomery with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $91,363 | C+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $53,445 | F |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $46,885 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $46,322 | F |
| Public Health | $45,993 | F |
| Information Science | $58,915 | F |
| Psychology | $39,694 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing has 17 graduates, $77,635 first-year earnings, $91,363 four-year earnings, $41,815 median debt, 0.539 debt-to-earnings, and a C+ ROI grade. This is the single defensible program at the school - nursing earnings are strong, debt is high but manageable against the wage. Career paths run through Alabama hospital systems and out-of-state nursing markets where the credential travels.
Information Science
Information Science has just 3 graduates, $44,682 first-year and $58,915 four-year earnings, $52,173 median debt, a 1.168 debt-to-earnings ratio, and an F ROI grade. The small sample makes the earnings figure unreliable, and the F grade reflects the data. Avoid.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration has 6 graduates, $43,773 first-year earnings, $53,445 at four years, $55,162 median debt, 1.26 debt-to-earnings, and an F ROI grade. The $55K debt load on an Alabama-market business graduate is a structural mismatch.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health and Medical Admin has 6 graduates, $39,722 first-year earnings, $46,885 at four years, $55,123 median debt, 1.388 debt-to-earnings, and an F ROI grade. Same structural problem as the business program: debt loads scaled to assumed bachelor's-level professional earnings that this market does not produce. F grade earned.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice has 4 graduates, $37,713 first-year earnings, $46,322 at four years, $55,652 median debt, 1.476 debt-to-earnings, and an F ROI grade. Criminal justice salaries in Alabama (police, corrections, court systems) cap below the debt these graduates carry.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 38.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 45.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 27.4% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 33.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How South University-Montgomery’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 299 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 65.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,583 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. SAT and ACT scores are unreported. The 9.1% completion rate is the dominant signal - only one in eleven enrolling students finishes, an outcome that should weigh heavily on any prospective student's decision. This is a completion crisis, not a selectivity story.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| South University-Montgomery (this school) | 7 | $27,807 | $34,421 |
| National American University-Rapid City | 7 | $31,062 | $37,325 |
| American InterContinental University-Atlanta | 7 | $16,482 | $36,144 |
| South University-Virginia Beach | 7 | $27,843 | $34,421 |
| South University-Savannah Online | 7 | $28,049 | $34,421 |
| South University-Austin | 7 | $25,680 | $34,421 |
Who Thrives Here
There is no fit on conventional ROI grounds. Enrollment of 299, 66% Pell rate, and 9.1% completion describe a student population taking on substantial federal debt with low completion odds and earnings outcomes that don't clear a high-school baseline. The nursing program is the one defensible pathway.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, South University-Montgomery scores 7/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $27,807 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,421 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 9.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 45.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,123 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
South University-Montgomery: Common Questions
Is South University-Montgomery worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. South University-Montgomery scores 7/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $27,807 a year after aid against $34,421 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does South University-Montgomery cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $27,807 a year, or roughly $111,228 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do South University-Montgomery graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,421 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off South University-Montgomery?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for South University-Montgomery. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do South University-Montgomery graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,123, against average earnings of $32,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at South University-Montgomery?
The six-year graduation rate is 9.1%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.