South University-Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 7/100 · Poor Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
South University-Montgomery, a private for-profit in Montgomery, AL, scores 7 on the ROI index - the lowest in our dataset and among the weakest profiles in the entire dataset. Net price is $27,807 against sticker tuition of $18,145, meaning the all-in cost (with fees and living estimates) substantially exceeds tuition. Median earnings at six years are $32,500, rising only to $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 - the kind of for-profit pattern that has drawn federal scrutiny.
The data raises concerns about South University-Montgomery
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score7/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate9.1% - Well below the 60% national average. Non-completion is the fastest route to negative ROI.
- Payback period>50 years - Graduates earn at or near the level of high school completers - the cost may not recoup 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 |
| Median 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. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $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.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $26,123 in federal loans, which works out to about $277 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $34,421 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.80, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
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. At this price for these outcomes, in-state Alabama public options outperform on every ROI dimension.
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 debt load is roughly $25,000 above what's typical for an information-science bachelor's, the small sample makes the earnings figure unreliable, and the F grade reflects accurately. 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. The F grade is harsh but accurate; equivalent business education at any Alabama public institution would deliver materially better ROI.
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. Public-college alternatives delivering the same credential at one-quarter the debt make this program impossible to justify.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 38.7% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 45.3% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 27.4% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 33.9% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How South University-Montgomery’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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, typical for for-profit institutions on rolling open admission. SAT and ACT scores are also 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.
Peer institutions include Columbia Southern University, South University-Savannah, California Aeronautical University, South University-Virginia Beach, and South University-West Palm Beach. The peer cluster is dominated by other South University campuses (Savannah, Virginia Beach, West Palm Beach) which share similar profiles, and other for-profit chains. South-Montgomery's 7 score sits at the bottom of this cluster; the other South campuses typically score in the low-teens to twenties.
| 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. Any prospective student should consider Alabama's public community-college system or public four-year alternatives before committing federal loan capacity here.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
We'll be straight with you: the numbers at South University-Montgomery are a real concern. With a net cost of $27,807 per year and the typical graduate earning only $34,421 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds >50 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost - go in with your eyes open.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 9.1% graduation rate, high debt relative to what graduates earn, concerning loan repayment rates, a long payback period.
Be careful with the debt here. A median $26,123 owed against $34,421 in earnings is heavy, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 is past the level advisors flag. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
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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.