Spring Hill College
Mobile, Alabama · Private Nonprofit · 76.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 41/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Spring Hill College earns an ROI score of 41 in the Below Benchmark tier, with the most damaging metric being a 0.776 debt-to-earnings ratio (subscore 18, the worst component on the card). Sticker tuition is comparatively modest at $24,054 for this private Jesuit liberal arts college in Mobile, but average net price still hits $20,449 per year, totaling $81,796 across four years. Median 10-year earnings of $51,500 and a 13.4-year payback period reflect the regional Alabama job market and the school's heavy liberal arts mix. The one bright spot is an 81.5% repayment rate, suggesting graduates are servicing their loans even with stretched payback timelines. Median debt of $27,000 against $34,800 earnings six years out flags real financial strain. Spring Hill makes sense for nursing or business completers but the headline ROI math is challenging for most other paths.
How Spring Hill College 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 Score41/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Spring Hill College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $24,054/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $24,054/yr |
| Average net price | $20,449/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $81,796 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $51,500 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 13.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 52.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 782 |
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: $24,054/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,449/year, or roughly $81,796 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 $15,598/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $26,240/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,800) and comes to 0.78, 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 | $15,598 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $20,141 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,317 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,642 |
| $110,001+ | $26,240 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $15,598 per year, $62,400 over four years. With median 10-year earnings of $51,500, the math is workable for completers but tight given the 52.1% institutional completion rate. Pell-eligible students who complete can recoup the cost, but those who don't carry the debt without the credential.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The income brackets here show an inversion: $48,001-$75,000 pays $22,317 while the higher $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays slightly less at $20,642. This is unusual and likely reflects small-sample variance in IPEDS reporting. Across the middle-income range, four-year cost is $80,000 to $90,000, near the published $81,796 average. Combined with $51,500 median earnings, middle-income families face a stretched payback path.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $26,240 per year, $104,960 across four years. With a 13.4-year payback period and 0.776 debt-to-earnings ratio for typical borrowers, full-pay families are not getting an obvious return on the price.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Spring Hill College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $69,108 | - |
| Psychology | $41,252 | - |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $52,874 | - |
| Registered Nursing | $72,755 | - |
| Communication and Media Studies | $49,227 | - |
| Sociology | $56,160 | - |
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.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is Spring Hill's largest program with 66 graduates. Four-year median earnings of $69,108 are the second-highest on campus. Debt and ROI grade data are not reported for this program, but the earnings figure suggests business graduates do meaningfully better than the institutional median of $51,500 ten-year earnings. Strongest available path on campus for general bachelor's-track students.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing posts the highest four-year earnings on campus at $72,755, with 13 graduates. Debt and ROI grade data are not reported, but nursing's national earnings stability and Alabama's regional demand for RNs make this the strongest ROI path at Spring Hill. For students committed to clinical practice, this program likely justifies the private price tag better than any other major here.
Psychology
Psychology has 20 graduates, the second-largest cohort, with four-year earnings of just $41,252. Debt and ROI grade data are not reported, but the earnings ceiling at this level is a structural concern, especially for borrowers carrying the institutional median $27,000 in debt. Psychology at Spring Hill realistically requires graduate school to produce viable financial outcomes.
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
Health Sciences earns four-year earnings of $52,874 with 15 graduates. Debt and ROI grade data are not reported. The earnings figure is roughly in line with the institutional median, suggesting health sciences graduates here often pursue clinical certifications post-bachelor's rather than direct entry to clinical roles.
Communication and Media Studies
Communication and Media Studies has 12 graduates with four-year earnings of $49,227. Debt and ROI grade data are not reported.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 73.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 81.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 67.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Spring Hill College’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
| Acceptance rate | 76.6% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 17-29 |
| Enrollment | 782 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 31.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,892 |
Spring Hill admits 76.6% of applicants. SAT scores are not reported in current Scorecard data. ACT composite mid-50% runs 17-29, an unusually wide band that suggests the school accepts a broad academic range.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Spring Hill's payback is 13.4 years. Its ten-year earnings are $51,500.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Hill College (this school) | 41 | $20,449 | $51,500 |
| La Roche University | 45 | $20,794 | $52,341 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Malone University | 37 | $20,948 | $48,909 |
| Huntingdon College | 29 | $22,566 | $49,601 |
| Faulkner University | 19 | $22,085 | $43,457 |
Who Thrives Here
With just 782 enrolled students and a 31.6% Pell rate, Spring Hill is a Catholic liberal arts college. The school fits students seeking a Jesuit residential experience in the Gulf Coast South, particularly in nursing (highest-earning major), business, and pre-health tracks.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Spring Hill College scores 41/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,449 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $51,500 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 13.4 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 it has going for it: high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 52.1% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. 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.
Spring Hill College: Common Questions
Is Spring Hill College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Spring Hill College scores 41/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,449 a year after aid against $51,500 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 13.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Spring Hill College 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 $20,449 a year, or roughly $81,796 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 Spring Hill College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $51,500 ten years after enrolling, roughly $9,700 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Spring Hill College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 13.4 years for Spring Hill College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Spring Hill College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $34,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78. 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 Spring Hill College?
The six-year graduation rate is 52.1%. 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.