University of Mobile
Mobile, Alabama · Private Nonprofit · 77.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 22/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of Mobile, a Christian-affiliated regional private in Mobile, Alabama, posts a 22/100 ROI score in our Below Benchmark tier. Sticker tuition of $26,910 is reduced to a $22,382 net price by institutional aid - modest discounting that still pushes four-year cost to $89,528. Earnings of $32,700 six years out and $43,611 by year ten produce only a 9.6% earnings premium over high-school baseline. Median debt of $26,500 against $32,700 early earnings yields a 0.81 debt-to-earnings ratio, and the 26.7-year payback period is steep. Repayment rates are particularly weak: just 56.3% of borrowers are reducing principal three years out. Completion rate of 56.9% is mediocre but acceptable. With 1,307 students and a 25.7% Pell rate, U of Mobile is small, faith-focused, and serves a primarily middle-class southern Alabama population. The mix of religious-vocational programs (Religion, Religious Music) keeps the school's overall earnings profile suppressed, though students may still pursue those degrees for vocational reasons.
How University of Mobile 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 Score22/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period26.7 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
University of Mobile
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $26,910/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $26,910/yr |
| Average net price | $22,382/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $89,528 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,611 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,700 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $281 |
| Estimated payback period | 26.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 56.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,307 |
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: $26,910/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $22,382/year, or roughly $89,528 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 $17,550/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,447/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,500, which works out to about $281 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,700) and comes to 0.81, 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 | $17,550 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,133 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,633 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $24,766 |
| $110,001+ | $27,447 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $17,550 net - moderate reflecting Pell, Alabama state aid, and U of Mobile institutional discounting. Across four years that's $70,200 against $32,700 graduate earnings. The math only works for nursing graduates and disciplined borrowers; the documented 56.3% three-year repayment rate suggests many low-income borrowers struggle to keep up.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001 - $48,000 bracket pays $21,133, $48,001 - $75,000 pays $21,633, and $75,001 - $110,000 pays $24,766 - a clean monotonic progression. Middle-income families pay $84,000-$99,000 over four years against $32,700 early-career earnings. The math works for nursing and acceptable for teacher education; significantly weaker for other tracks.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $27,447 - about $109,788 across four years, more than the published $89,528 total cost figure, suggesting full-pay families pay close to or above sticker. High-income families paying full freight at U of Mobile are buying the faith-integrated environment and Mobile-area church-network connections; the financial math is unremarkable for non-nursing tracks.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at University of Mobile with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $79,845 | C+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $40,469 | F |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $49,451 | D |
| Teacher Education | $45,152 | D |
| Psychology | $46,558 | D |
| Religious Music and Worship | $39,457 | C |
| Religion/Religious Studies | $42,196 | C |
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
Nursing is U of Mobile's standout program: 40 graduates with first-year earnings of $66,307 climbing to $79,845 by year four. Median debt of $31,000 yields a 0.47 debt-to-earnings ratio (C+ grade). Direct pipeline into Mobile-area hospital systems (USA Health, Mobile Infirmary) and the broader Gulf Coast healthcare market. For students set on BSN credentials at a faith-integrated school, this program delivers solid value despite the higher debt load typical of private nursing programs.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Admin is U of Mobile's most financially difficult major: 28 graduates with first-year earnings of $35,819 climbing to only $40,469 by year four - an unusually flat earnings curve. Median debt of $43,141 (the highest debt of any U of Mobile program) yields a 1.20 debt-to-earnings ratio (F grade). The combination of high debt and weak earnings progression makes this the program most exposed to negative ROI.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates 28 students with first-year earnings of $26,785 climbing to $49,451 by year four. Median debt of $26,000 yields a 0.97 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). Earnings recovery suggests graduates pursue PT/OT/PA graduate work or athletic-training certification within 2-4 years; the bachelor's-only path is financially difficult, but the four-year recovery is real for students who add credentials.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 23 students with first-year earnings of $42,701 climbing only to $45,152 by year four, reflecting Alabama's compressed teacher salary schedule. Median debt of $30,750 yields a 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). Suitable for students committed to Alabama public-school teaching as a calling rather than a financial bet; the Alabama market is genuinely difficult on early-career teacher pay.
Psychology
Psychology graduates 15 students with first-year earnings of $27,637 climbing to $46,558 by year four. Median debt of $27,000 yields a 0.98 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). The bachelor's-only psych path is structurally weak as elsewhere; students who continue to graduate work in counseling or ministry-counseling (a fit for U of Mobile's mission) see better long-term outcomes but add additional debt.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 49.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 56.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 53.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 55.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Mobile’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 | 77.9% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 22-28 |
| Enrollment | 1,307 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 25.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,674 |
U of Mobile admits 77.9% of applicants - moderately selective with broad accessibility. The 56.9% completion rate is consistent with this admit profile and the school's small size, suggesting reasonable matching of admit standards to retention capacity. Students arriving with focused vocational targets (nursing, teaching, ministry) tend to persist; undeclared students are the higher attrition risk.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Mobile (this school) | 22 | $22,382 | $43,611 |
| Huntingdon College | 29 | $22,566 | $49,601 |
| Atlantic University | 26 | $6,425 | $25,272 |
| Belmont Abbey College | 24 | $24,639 | $47,937 |
| Lindsey Wilson College | 23 | $15,070 | $41,129 |
| Faulkner University | 19 | $22,085 | $43,457 |
Who Thrives Here
U of Mobile fits Alabama and Gulf-Coast students drawn to its Baptist heritage, faith-integrated curriculum, and small-college Mobile setting. With 1,307 students and a 25.7% Pell rate, the campus is small, middle-class-leaning, and ministry-oriented. Strong outcomes for nursing graduates ($66,307 first-year earnings) and decent for teacher education; students entering business or psychology face significantly worse debt-to-earnings math. The religious-music and religion programs deliver predictable lower earnings consistent with their vocational orientation.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Mobile scores 22/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $22,382 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,611 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 26.7 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 56.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,700 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81. 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.
University of Mobile: Common Questions
Is University of Mobile worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Mobile scores 22/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $22,382 a year after aid against $43,611 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 26.7 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of Mobile 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 $22,382 a year, or roughly $89,528 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 University of Mobile graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,611 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,811 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 University of Mobile?
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 26.7 years for University of Mobile. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Mobile graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,500, against average earnings of $32,700 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81. 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 University of Mobile?
The six-year graduation rate is 56.9%. 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.