University of Montevallo
Montevallo, Alabama · Public · 53.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 23/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
The University of Montevallo, Alabama's designated public liberal arts university, posts a Below Benchmark ROI score of 23/100. The composite is hammered by low earnings - just $28,000 six years after entry and $42,957 by year ten - which reflects the school's heavy concentration in arts, education, communication, and humanities majors. Median federal debt of $24,000 against those earnings produces a 0.857 debt-to-earnings ratio and a 26.5-year payback period. In-state tuition is $13,948 and the average net price is $17,683, totaling $70,732 over four years. The 62.6% three-year repayment rate is modest. Montevallo's value proposition is the residential liberal arts experience at a public price, which is genuine but the federal numbers reflect the persistent earnings gap that humanities majors face.
How University of Montevallo 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 Score23/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period26.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
University of Montevallo
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,948/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $26,968/yr |
| Average net price | $17,683/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $70,732 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $42,957 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $254 |
| Estimated payback period | 26.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 54.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,151 |
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: $13,948/year ($26,968/year out-of-state), 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 $17,683/year, or roughly $70,732 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 $14,471/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $21,873/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,000, which works out to about $254 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($28,000) and comes to 0.86, 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 | $14,471 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,104 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,615 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,357 |
| $110,001+ | $21,873 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $14,471 net per year, and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $16,104. Pell and Alabama state aid help, but four-year cost of $58K-$64K is significant against modest expected earnings.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $18,615 and $75,001-$110,000 pays $20,357. The cost progression is reasonable. Middle-income families pay roughly $74K-$81K over four years - manageable but the earnings math is tight.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $21,873 per year, $87,492 over four years. The financial return alone does not.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of Montevallo with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $41,758 | D |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $35,921 | F |
| Marketing | $53,492 | - |
| Teacher Education | $47,823 | C |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $44,624 | - |
| Communication Disorders Sciences | $49,979 | C+ |
| Psychology | $40,809 | D |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $50,497 | - |
| English Language and Literature | $35,858 | - |
| Accounting | $57,747 | - |
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.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology (38 grads) earns a D ROI grade. First-year earnings of $30,250 against $25,000 of median debt produce a 0.826 ratio. Most graduates require master's-level work in PT/OT or athletic training to reach competitive earnings; bachelor's-terminal careers in fitness and recreation are modest.
Fine and Studio Arts
Fine Arts (38 grads) is one of Montevallo's signature programs but earns an F ROI grade. First-year earnings of $25,150 against $26,000 of median debt produce a 1.034 debt-to-earnings ratio. The Montevallo art school has reputation among Southern artists, but financial outcomes are predictably weak.
Marketing
Marketing (34 grads) shows four-year earnings of $53,492 - the second-highest figure on Montevallo's reported list. Scorecard does not report median debt, debt-to-earnings ratio, or an ROI grade for this cohort. The Birmingham metro labor market supports placement, particularly into healthcare and financial services marketing.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education (34 grads) earns a C ROI grade. First-year earnings of $41,692 against $24,750 of debt yield a 0.594 ratio. Loan forgiveness programs for teachers in high-need areas can improve effective ROI.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Four-year earnings of $44,624 are reasonable for theatre alumni, but Scorecard does not report debt or grade for this cohort. Career paths span regional theatre, education, and arts administration.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 55.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 62.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 59.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 67.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of Montevallo’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 | 53.8% |
| Enrollment | 2,151 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 32.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,085 |
SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data, having shifted test-optional. The selectivity is more about self-selection than competitive academic filtering: students choose Montevallo for the small-college residential experience rather than land here as a backup. The relatively healthy 54.1% completion rate confirms admitted students tend to be reasonably prepared.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Alabama students choosing Montevallo are choosing the experience over the earnings premium.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Montevallo (this school) | 23 | $17,683 | $42,957 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 55 | $18,749 | $54,501 |
| University of Puerto Rico at Cayey | 24 | $10,176 | $30,958 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Humacao | 23 | $12,675 | $29,521 |
| University of Puerto Rico-Carolina | 22 | $12,945 | $30,626 |
| Alabama A & M University | 10 | $17,621 | $40,628 |
Who Thrives Here
Pell rate of 32.4% and enrollment of 2,151 mark Montevallo as a small, residential, mid-income leaning public liberal arts institution. The school fits Alabama students wanting a small-college experience with strong arts, theatre, communication disorders, and education programs at a public price. Strongest outcomes come from Communication Disorders (C+ ROI) and Teacher Education (C ROI). Students should expect modest direct earnings; the value is the experience and pathway to graduate study.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of Montevallo scores 23/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $17,683 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $42,957 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 26.5 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 0.86 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 62.6% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. 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 Montevallo: Common Questions
Is University of Montevallo worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of Montevallo scores 23/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $17,683 a year after aid against $42,957 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 26.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of Montevallo 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 $17,683 a year, or roughly $70,732 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 Montevallo graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $42,957 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,157 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 Montevallo?
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 26.5 years for University of Montevallo. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of Montevallo graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,000, against average earnings of $28,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. 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 Montevallo?
The six-year graduation rate is 54.1%. 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.