Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary of Education | https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Cindy_Marten%2C_Deputy_Secretary_of_Education_2.jpg
Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary of Education | https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Cindy_Marten%2C_Deputy_Secretary_of_Education_2.jpg
Data shows that students paid $12,406 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $412 more than the previous school year.
Among the 13 institutions in the county, Samford University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $36,725. Birmingham-Southern College followed with an average of $21,250 per year. Lawson State Community College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $5,072.
At the time, a total of $58 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Jefferson County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $14.8 million.
Currently there are 13 higher education institutions in Jefferson County, including Herzing University-Birmingham, Lawson State Community College, and Strayer University-Alabama.
Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.
According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.
Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.
Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.
| Institution | Number of Students Receiving Grants | Total Amount of Grants Received | Average Amount of Grant Per Student | Number of Students Receiving Loans | Total Amount of Loans Received | Average Amount of Loans Per Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown Beauty Barber School | 17 | $113,715 | $6,689 | 17 | $149,222 | $8,778 |
| Fortis Institute-Birmingham | 61 | $438,844 | $7,194 | 56 | $415,937 | $7,427 |
| Herzing University-Birmingham | 14 | $81,995 | $5,857 | 9 | $77,927 | $8,659 |
| Birmingham-Southern College | 244 | $3,470,354 | $14,223 | 207 | $1,605,439 | $7,756 |
| Jefferson State Community College | 527 | $3,460,263 | $6,566 | 193 | $556,249 | $2,882 |
| Strayer University-Alabama | 0 | $0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 2,059 | $23,333,975 | $11,333 | 1,106 | $7,271,857 | $6,575 |
| Miles College | 288 | $2,387,456 | $8,290 | 244 | $1,608,015 | $6,590 |
| Midfield Institute of Cosmetology | 8 | $38,351 | $4,794 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
| Samford University | 970 | $21,105,096 | $21,758 | 334 | $2,808,853 | $8,410 |
| Winonah's International School of Cosmetology | 34 | $162,293 | $4,773 | 28 | $143,538 | $5,126 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Birmingham | 24 | $126,601 | $5,275 | 24 | $185,021 | $7,709 |
| Lawson State Community College | 422 | $3,259,376 | $7,724 | 0 | $0 | $0 |
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