Head-to-head comparison
Bishop State Community College vs University of Montevallo: which has better ROI?
Option A Mobile, AL
Bishop State Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,397
- Earnings, 10 years
- $29,916
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Montevallo, AL
University of Montevallo
- Net price / year
- $17,683
- Earnings, 10 years
- $42,957
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but University of Montevallo comes closer — median earnings $42,957 against a $70,732 total, vs $29,916 at Bishop State Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Bishop State Community College | University of Montevallo |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $5,397 | $17,683 |
| Total net cost | $21,588 | $70,732 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $29,916 | $42,957 |
| Median debt | — | $24,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$390,468 | -$178,792 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Bishop State Community College or University of Montevallo?
Bishop State Community College, at $5,397 a year after aid versus $17,683 — a gap of $12,286 a year, or $49,144 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Bishop State Community College or University of Montevallo graduates earn more?
University of Montevallo graduates report a median $42,957 ten years after entry, $13,041 more than the $29,916 at Bishop State Community College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
54% of students finish at University of Montevallo, against 36% at Bishop State Community College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.