The University of Alabama

Date: Jul 29 2011
Major: Business - Management and Administration (This Major's Salary over time)
If your goal is to go to an easy college, party all the time, get into the Greek system, and if you consider college football a religion and worship at the feet of its coaches and players ? the University of Alabama is a great school.

If you want to go to a well regarded university that is challenging academically and receive a degree that will help you find a successful career after college ? the University of Alabama is one of the worst universities out there.

Since I graduated almost a decade ago, I think I?m qualified to give a well rounded and experienced review.

Don?t believe the marketing hype. The College of Commerce and Business Administration (C&BA) is NOT a well regarded business school. If you plan to look for a job after graduation in any other state besides Alabama ? don?t waste your time at UA. Also, you will find even in Birmingham (largest city in AL), the UA business school grads are not very well represented among the business community.

If you need proof, go to the US Department of Education?s website and look for their statistics on college loan repayment rates by college. The Universities of Alabama?s student loan repayment rate is 48%. Only 48% of grads are even in repayment status on their loans. In other words, only 48% of students who graduated with a student loan can pay ANYTHING at all toward their student loans. That?s a pretty sure sign that UA grads have a difficult time after college. I can attest to that. I have never been able to even use my UA degree; even after years of trying.

Don?t get me wrong. I enjoyed my time at UA. I did my share of partying. And, I had fun at the home football games (I liked the really cheap tickets ? I?ve heard they?re not cheap for students anymore). However, my honest opinion is that my time at UA was a complete waste as far as a career is concerned. I also wish I could take back all the money I spent there. By far the WORST investment I?ve ever made (And I was invested in Bear Stearns).

The only people I would recommend UA to would be a young person who already has some kind of job with a family business waiting for them after college.

Anyway, take this review for whatever you think its worth. If you don?t believe anything I?ve written, please believe this ? NEVER take out a student loan. NEVER. No matter what you think; that would be the worst financial mistake you will ever make. It would be a mistake that will haunt you for many years, be damaging to you and your family, and basically destroy you financially.

Good Luck!