
Montgomery, ALprivate nonprofithuntingdon.edu
Admit rate has ranged 54%–71% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Huntingdon College is a small, private liberal arts institution in Montgomery, Alabama, that operates with a distinctly personal and Christian ethos. It's a place where the admissions process is accessible, the campus vibe is described as 'friendly and welcoming,' and the academic focus is intensely practical, anchored by a powerhouse business program. While its graduation and retention rates signal challenges, the college offers a tight-knit, residential community experience for students who thrive on close faculty interaction and a strong sense of belonging.
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
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Outcomes & value
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
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Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Huntingdon's admissions process is designed to be accessible and straightforward, reflecting its role as a regional liberal arts college. The college is 'less selective,' with an of 69%. Notably, standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) are not required for admission, though submitting them is an option. For students who choose not to submit test scores, a minimum 3.00 GPA guarantees unconditional admission, while a 2.75 GPA qualifies for conditional admission. The middle 50% SAT range for admitted students who do submit scores is 1006–1220, and the ACT range is 20–27. It's important to note that a significant portion of the admitted class does not submit standardized test scores; one source indicates only about 4% of applicants reported SAT scores and 30% reported ACT scores. The college does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action option, operating on a regular decision timeline only. The rate—the percentage of accepted students who enroll—is low, reported at 14.8%. The is the authoritative source for understanding the relative importance of various factors in Huntingdon's admissions decisions, though the specific CDS for Huntingdon was not among the provided sources to detail factors like demonstrated interest.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Academics at Huntingdon are intimate and teaching-focused, with a student-faculty ratio of 15:1. The college offers over 35 undergraduate majors and 20 minors, alongside pre-professional and educator preparation programs. The curriculum is anchored by a core liberal arts foundation. Business is far and away the most popular major, accounting for 28 graduates in a recent class—more than the next three most popular majors combined. Other popular fields include Biology, Sport and Fitness Management, Psychology, and Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement. The college has reported 'moderate gains' in enrollment for programs like Music, Music Education, and Biology. The Accounting and Business program explicitly emphasizes combining technical courses with the core curriculum to develop skills for leadership and service. While not a research powerhouse, Huntingdon's academic model is built on direct student-professor interaction within a small college setting.
Life at Huntingdon is overwhelmingly residential and communal, with 92% of students living in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing. The campus atmosphere is repeatedly described as 'friendly and welcoming,' a place where 'students frequently greet each other and form genuine connections.' The college fosters this through more than 50 clubs and organizations, which include Greek life, student government, academic honor societies, and spiritual life organizations. Greek life is noted as 'a great component of student life.' The student body is characterized as 'Christian, hard-working, and able to get along with just about everyone,' pointing to a cohesive, like-minded community. Campus life programs offer a wide array of opportunities in clubs, activities, service, and leadership positions, creating a classic, all-involved small-college experience where it's difficult to be anonymous.
Student outcomes at Huntingdon present a mixed picture. The first-year retention rate is 67%, which is below the national average for private colleges. The four-year graduation rate is 48%, and the six-year rate is 55%. These rates place Huntingdon 'in the lower 30th percentile compared to national figures.' However, for graduates who do persist, the median earnings 10 years after entry are $49,601, which one source notes is 22% above the national college median. The college has set ambitious internal goals for its graduate programs, such as an 80% graduation rate within six semesters for its Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, but these are program-specific targets and not reflective of undergraduate outcomes.
Huntingdon is proactive in offering financial aid to make attendance feasible. The average after aid is $22,566. A very high percentage of students—99%—receive some form of grant aid. The average institutional grant is $13,782, and the average total student grant aid package is $17,984. Students are expected to utilize the Net Price Calculator on the college's website and complete the FAFSA to apply for aid. The financial aid package typically includes a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study. While the college details loan programs and eligibility, the provided sources do not indicate that Huntingdon has a 'no-loan' policy or a commitment to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans. Instead, aid packages commonly include loans, and students may need to bridge a remaining gap of '$4,000 to $12,000' even after scholarships and grants.
Huntingdon College stands out for its unwavering commitment to a specific, cohesive student experience. It is not a college of sprawling options or cutthroat competition; it's a close-knit, residential community built on personal relationships and a shared Christian identity. Its signature is accessibility—in its , GPA-focused admissions and in the high likelihood of receiving grant aid. The academic engine is its highly popular and pragmatic business program, which dominates the majors list and is explicitly tied to the college's mission of developing leaders who serve. While the graduation statistics reveal real challenges in persistence, the college offers a clear value proposition: a traditional, all-in campus life where students are known by name, taught by professors (not TAs), and prepared for careers in fields like business, biology, and education. For a student seeking a supportive, familiar environment in the South with a direct path to a practical degree, Huntingdon provides a distinct alternative to larger, more impersonal institutions.