Public Associate Good 65/100

Marion Military Institute

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

Compare This College

Marion, Alabama

About Marion Military Institute

Thinking about Marion Military Institute, a college in Alabama where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Marion Military Institute is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Marion, Alabama. It enrolls 329 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
97%
Graduation
32.7%
Net Price
$8,627
Median Earnings (10yr)
$59,644
Enrollment
329
Student : Faculty
10:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
65/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 19
Value 82
Affordability 68
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Marion Military Institute admits 97% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
97%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1040 – 1270
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
16 – 23
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Required SAT or ACT scores must be submitted with the application.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Marion Military Institute is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 1.6 pts since 2019
57.6%201957.5%202045.4%202162.7%202259.2%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $8,627 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$8,627
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
54%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
38%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$9,538
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$15,538
Room & Board (on-campus)
$4,950
Books & Supplies
$1,800
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,455
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,743

Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $7,471
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $8,562
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $8,584
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $10,914
  • Over $110,000
    $12,230

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,750
10% percentile
$3,592
25% percentile
$9,250
Median percentile
$11,982
75% percentile
$15,250
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $4,750 ↓ $4,500
No Pell $5,500 ↓ $3,750
Female students $5,500 ↓ $3,750
Male students $5,500 ↓ $3,750
Pell recipients: 22.4% (2,068 students)No Pell: 25.9% (2,394 students)Female students: 25.9% (2,394 students)Male students: 25.9% (2,394 students)Overall Median$9,250
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($9,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

33% of students who start here finish within six years, and 45% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
33%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
45%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $59,644 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$59,644
Earning > $25K
79%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$43,000$48,000$52,000$57,000$62,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 12.6 pts across 6 years
54.9%1yr64.4%3yr67%5yr67.6%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 68% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 329 students, an intimate, close-knit community.

Total Enrolled
329
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
23%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 49.9% 164
Black 27.7% 91
Hispanic 13.4% 44
Other 7.3% 24
Asian 1.8% 6
White: 49.9% (164 students)Black: 27.7% (91 students)Hispanic: 13.4% (44 students)Other: 7.3% (24 students)Asian: 1.8% (6 students)Total329

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Marion Military Institute. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Remote Marion, Alabama
Housing
Strongly residential 500 beds for 329 students
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

Marion Military Institute offers a focused set of programs: 1 distinct programs across 1 major. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 10 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
10:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,143
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$7.3M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$64,467
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

23 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
No Rank 23 100% $64,467

Pros & Cons of Marion Military Institute

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Marion Military Institute is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
Best for: Based on the data, Marion Military Institute is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Marion Military Institute

The questions families ask most about Marion Military Institute, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Marion Military Institute hard to get into?
Not especially. Marion Military Institute admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 97%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Marion Military Institute?
97% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Marion Military Institute?
Aim for 1270 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1040 and 1270 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Marion Military Institute?
Aim for 23 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 16 and 23 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Marion Military Institute cost?
Budget around $8,627 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Marion Military Institute worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $59,644 a year against a net price of $8,627, about 6.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Marion Military Institute known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Marion Military Institute graduates earn?
About $59,644 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Marion Military Institute accredited?
Yes. Marion Military Institute is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Marion Military Institute?
329 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Marion Military Institute?
33% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Marion Military Institute a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Marion Military Institute located?
Marion Military Institute is located in Marion, Alabama.
What programs does Marion Military Institute offer?
1 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Marion Military Institute?
10 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.