10-yr median earnings
$59,221
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Tuscaloosa, Alabama
The University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public institution in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $22,420
- Avg net price / yr
- $59,221
- 10-yr median earnings
- 73.5%
- 150%-time completion
- 76.6%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
The University of Alabama pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 16%
- former-student earnings, US
- 76.6%
- acceptance rate
- 73.5%
- 150%-time completion
- +13%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize
Carnegie: R1
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this The University of Alabama profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C+
College Value Score
61/100
The University of Alabama
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A-
$59,221
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$22,420
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate B+
73.5%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$22,750
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
71.2%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A-
89.5%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$22,420
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
73.5%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 73.5%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - The University of Alabama vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How The University of Alabama ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
The University of Alabama: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$59,221 Top 16% higher than 84% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | The University of Alabama | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $59,221 | #837 of 5103 | 84th |
| Average net price | $22,420 | #3539 of 5020 | 30th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 73.5% | #1138 of 4858 | 77th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 33,227 | #44 of 5462 | 99th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
33,227
Undergraduate enrollment
76.6%
Acceptance rate
1,285
SAT average
73.5%
150%-time completion
$59,221
10-yr median earnings
89.5%
First-year retention
How The University of Alabama ranks in Alabama
State rank among 69 reporting Alabama colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | The University of Alabama | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $59,221 | #6 of 69 | 91st |
| Average net price | $22,420 | #55 of 65 | 15th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 73.5% | #6 of 65 | 91st |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 33,227 | #1 of 73 | 99th |
Highest former-student earnings in Alabama
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jersey College - Dothan | $66,087 | - |
| 2 | Auburn University | $65,337 | $24,323 |
| 3 | Columbia Southern University | $63,534 | $14,580 |
| 4 | University of Alabama in Huntsville | $61,767 | $18,796 |
| 5 | Marion Military Institute | $59,644 | $8,627 |
| 6 | The University of AlabamaThis school | $59,221 | $22,420 |
| 7 | Samford University | $58,469 | $32,622 |
| 8 | United States Sports University | $55,257 | $24,076 |
| 9 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | $54,501 | $18,749 |
| 10 | Cardiac and Vascular Institute of Ultrasound | $52,669 | - |
| 11 | Spring Hill College | $51,500 | $20,449 |
| 12 | Athens State University | $50,273 | - |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 76.6% |
| SAT Average | 1,285 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 580 – 710 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 590 – 690 |
| ACT Average | 26 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 24 – 31 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at The University of Alabama
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$19,169 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$19,884 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$22,258 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$26,729 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at The University of Alabama - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $12,180 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $34,172 |
| Average Net Price | $22,420 |
18.4%
Pell Grant Rate
32.4%
Federal Loan Rate
$22,750
Median Debt
$241/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at The University of Alabama swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $20,575 to $22,597 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +3.0%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$20,575
Highest year
$22,597
Most recent (2023)
$22,150
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $21,5132023 · $22,150
Over the same years, enrollment went +12.7% (28,692 → 32,323 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
61.5%
Female
22.6%
First Generation
Outcomes
89.5%
Retention Rate
$52,233
Median Earnings (6yr)
69.5%
Earning Over $25K
71.2%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 73.5% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 89.5% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $52,233 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $59,221 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 69.5% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 71.2% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $22,750 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $241/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 55 | 6,336 | $64,721 | $115,980 | $23,411 |
| Master's | 25 | 1,468 | $75,925 | $120,262 | $31,146 |
| Doctoral | 5 | 65 | $122,559 | $145,164 | $54,391 |
| First Professional | 1 | 130 | $110,931 | $110,931 | $61,500 |
Top programs at The University of Alabama by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$145,164 median earnings
- Legal Research and Advance…
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies
$120,262 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$116,062 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$115,980 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$112,515 median earnings
- Management Sciences and Qu…
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
$112,179 median earnings
- Law
Law
$110,931 median earnings
- Management Information Sys…
Management Information Systems and Services
$105,393 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
$22,408 net price · $12 apart
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA
$22,383 net price · $37 apart
SUNY Maritime College
Throggs Neck, NY
$22,367 net price · $53 apart
Delaware County Technical School-Practical Nursing Program
Broomall, PA
$22,365 net price · $55 apart
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at The University of Alabama? ▼
The University of Alabama is a public institution in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The acceptance rate is 76.6%. The average SAT score is 1,285. Undergraduate enrollment is 33,227 students.
How much do The University of Alabama former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at The University of Alabama who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $59,221 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $52,233.
How much does The University of Alabama cost? ▼
The average net price at The University of Alabama is $22,420. In-state tuition is $12,180 and out-of-state tuition is $34,172. Median student debt at graduation is $22,750.
What is the graduation rate at The University of Alabama? ▼
The University of Alabama has a 73.5% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 89.5%.
Is The University of Alabama worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at The University of Alabama is $22,750, while former students earn a median of $59,221 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 38% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 71.2% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $241.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from The University of Alabama
- Compare The University of Alabama against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Alabama side by side.Browse Alabama
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.