PlainCollege

State profile · 81 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in Alabama

Colleges in Alabama from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

81
Colleges
$40,724
Avg 10-yr earnings (69 of 81)
73.8%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

Alabama · the picture in one line

Alabama's 69 of 81 colleges that report earnings average $40,724 in 10-year former-student earnings - 35th highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#35
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$66,087
top earnings - Jersey College - Dothan
73.8%
avg acceptance (26 reporting)
41 / 21 / 19
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among Alabama colleges with reported figures: Columbia Southern University.

Alabama · enrollment ≠ earnings

In Alabama, The University of Alabama leads by undergraduate enrollment (33,227 students, #1 of 63) but ranks #5 of 63 on 10-year median earnings ($59,221), while Auburn University tops earnings at $65,337 (#1 of 63) with 26,816 students (#2 of 63). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

33,227
The University enrollment #1
$65,337
Auburn University earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#5
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of Alabama's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows The University of Alabama is largest by enrollment; Auburn University leads on 10-year earnings at $65,337.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in Alabama returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Alabama as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in Alabama by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Alabama

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

Alabama colleges: earnings vs. cost

Alabama colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Alabama colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $30K $69K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $7K $26K Avg Net Price ($) The University of Alabama: $59K earn · $22K net · 74% grad The University of … Auburn University: $65K earn · $24K net · 81% grad Auburn University Columbia Southern University: $64K earn · $15K net · 35% grad Columbia Southern … University of Alabama at Birmingham: $55K earn · $19K net · 63% grad University of Alab… Troy University: $42K earn · $17K net · 48% grad Troy University University of South Alabama: $49K earn · $18K net · 53% grad University of Sout… John C Calhoun State Community College: $38K earn · $8K net · 41% grad Jacksonville State University: $45K earn · $14K net · 53% grad University of Alabama in Huntsville: $62K earn · $19K net · 63% grad Alabama A & M University: $41K earn · $18K net · 26% grad University of North Alabama: $45K earn · $12K net · 54% grad Jefferson State Community College: $41K earn · $9K net · 24% grad Coastal Alabama Community College: $35K earn · $14K net · 29% grad George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville: $40K earn · $13K net · 50% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How Alabama ranks among the states

Alabama's average 10-year earnings of $40,724 place it in the 38th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

Alabama: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$40,724 38th percentile higher than 38% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). Below this entry. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). This entry sits in this band. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Above this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). Above this entry. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. AL $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. 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

Alabama vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in Alabama

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - Alabama

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
81
Total Schools
$10,862
Avg In-State Tuition (62 of 81)
73.8%
Avg Acceptance Rate (26 of 81)
$40,724
Avg Median Earnings (69 of 81)
41 Public 21 Private NP 19 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Alabama

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 81 postsecondary institutions in Alabama. The ownership mix is 41 public institutions, 21 private nonprofits, and 19 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 62 of 81 Alabama institutions that report one is $10,862, and the average admission rate among the 26 that report one sits at 73.8%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 69 of 81 Alabama colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $40,724, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in Alabama

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa Public 33,227 76.6% $59,221
Auburn University Auburn Public 26,816 45.9% $65,337
Columbia Southern University Orange Beach For-Profit 12,176 - $63,534
University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham Public 11,635 88.2% $54,501
Troy University Troy Public 9,805 96.0% $42,062
University of South Alabama Mobile Public 8,879 71.0% $49,379
John C Calhoun State Community College Tanner Public 7,070 - $38,192
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville Public 7,036 77.7% $45,235
University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville Public 6,591 68.6% $61,767
Alabama A & M University Normal Public 6,124 58.0% $40,628
University of North Alabama Florence Public 5,811 87.3% $45,415
Jefferson State Community College Birmingham Public 5,470 - $40,719
Coastal Alabama Community College Bay Minette Public 4,798 - $34,894
George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Hanceville Public 4,423 - $39,842
Samford University Birmingham Private NP 4,206 82.4% $58,469
Southern Union State Community College Wadley Public 4,173 - $36,597
Gadsden State Community College Gadsden Public 3,548 - $32,937
Alabama State University Montgomery Public 3,477 97.5% $34,502
Shelton State Community College Tuscaloosa Public 3,148 - $35,014
George C Wallace Community College-Dothan Dothan Public 3,017 - $31,399
University of West Alabama Livingston Public 2,974 42.6% $44,232
Lawson State Community College Birmingham Public 2,900 - $31,701
Tuskegee University Tuskegee Private NP 2,630 48.7% $49,641
Auburn University at Montgomery Montgomery Public 2,542 91.6% $44,391
Athens State University Athens Public 2,446 - $50,273
Bishop State Community College Mobile Public 2,437 - $29,916
Bevill State Community College Jasper Public 2,177 - $34,107
University of Montevallo Montevallo Public 2,151 53.8% $42,957
Northwest Shoals Community College Muscle Shoals Public 1,969 - $33,828
H Councill Trenholm State Community College Montgomery Public 1,674 - $32,183
Northeast Alabama Community College Rainsville Public 1,629 - $34,913
Enterprise State Community College Enterprise Public 1,585 - $42,572
Faulkner University Montgomery Private NP 1,549 73.1% $43,457
Snead State Community College Boaz Public 1,427 - $35,735
University of Mobile Mobile Private NP 1,307 77.9% $43,611
Central Alabama Community College Alexander City Public 1,203 - $33,506
Strayer University-Alabama Birmingham For-Profit 1,196 - $40,092
Miles College Fairfield Private NP 1,155 - $32,627
Oakwood University Huntsville Private NP 1,153 45.2% $42,488
Chattahoochee Valley Community College Phenix City Public 1,110 - $36,438
Lurleen B Wallace Community College Andalusia Public 1,097 - $32,307
J F Ingram State Technical College Deatsville Public 960 - -
Huntingdon College Montgomery Private NP 879 69.5% $49,601
George C Wallace State Community College-Selma Selma Public 855 - $31,598
Spring Hill College Mobile Private NP 782 76.6% $51,500
J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College Huntsville Public 755 - $28,281
Stillman College Tuscaloosa Private NP 706 62.3% $35,421
Talladega College Talladega Private NP 701 85.4% $32,229
Fortis Institute-Birmingham Birmingham For-Profit 613 - $32,886
Herzing University-Birmingham Birmingham Private NP 442 93.3% $36,909
Reid State Technical College Evergreen Public 416 - $28,982
Fortis College-Montgomery Montgomery For-Profit 359 - $26,652
Marion Military Institute Marion Public 329 97.0% $59,644
Fortis College Mobile For-Profit 315 - $26,652
South University-Montgomery Montgomery For-Profit 299 - $34,421
Remington College-Mobile Campus Mobile Private NP 257 - $31,349
Amridge University Montgomery Private NP 241 - $37,621
United States Sports University Daphne Private NP 228 61.4% $55,257
Fortis College-Dothan Dothan For-Profit 177 - $32,754
Ross Medical Education Center-Huntsville Huntsville For-Profit 132 - $30,060
Paul Mitchell the School-Birmingham Hoover For-Profit 129 - $24,367
Winonah's International School of Cosmetology Hoover For-Profit 120 - -
Blue Cliff Career College Mobile For-Profit 107 - $21,365
Alabama School of Nail Technology & Cosmetology Jackson For-Profit 97 - -
New Beginning College of Cosmetology Albertville For-Profit 81 - -
Heritage Christian University Florence Private NP 75 90.0% $42,597
Huntsville Bible College Huntsville Private NP 64 - -
Cardiac and Vascular Institute of Ultrasound Mobile For-Profit 56 - $52,669
Brown Beauty Barber School Bessemer For-Profit 54 - -
The Salon Professional Academy-Huntsville Huntsville For-Profit 53 - -
University Academy of Hair Design Tuscaloosa For-Profit 38 - -
Selma University Selma Private NP 32 - -
Midfield Institute of Cosmetology Midfield Private NP 9 - -
Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine Dothan Private NP - - -
Troy University-Montgomery Campus Montgomery Public - - $42,062
Troy University-Dothan Campus Dothan Public - - $42,062
Troy University-Online Troy Public - - $42,062
Columbia College - Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal Private NP - - $45,378
Bluefield University - Edward Via College - Auburn Auburn Private NP - - $48,896
Jersey College - Dothan Dothan For-Profit - - $66,087
Alabama School of Nail Technology & Cosmetology - Saraland Saraland For-Profit - - -

Featured Colleges in Alabama

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
33,227 students
Auburn University
Auburn, AL
26,816 students
Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, AL
12,176 students
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
11,635 students
Troy University
Troy, AL
9,805 students
Compare The University of Alabama vs Auburn University →

Explore more Alabama data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Alabama applicants

  • Alabama has 81 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across Alabama colleges is 73.8% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

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. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. 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.