More selective than 96% of Alabama colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $40,176. College Scorecard.
Higher than 38% of Alabama colleges we cover and 33% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 31% of Alabama colleges we cover and 18% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
OU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,370 applicants, Oakwood University admitted 1,197 and 290 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
OU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What OU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Oakwood University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Alabama. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $23,999 | $106,556 | 9.7 years |
| $30–48k | $22,444 | $99,651 | 9.1 years |
| $48–75k | $24,501 | $108,784 | 9.9 years |
| $75–110k | $28,074 | $124,649 | 11.3 years |
| $110k+ | $27,219 | $120,852 | 11.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (31% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($42,488) minus $31,484 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,004 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
OU majors, earnings & careers
Oakwood University offers 48 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Business & Finance · 6
- Science & Math · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Education · 2
Highest-earning majors at OU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources | $62,069 | $35,500 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $55,834 | $51,250 |
Quick list of all 48 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science—
- Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications—
- Dietetics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Finance—
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources$62,069
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Relations—
- Journalism—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$55,834
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Political Science—
- Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Education—
- Social Work—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Human Resources → HR specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Huntsville
Overall prices in the Huntsville, AL area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,341. Housing costs 22% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 58 inches of rain a year, 2 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Madison County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Madison County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare OU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Alabama by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakwood University | 45% | $25,669 | 45% | $42,488 | This school |
| Tuskegee University | 49% | $35,013 | 55% | $49,641 | |
| Huntingdon College | 69% | $22,566 | 48% | $49,601 | |
| Stillman College | 62% | $15,258 | 25% | $35,421 | |
| Miles College | — | $14,271 | 16% | $32,627 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Oakwood University would cost you $9,344 less per year than Tuskegee University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Oakwood University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$2,874).
- Oakwood University gives aided families $6,066 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Alabama resident | OU | Tuskegee University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $22,512 | $25,386 | −$2,874 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,812 | −$612 |
| Housing & meals | $9,384 | $9,844 | −$460 |
| Personal & travel | $8,000 | $8,358 | −$358 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$920 | −$1,946 | +$1,026 |
| Sticker price | $40,176 | $43,454 | −$3,278 |
| Average grants | −$14,507 | −$8,441 | −$6,066 |
| You pay | $25,669 | $35,013 | −$9,344 |
“+” means OU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about OU
What is the OU acceptance rate?
Oakwood University accepts 45% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,197 of 2,370 applicants were admitted.
How much does Oakwood University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $40,176 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $25,669 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $23,999 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,219.
How much do OU graduates earn?
Former Oakwood University students earn a median $42,488 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the OU graduation rate?
45% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 71% return for their second year.
How long does a OU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Oakwood University costs about $108,784 after grants ($24,501 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $42,488 ten years after starting, $11,004 more than high school graduates in Alabama ($31,484), so the cost is repaid in 9.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is OU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing OU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Oakwood University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/oakwood-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).