More selective than 43% 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 $33,382. College Scorecard.
Higher than 88% of Alabama colleges we cover and 83% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 92% of Alabama colleges we cover and 68% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
The University of Alabama acceptance rate & admissions
Of 58,418 applicants, The University of Alabama admitted 44,295 and 8,279 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1170–1400 on the SAT or 24–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
The University of Alabama tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Alabama residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What The University of Alabama costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of The University of Alabama took 4.3 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 | $19,169 | $81,852 | 3.0 years |
| $30–48k | $19,884 | $84,905 | 3.1 years |
| $48–75k | $22,258 | $95,042 | 3.4 years |
| $75–110k | $25,658 | $109,560 | 3.9 years |
| $110k+ | $26,729 | $114,133 | 4.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (56% 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 ($59,221) minus $31,484 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $27,737 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.
The University of Alabama majors, earnings & careers
The University of Alabama offers 77 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 13
- Engineering · 11
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Business & Finance · 10
- Science & Math · 9
- Health & Medicine · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 4
- Technology & Computing · 3
Highest-earning majors at The University of Alabama
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $115,980 | $22,000 |
| Management Information Systems | $105,393 | $21,875 |
| Chemical Engineering | $100,857 | $23,003 |
| Electrical Engineering | $98,943 | $23,821 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $95,079 | $24,755 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $91,999 | $26,787 |
| Civil Engineering | $87,685 | $25,454 |
| Accounting | $87,621 | $23,000 |
Quick list of all 77 majors
- Accounting$87,621
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$91,999
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$53,616
- Anthropology$35,701
- Apparel and Textiles$54,254
- Architectural Engineering—
- Area Studies—
- Biology$59,637
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$55,894
- Business—
- Business Administration$69,715
- Business Economics$86,114
- Chemical Engineering$100,857
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$87,685
- Communications$61,548
- Computer and Information Sciences$115,980
- Computer Engineering—
- Construction Engineering—
- Criminal Justice$57,796
- Criminology—
- Dance$51,744
- Data Science—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,007
- Education (Subject Teaching)$53,940
- Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research—
- Electrical Engineering$98,943
- English$44,278
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$52,619
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies$65,674
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$57,205
- Finance$85,020
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$57,002
- Geography$49,269
- Geography and Environmental Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$60,546
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- History$50,213
- Hospitality Management$53,180
- Human Development and Family Studies$45,751
- Information Technology—
- Interdisciplinary Studies$56,945
- International Relations$55,419
- Journalism$55,043
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems$105,393
- Management Science / Analytics$79,811
- Manufacturing Engineering—
- Marketing$77,451
- Mathematics$77,899
- Mechanical Engineering$95,079
- Metallurgical Engineering—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Music$31,666
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$85,532
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$61,617
- Psychology$49,900
- Public Health$51,588
- Public Relations and Advertising$68,227
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work$49,561
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$50,763
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$56,071
- Studio Art$41,100
- Theatre—
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Tuscaloosa
Overall prices in the Tuscaloosa, AL area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,165. Housing costs 42% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 57 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Tuscaloosa County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Tuscaloosa County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare The University of Alabama with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Alabama | 77% | $22,420 | 73% | $59,221 | This school |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 88% | $18,749 | 64% | $54,501 | |
| Jacksonville State University | 78% | $14,279 | 55% | $45,235 | |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville | 69% | $18,796 | 64% | $61,767 | |
| Auburn University | 46% | $24,323 | 82% | $65,337 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
The University of Alabama would cost you $3,671 more per year than University of Alabama at Birmingham, on average.
- Higher sticker price at The University of Alabama, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$3,082).
- The University of Alabama gives aided families $1,566 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Alabama resident | The University of Alabama | UAB | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $12,180 | $9,098 | +$3,082 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $1,200 | −$400 |
| Housing & meals | $14,840 | $13,590 | +$1,250 |
| Personal & travel | $5,842 | $5,757 | +$85 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$280 | −$1,500 | +$1,220 |
| Sticker price | $33,382 | $28,145 | +$5,237 |
| Average grants | −$10,962 | −$9,396 | −$1,566 |
| You pay | $22,420 | $18,749 | +$3,671 |
“+” means The University of Alabama 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 The University of Alabama
What is the The University of Alabama acceptance rate?
The University of Alabama accepts 77% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 44,295 of 58,418 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1170–1400 on the SAT or 24–31 on the ACT.
How much does The University of Alabama cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $33,382 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,420 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $19,169 and families earning $110k+ pay $26,729.
How much do The University of Alabama graduates earn?
Former The University of Alabama students earn a median $59,221 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the The University of Alabama graduation rate?
73% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 89% return for their second year.
How long does a The University of Alabama degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at The University of Alabama costs about $95,042 after grants ($22,258 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $59,221 ten years after starting, $27,737 more than high school graduates in Alabama ($31,484), so the cost is repaid in 3.4 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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: “The University of Alabama: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-alabama (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).