More selective than 57% 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 $25,476. College Scorecard.
Higher than 54% of Alabama colleges we cover and 47% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 62% of Alabama colleges we cover and 39% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of South Alabama acceptance rate & admissions
Of 12,593 applicants, University of South Alabama admitted 8,247 and 1,920 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 970–1190 on the SAT or 20–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of South 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 University of South Alabama costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of South Alabama took 4.5 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 | $12,657 | $56,324 | 3.1 years |
| $30–48k | $13,265 | $59,029 | 3.3 years |
| $48–75k | $16,277 | $72,433 | 4.0 years |
| $75–110k | $23,252 | $103,471 | 5.8 years |
| $110k+ | $25,322 | $112,683 | 6.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (33% 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 ($49,379) minus $31,484 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,895 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.
University of South Alabama majors, earnings & careers
University of South Alabama offers 54 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Business & Finance · 7
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Engineering · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
Highest-earning majors at University of South Alabama
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | $100,166 | $25,146 |
| Chemical Engineering | $93,943 | $24,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $89,052 | $26,500 |
| Computer Science | $80,317 | $26,750 |
| Civil Engineering | $78,187 | $28,000 |
| Nursing | $78,024 | $26,000 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $69,490 | $29,192 |
| Information Science / Studies | $64,455 | $30,550 |
Quick list of all 54 majors
- Accounting$64,410
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$69,490
- Anthropology—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Biology$54,090
- Business$59,513
- Business Administration$48,021
- Chemical Engineering$93,943
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$78,187
- Communications$46,828
- Computer and Information Sciences$59,602
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$80,317
- Criminal Justice$50,822
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,956
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,602
- Education, Other—
- Electrical Engineering$100,166
- English$51,718
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$62,084
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science$61,632
- History$44,887
- Hospitality Management$41,515
- Information Science / Studies$64,455
- Interdisciplinary Studies$43,023
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Journalism—
- Linguistics$40,641
- Marine Sciences—
- Marketing$50,483
- Mechanical Engineering$89,052
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Music—
- Nursing$78,024
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$46,912
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Physiology—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health$47,019
- Psychology$43,384
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Work$46,667
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$54,204
- Statistics$62,719
- Studio Art$29,506
- 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
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Mobile
Overall prices in the Mobile, AL area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,139. Housing costs 40% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 69 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (very high); tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); coastal flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Mobile County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Mobile County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama | 71% | $17,648 | 53% | $49,379 | This school |
| Jacksonville State University | 78% | $14,279 | 55% | $45,235 | |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville | 69% | $18,796 | 64% | $61,767 | |
| University of North Alabama | 87% | $12,170 | 55% | $45,415 | |
| Troy University | 96% | $16,527 | 50% | $42,062 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of South Alabama would cost you $3,369 more per year than Jacksonville State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of South Alabama, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$2,777).
- Jacksonville State University gives aided families $2,150 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Alabama resident | University of South Alabama | Jacksonville State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,116 | $12,894 | −$2,778 |
| Books & supplies | $2,020 | $998 | +$1,022 |
| Housing & meals | $8,830 | $8,894 | −$64 |
| Personal & travel | $5,283 | $2,506 | +$2,777 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$773 | −$1,035 | +$262 |
| Sticker price | $25,476 | $24,257 | +$1,219 |
| Average grants | −$7,828 | −$9,978 | +$2,150 |
| You pay | $17,648 | $14,279 | +$3,369 |
“+” means University of South 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 University of South Alabama
What is the University of South Alabama acceptance rate?
University of South Alabama accepts 71% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,247 of 12,593 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 970–1190 on the SAT or 20–26 on the ACT.
How much does University of South Alabama cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,476 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $17,648 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,657 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,322.
How much do University of South Alabama graduates earn?
Former University of South Alabama students earn a median $49,379 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of South Alabama graduation rate?
53% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a University of South Alabama degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of South Alabama costs about $72,433 after grants ($16,277 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,379 ten years after starting, $17,895 more than high school graduates in Alabama ($31,484), so the cost is repaid in 4.0 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: “University of South Alabama: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-alabama (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).