More selective than 100% 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 $22,758. College Scorecard.
Higher than 29% of Alabama colleges we cover and 18% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 46% of Alabama colleges we cover and 23% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UWA acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,041 applicants, University of West Alabama admitted 1,778 and 315 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 860–1120 on the SAT or 16–21 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UWA 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 UWA costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of West 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 | $12,179 | $55,049 | 4.3 years |
| $30–48k | $12,523 | $56,604 | 4.4 years |
| $48–75k | $14,606 | $66,019 | 5.2 years |
| $75–110k | $18,550 | $83,846 | 6.6 years |
| $110k+ | n/a | — | not available |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (20% 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 ($44,232) minus $31,484 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,748 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.
UWA majors, earnings & careers
University of West Alabama offers 29 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 6
- Science & Math · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Education · 3
- Engineering · 3
- Humanities & Languages · 3
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
- Arts & Design · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at UWA
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $58,218 | — |
| Business Administration | $53,696 | $34,250 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $41,440 | — |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $40,455 | $39,700 |
Quick list of all 29 majors
- Accounting$58,218
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$53,696
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other—
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- English—
- Finance—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$41,440
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$40,455
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Psychology—
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
— 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 →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
Accounting → Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Livingston
2 bedrooms $921.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 55 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Sumter County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Sumter County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UWA 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 West Alabama | 43% | $12,684 | 35% | $44,232 | This school |
| University of Montevallo | 54% | $17,683 | 54% | $42,957 | |
| Athens State University | — | — | — | $50,273 | |
| Alabama A & M University | 58% | $17,621 | 24% | $40,628 | |
| Auburn University at Montgomery | 92% | $13,224 | 33% | $44,391 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of West Alabama would cost you $4,999 less per year than University of Montevallo, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of West Alabama, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$2,958).
- University of West Alabama gives aided families $359 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Alabama resident | UWA | University of Montevallo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,990 | $13,948 | −$2,958 |
| Books & supplies | $1,206 | $1,020 | +$186 |
| Housing & meals | $8,166 | $10,768 | −$2,602 |
| Personal & travel | $3,600 | $3,640 | −$40 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,204 | −$1,978 | +$774 |
| Sticker price | $22,758 | $27,398 | −$4,640 |
| Average grants | −$10,074 | −$9,715 | −$359 |
| You pay | $12,684 | $17,683 | −$4,999 |
“+” means UWA 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 UWA
What is the UWA acceptance rate?
University of West Alabama accepts 43% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,778 of 2,041 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 860–1120 on the SAT or 16–21 on the ACT.
How much does University of West Alabama cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,758 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,684 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,179 and families earning $110k+ pay —.
How much do UWA graduates earn?
Former University of West Alabama students earn a median $44,232 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UWA graduation rate?
35% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 65% return for their second year.
How long does a UWA degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of West Alabama costs about $66,019 after grants ($14,606 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $44,232 ten years after starting, $12,748 more than high school graduates in Alabama ($31,484), so the cost is repaid in 5.2 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 West Alabama: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-west-alabama (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).