Public Graduate Good 55/100

Alabama A & M University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Normal, Alabama

About Alabama A & M University

Thinking about Alabama A & M University, a college in Alabama where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Alabama A & M University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Normal, Alabama. It enrolls 6,124 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
58%
Graduation
30.3%
Net Price
$17,621
Median Earnings (10yr)
$40,628
Enrollment
6,124
Student : Faculty
19:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
55/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 12
Value 33
Affordability 78
Selectivity 40

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Alabama A & M University admits 58% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
58%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
810 – 1040
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
14 – 19
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Alabama A & M University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 25.5 pts since 2019
91.8%201989.6%202071.6%202168.4%202266.2%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $17,621 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$17,621
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
63%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
75%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$10,024
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$18,634
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,402
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,402
Books & Supplies
$2,270
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,036
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,036
Total Cost of Attendance
$27,153

Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $16,500
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $16,387
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $19,622
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $21,680
  • Over $110,000
    $20,364

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,381
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$31,000
Median percentile
$32,208
75% percentile
$47,750
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $18,250 ↓ $12,750
No Pell $10,500 ↓ $20,500
Dependent students $16,057 ↓ $14,943
Independent students $20,000 ↓ $11,000
Female students $18,216 ↓ $12,784
Male students $15,000 ↓ $16,000
Pell recipients: 18.6% (5,772 students)No Pell: 10.7% (3,321 students)Dependent students: 16.4% (5,078 students)Independent students: 20.4% (6,325 students)Female students: 18.6% (5,761 students)Male students: 15.3% (4,744 students)Overall Median$31,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,500, less than completers ($31,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

30% of students who start here finish within six years, and 67% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
30%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
67%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $40,628 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$40,628
Earning > $25K
67%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$26,000$30,000$34,000$38,000$43,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$32,600

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$38,500

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$33,000

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$37,300

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$39,500

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $5,900, about 15% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 22.7 pts across 6 years
33.7%1yr42.9%3yr51.1%5yr56.4%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 56% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 6,124 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 37% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
6,124
Part-Time
7%
First-Generation
37%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Black 90.2% 5,521
Other 2.4% 149
International 2.4% 146
Hispanic 2.1% 126
White 1.6% 96
Asian 0.2% 12
Black: 90.2% (5,521 students)Other: 2.4% (149 students)International: 2.4% (146 students)Hispanic: 2.1% (126 students)White: 1.6% (96 students)Asian: 0.2% (12 students)Total6,124

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Alabama A & M University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize City Normal, Alabama
Housing
Mostly residential 3,620 beds on campus
Adult Learners
7% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Historically Black College / University (HBCU)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Biology graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Alabama A & M University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 52 distinct programs across 23 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

6 Programs
2 Programs
5 Programs
2 Programs
6 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 19 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,315
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Avg Faculty Salary
$77,455
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

261 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 40 15% $103,687
Associate Professors 53 20% $88,843
Assistant Professors 115 44% $75,558
Instructors 53 20% $53,503

Pros & Cons of Alabama A & M University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Alabama A & M University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Higher than typical student debt at graduation

Frequently Asked Questions about Alabama A & M University

The questions families ask most about Alabama A & M University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Alabama A & M University hard to get into?
Admissions at Alabama A & M University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 58%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Alabama A & M University?
58% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Alabama A & M University?
Aim for 1040 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 810 and 1040 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Alabama A & M University?
Aim for 19 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 14 and 19 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Alabama A & M University cost?
Budget around $17,621 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Alabama A & M University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $40,628 a year against a net price of $17,621, about 2.3 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Alabama A & M University known for?
Mostly Biology, Social Work, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Alabama A & M University graduates earn?
About $40,628 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Alabama A & M University accredited?
Yes. Alabama A & M University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Alabama A & M University?
6,124 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Alabama A & M University?
30% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Alabama A & M University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Alabama A & M University located?
Alabama A & M University is located in Normal, Alabama.
What programs does Alabama A & M University offer?
52 different programs, most commonly Biology, Social Work, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Alabama A & M University?
19 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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