Public Graduate Good 68/100

Athens State University

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

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Athens, Alabama

About Athens State University

Thinking about Athens State 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.

Athens State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Athens, Alabama. It enrolls 2,446 students (a mid-sized 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
—
Graduation
59.9%
Net Price
—
Median Earnings (10yr)
$50,273
Enrollment
2,446
Student : Faculty
14:1

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 Open / Online), 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
68/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes —
Value —
Affordability 55
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Athens State University does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

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. Athens State University has not reported one, so ask the financial aid office for a written estimate before comparing it against anywhere else.

Average Net Price
—
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
43%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
41%
Borrowing to attend

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.

$3,500
10% percentile
$6,341
25% percentile
$18,051
Median percentile
$25,000
75% percentile
$34,231
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 $15,849 ↓ $2,202
No Pell $12,840 ↓ $5,211
Dependent students $12,000 ↓ $6,051
Independent students $17,750 ↓ $301
Female students $15,000 ↓ $3,051
Male students $13,461 ↓ $4,590
Pell recipients: 18.2% (3,292 students)No Pell: 14.8% (2,667 students)Dependent students: 13.8% (2,493 students)Independent students: 20.4% (3,687 students)Female students: 17.3% (3,116 students)Male students: 15.5% (2,796 students)Overall Median$18,051
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $11,883, less than completers ($18,051), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

60% of students who start here finish within six years. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. 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
60%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $50,273 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)
$50,273
Earning > $25K
78%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$46,000$47,000$48,000$50,000$51,0006 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
$38,000

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

Male graduates
$54,100

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$36,700

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

Family income (middle third)
$45,400

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

Family income (highest third)
$50,900

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $16,100, about 30% 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 ↑ 17.4 pts across 6 years
52.7%1yr60.2%3yr60.9%5yr70.1%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 70% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,446 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 48% are the first in their family to go to college, and 54% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
2,446
Part-Time
54%
First-Generation
48%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 73.7% 1,803
Black 13.7% 336
Hispanic 5.8% 141
Other 4.8% 118
Asian 0.8% 20
International 0.3% 6
White: 73.7% (1,803 students)Black: 13.7% (336 students)Hispanic: 5.8% (141 students)Other: 4.8% (118 students)Asian: 0.8% (20 students)International: 0.3% (6 students)Total2,446

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Athens State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Fringe Athens, Alabama
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
56% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

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

Athens State University offers a varied set of programs: 35 distinct programs across 17 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.

8 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
4 Programs
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 14 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$8,799
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$6.1M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$84,538
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

88 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 25 28% $102,123
Associate Professors 33 38% $83,179
Assistant Professors 25 28% $73,189
Instructors 5 6% $62,319

Pros & Cons of Athens State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Athens State 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
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Athens State University is a fit for working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Athens State University

The questions families ask most about Athens State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

What is Athens State University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12), 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 Athens State University graduates earn?
About $50,273 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 Athens State University accredited?
Yes. Athens State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Athens State University?
2,446 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Athens State University?
60% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Athens State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Athens State University located?
Athens State University is located in Athens, Alabama.
What programs does Athens State University offer?
35 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12), 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 Athens State University?
14 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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