The University of Alabama is the state's oldest public university, opened in 1831 in Tuscaloosa. It enrolls 33,227 undergraduates across six colleges: business, engineering, arts and sciences, education, nursing, and communication. Business and marketing account for 29% of degrees awarded, followed by engineering at 10% and health sciences at 9%. The university carries a Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity (R1) Carnegie classification and holds regional accreditation through SACSCOC. Online programs supplement the main Tuscaloosa campus.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective public institutions), the University of Alabama scores 70.51 overall, rated Good. Its strongest pillar is Outcomes at 82.72, reflecting a solid graduation rate and above-median earnings. Affordability scores 26.73, the weakest of the four, driven by a net price that stays relatively flat across income brackets rather than dropping steeply for lower-income families. All scores use verified federal data. No paid placement or opinion surveys are used.
Strong
71/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes83
Value48
Affordability27
Selectivity61
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Getting in is not the challenge. Earning merit aid is. Alabama admits 76.65% of applicants, with enrolled students scoring between 24 and 31 on the ACT (25th to 75th percentile) and averaging 1285 on the SAT. The university is test-optional through Fall 2026, but submitted scores directly determine which merit scholarship tier an out-of-state applicant receives. The priority deadline for automatic merit consideration is November 3. Peers Auburn and Florida admit at approximately 44% and 30%, placing Alabama among the more accessible flagships in the region. The Capstone Honors College operates at a higher admit standard.
Acceptance Rate
76.7%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1170 – 1400
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
24 – 31
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized 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 The University of Alabama is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
6.9 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Alabama charges $12,180 in-state tuition and $34,172 for out-of-state students. Room and board adds $15,016; books and other expenses add roughly $6,700, bringing the estimated OOS cost of attendance to approximately $56,000 before aid. The average net price after grants is $22,420. Seven automatic merit tiers reduce OOS costs: from $6,000 per year (Crimson Legends, ACT 25-26) to $28,000 per year (Presidential, ACT 32+) or full tuition for Presidential Elite recipients. Net price ranges from $19,169 for families under $30,000 to $26,729 for families above $110,000.
Average Net Price
$22,420
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
18%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
32%
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)
$12,180
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$34,172
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,016
Room & Board (off-campus)
$15,428
Books & Supplies
$700
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$6,028
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,802
Total Cost of Attendance
$33,382
Application fee: $40 (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
$19,169
$30,001 – $48,000
$19,884
$48,001 – $75,000
$22,258
$75,001 – $110,000
$25,658
Over $110,000
$26,729
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.
$4,50010%percentile
$7,43925%percentile
$22,750Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$34,00090%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 $19,500
↓ $3,250
No Pell $15,750
↓ $7,000
Dependent students $18,283
↓ $4,467
Independent students $16,444
↓ $6,306
Female students $18,750
↓ $4,000
Male students $16,500
↓ $6,250
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,250, less than completers ($22,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
Alabama completes most of the students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students is 73.4%; the four-year rate is 57.7%. First-year retention stands at 87.8%, meaning nearly nine in ten freshmen return for a second year. The transfer rate is 17.4%. These figures apply to full-time freshmen who entered as bachelor's-seeking students. The six-year rate sits above the national average for four-year public institutions and roughly in line with the SEC public median.
6-Year Graduation Rate
62%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
88%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Alabama graduates earn above the national median for four-year public institutions. Median earnings are $52,233 six years after first enrolling and $59,221 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 83.8% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. Male graduates earn a median of $59,100 at ten years; female graduates earn $45,100, a gap that largely reflects the distribution of majors rather than labor-market penalties specific to Alabama. Engineering and business graduates typically clear the institutional median; education and humanities graduates typically trail it.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$59,221
Earning > $25K
84%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$45,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$59,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$45,500
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$51,600
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$55,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $14,000, about 24% 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 ↑
14.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 80% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Alabama's undergraduate student body of 33,227 skews toward higher-income families and white students relative to the SEC flagship average. White students account for 71% of undergraduates; Black students 11.5%, Hispanic 7.6%, Asian 1.5%. Eighteen percent of undergraduates receive Pell grants, below the rate at most peer SEC publics. First-generation students make up 22.6% of enrollment. Greek life is a defining feature: 33% of undergraduates belong to one of 67 fraternities or sororities, roughly three times the national average participation rate. Part-time students account for 6.8% of enrollment.
Total Enrolled
33,227
Part-Time
7%
First-Generation
23%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 71.0%23,588
Black 11.5%3,804
Hispanic 7.6%2,509
Other 4.2%1,396
Asian 1.5%492
International 0.8%276
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at The University of Alabama. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Midsize CityTuscaloosa, Alabama
Housing
Partly residential9,294 beds available
Adult Learners
6%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
The University of Alabama offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
192 distinct programs across
24 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.
Alabama operates at a 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio with 79% of instruction delivered by full-time faculty. The university employs 335 full professors, 438 associate professors, 487 assistant professors, and 387 instructors, totaling roughly 1,647 teaching-track faculty. Average faculty salary across all ranks is $100,270 per year. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $9,728. Research expenditures total $192.8 million annually. Class sizes range widely: large introductory lectures are common in high-enrollment programs; Honors College sections and upper-division seminars are considerably smaller.
Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$9,957
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$1.4B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$100,270
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
1,647 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
335
20%
$163,211
Associate Professors
438
27%
$106,073
Assistant Professors
487
30%
$81,634
Instructors
387
23%
$62,307
Pros & Cons of The University of Alabama
Alabama's strongest data points are its Outcomes score (82.72) and its merit scholarship ladder for out-of-state students, which runs from $6,000 to full tuition based on test scores and GPA. Weaknesses are Affordability (26.73) and Value (48.17): net price stays high even for low-income families, and the OOS sticker price requires a strong scholarship to produce a reasonable ROI. Best fit for in-state students at any academic level, for OOS students who can reach Presidential-tier scores (ACT 32+), and for students targeting business, engineering, or nursing.
PROS
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Wide variety of programs and student life
Strong first-year retention
Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
Above-average net price
Class sizes are on the higher side
Large institutional setting can feel impersonal
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, The University of Alabama is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who want a large campus with breadth and variety.
Frequently Asked Questions about The University of Alabama
The questions below cover the topics students and families search most often about Alabama before committing to an application: how selective the school actually is, what merit scholarships are available and when they require action, what the all-in cost will be after aid, and what completion rates and earnings look like. Each answer leads with the number, then the context needed to interpret it.
Is the University of Alabama hard to get into?
No. Alabama admits 76.65% of applicants, making it accessible to most students with a solid high school record. The middle 50% of enrolled students scores between 24 and 31 on the ACT and averages 1285 on the SAT. The Capstone Honors College and selected engineering programs operate at a higher admit standard than the general applicant pool.
What SAT or ACT score does Alabama require?
Alabama is test-optional through Fall 2026, so no score is required for general admission. Enrolled students average an ACT of 26 and an SAT of 1285, with the middle 50% ranging from 24 to 31 on the ACT. Submitting scores still matters: for out-of-state applicants, the submitted score determines which automatic merit scholarship tier is awarded, and those thresholds run higher than the enrolled average.
What are the merit scholarship tiers at Alabama for out-of-state students?
Alabama offers seven automatic merit tiers for out-of-state freshmen, all requiring a 3.5+ GPA: Crimson Legends ($6,000/yr, ACT 25-26), Capstone ($8,000/yr, ACT 27), Collegiate ($10,000/yr, ACT 28), Foundation in Excellence ($15,000/yr, ACT 29), UA Scholar ($24,000/yr, ACT 30-31), Presidential ($28,000/yr, ACT 32+), and Presidential Elite (full tuition plus housing, ACT 36 or SAT 1600). All are awarded automatically at application; no separate scholarship application is required. Scores must be submitted to qualify.
What is the scholarship deadline at Alabama?
The priority deadline for automatic merit scholarships is November 3. Students who apply by November 3 are considered for all automatic merit awards based on submitted test scores and GPA. Applications received after November 3 are reviewed on a space-available basis and may still qualify for aid, but early application maximizes scholarship options. The competitive scholarship deadline extends to December 5.
How much does it cost to attend the University of Alabama?
In-state tuition is $12,180; out-of-state tuition is $34,172. Adding room and board ($15,016) and other expenses brings the estimated OOS cost of attendance to approximately $56,000 before aid. Average net price after all grants and scholarships is $22,420. Out-of-state students who earn a Presidential scholarship ($28,000/yr) reduce their net cost to roughly $28,000 per year before additional aid, comparable to in-state pricing at many peer flagships.
What is the average net price at the University of Alabama?
The average net price (total cost of attendance minus all grants and scholarships) is $22,420 per year. For families earning under $30,000, the net price is $19,169. For families earning above $110,000, it is $26,729. The spread across income brackets is narrower than at most peer flagships, meaning lower-income families pay closer to what higher-income families pay. Alabama's aid program leans heavily on merit scholarships rather than need-based grants.
Is the University of Alabama worth it for out-of-state students?
It depends on the scholarship tier. An out-of-state student with no aid faces roughly $56,000 per year in total costs. A Presidential scholarship holder (ACT 32+) reduces that to approximately $28,000 per year, comparable to in-state pricing at peer SEC flagships. Median 10-year earnings of $59,221 make the investment reasonable at that tier. Without a meaningful scholarship, the OOS value case is harder to make. The November 3 priority deadline is the key action date.
What is the graduation rate at the University of Alabama?
The six-year graduation rate is 73.4% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. The four-year rate is 57.7%, meaning roughly 4 in 10 students who finish do so in five or six years. First-year retention stands at 87.8%. These rates apply to full-time freshman entrants; transfer and part-time outcomes are tracked separately. The six-year rate sits above the national average for four-year public institutions.
How much do University of Alabama graduates earn?
Median earnings are $52,233 six years after first enrolling and $59,221 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 83.8% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. These figures cover all undergraduates, including those who did not complete a degree. Major matters significantly: engineering and business graduates typically earn above the institutional median; education and humanities graduates typically earn below it.
How much student debt do University of Alabama graduates carry?
Median debt at graduation is $22,750 across all completers. Pell grant recipients carry a median of $19,500. Students who do not complete a degree carry a median of $10,250, reflecting shorter enrollment. The 10th percentile of debt is $4,500; the 90th percentile is $34,000. First-generation students carry a median of $18,000. These figures represent federal loan balances at the time of leaving the institution.
What majors is the University of Alabama known for?
Business and marketing account for 29% of degrees awarded, the largest program area by enrollment. Engineering follows at 10%, health sciences at 9.2%, and communication at 9.5%. The Capstone Honors College recruits students across all majors into smaller, research-focused cohorts with a separate admission process. Nursing and engineering graduates typically earn well above the institutional earnings median; education graduates typically earn below it.
How prominent is Greek life at the University of Alabama?
Greek life is a defining feature of Alabama's campus culture. About 33% of undergraduates belong to one of 67 fraternities or sororities, encompassing roughly 10,000 students. That participation rate is approximately three times the national average. Greek membership is not required for most campus activities, but the system heavily shapes the social calendar, particularly during football season. Participation is concentrated among traditional-age, full-time students.
Is the University of Alabama a party school?
Alabama frequently appears on party school rankings, and the combination of 33% Greek membership and a football-centric culture contributes to that perception. The data shows what that means in practice: 73.4% of full-time students graduate within six years, and the first-year retention rate is 87.8%. Students who prioritize academics, particularly in the Honors College or engineering programs, report a different experience than the general student body.
What is the loan repayment rate at the University of Alabama?
Among borrowers who completed their degrees, 65.7% are making progress on their federal loans one year after entering repayment. That rate climbs to 71.2% at three years, 75.9% at five years, and 80.5% at seven years. The steady progression is typical for graduates at flagship publics: early repayment struggles smooth out as careers develop. Median debt at graduation for completers is $22,750.
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