US CollegesColleges in Alabama: cost, admission and results
38 degree-granting colleges and universities in Alabama, with the admission rate, net price, graduation rate and earnings of each. The largest are The University of Alabama (33,227 undergraduates), Auburn University (26,816 undergraduates), Columbia Southern University (12,176 undergraduates).
Alabama at a glance
- Colleges on this site
- 38
- Public / private nonprofit / for-profit
- 20 / 15 / 3
- Median in-state tuition and fees
- $12,700
- Median net price a year
- $16,956
- Median admission rate
- 77%
- Median graduation rate
- 45%
- Median earnings 10 years on
- $48,418
No college in this list matches.
| College | Admission rate | Net price a year | Graduation rate | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A & M UniversityNormal, AL · Public | 58% | $18,255 | 28% | $41,266 |
| Alabama College of Osteopathic MedicineDothan, AL · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Alabama State UniversityMontgomery, AL · Public | 98% | $9,775 | 31% | $40,585 |
| Amridge UniversityMontgomery, AL · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | 50% | $40,519 |
| Athens State UniversityAthens, AL · Public | not reported | not reported | not reported | $54,648 |
| Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · Public | 46% | $25,424 | 82% | $73,273 |
| Auburn University at MontgomeryMontgomery, AL · Public | 92% | $13,789 | 35% | $51,305 |
| Chattahoochee Valley Community CollegePhenix City, AL · Public | not reported | $6,561 | 29% | $39,468 |
| Columbia Southern UniversityOrange Beach, AL · Private for-profit | not reported | $15,834 | 30% | $66,855 |
| Enterprise State Community CollegeEnterprise, AL · Public | not reported | $8,461 | 38% | $42,181 |
| Faulkner UniversityMontgomery, AL · Private nonprofit | 73% | $23,416 | 37% | $48,627 |
| Heritage Christian UniversityFlorence, AL · Private nonprofit | 90% | $18,974 | not reported | $47,059 |
| Herzing University-BirminghamBirmingham, AL · Private nonprofit | 93% | $23,649 | 27% | $44,255 |
| Huntingdon CollegeMontgomery, AL · Private nonprofit | 69% | $21,852 | 48% | $54,423 |
| Jacksonville State UniversityJacksonville, AL · Public | 78% | $17,111 | 48% | $51,004 |
| Jefferson State Community CollegeBirmingham, AL · Public | not reported | $5,500 | 24% | $43,674 |
| Lawson State Community CollegeBirmingham, AL · Public | not reported | $6,248 | 24% | $36,457 |
| Lurleen B Wallace Community CollegeAndalusia, AL · Public | not reported | $6,092 | 46% | $36,971 |
| Marion Military InstituteMarion, AL · Public | 97% | $10,207 | 30% | $66,543 |
| Miles CollegeFairfield, AL · Private nonprofit | not reported | $16,497 | 19% | $38,127 |
| Oakwood UniversityHuntsville, AL · Private nonprofit | 45% | $26,827 | 47% | $47,707 |
| Samford UniversityBirmingham, AL · Private nonprofit | 82% | $32,950 | 78% | $66,982 |
| South University-MontgomeryMontgomery, AL · Private for-profit | not reported | $23,872 | 12% | $39,314 |
| Spring Hill CollegeMobile, AL · Private nonprofit | 77% | $21,545 | 61% | $58,881 |
| Stillman CollegeTuscaloosa, AL · Private nonprofit | 62% | $14,781 | 32% | $40,800 |
| Strayer University-AlabamaBirmingham, AL · Private for-profit | not reported | not reported | 0% | $44,016 |
| Talladega CollegeTalladega, AL · Private nonprofit | 85% | $13,528 | 44% | $38,238 |
| The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL · Public | 77% | $20,202 | 74% | $66,081 |
| Troy UniversityTroy, AL · Public | 96% | $13,943 | 50% | $49,010 |
| Tuskegee UniversityTuskegee, AL · Private nonprofit | 49% | $40,141 | 55% | $57,833 |
| United States Sports UniversityDaphne, AL · Private nonprofit | 61% | $5,316 | not reported | $56,044 |
| University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL · Public | 88% | $15,630 | 66% | $59,631 |
| University of Alabama in HuntsvilleHuntsville, AL · Public | 69% | $22,758 | 62% | $72,098 |
| University of MobileMobile, AL · Private nonprofit | 78% | $23,931 | 57% | $48,418 |
| University of MontevalloMontevallo, AL · Public | 54% | $18,760 | 56% | $46,010 |
| University of North AlabamaFlorence, AL · Public | 87% | $17,850 | 56% | $50,557 |
| University of South AlabamaMobile, AL · Public | 71% | $16,801 | 55% | $53,069 |
| University of West AlabamaLivingston, AL · Public | 43% | $11,531 | 35% | $47,856 |
"Not reported" means the Department of Education has no figure, often because the college is small, new, or does not take first-time students. Medians are the middle value of the colleges listed here.
The colleges of Alabama in brief
Of the 38 colleges listed for Alabama, 20 are public, 15 are private nonprofit and 3 are private for-profit. By level, 30 mainly award bachelor's degrees, 7 mainly award two-year associate degrees and 1 mainly awards graduate degrees. Together they teach about 171,730 undergraduates, 83% of them at public colleges. The three largest, The University of Alabama, Auburn University and Columbia Southern University, hold 42% of the total, and the middle-sized college has 2,151 undergraduates. The towns with the most colleges are Montgomery (6), Birmingham (6) and Mobile (3).
What college costs in Alabama
At the public colleges, the median published tuition and fees are $10,558 a year for students from Alabama and $20,710 for students from elsewhere. At the private nonprofit colleges the median is $24,112. Published prices are not what most families pay. Counting colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the lowest average net price after grants is at Jefferson State Community College ($5,500) and Lurleen B Wallace Community College ($6,092) and the highest at Tuskegee University ($40,141) and Samford University ($32,950). The median net price across the state, $16,956, is about the same as the national median of $17,357.
Getting in
26 of the 38 colleges report an admission rate. The hardest to get into are University of West Alabama (43% admitted), Oakwood University (45% admitted) and Auburn University (46% admitted). 16 of them admit at least seven applicants in ten. 10 colleges have an open admission policy and report no rate: they do not turn applicants away on grades or test scores.
Finishing and earning
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the highest share of students finishing their course is at Auburn University (82%), Samford University (78%) and The University of Alabama (74%). The median graduation rate of the state's colleges is 45%, against 49% for the country. Ten years after starting, former students with federal aid earn the most at Auburn University ($73,273), University of Alabama in Huntsville ($72,098) and Samford University ($66,982). The state median for that measure is $48,418, 9% below the national $53,132. Students who finish leave with a median federal loan debt of $23,250 (national median $19,994). Earnings follow the subjects a college teaches as much as its quality, so compare like with like.
Questions about colleges in Alabama
How many colleges are there in Alabama?
This site lists 38 open, degree-granting colleges and universities in Alabama, out of 3,161 on the whole site. Schools that mainly give short certificates are not counted.
What is the largest college in Alabama?
The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, with about 33,227 undergraduate students.
Which college in Alabama has the lowest net price?
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, Jefferson State Community College: students with federal aid paid an average of $5,500 a year after grants. Students from other states or countries usually pay more.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.