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CollegeRanker
Public Normal, AL · Urban · Southeast · 100% data
B Selectivity C Earnings C Affordability
Graduation Rate
26% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$40,628 C
Roughly in line with national averages
Net Price
$17,621 C
Close to the national average
Acceptance Rate
58% B
Selective, but achievable with strong credentials
Earnings +0% vs avg
Graduation -54% vs avg
Net Price 3% vs avg

Bottom line: A C- overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 20.0× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $20.0 over 20 years. Ranked #10 in Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Alabama.

20.0× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $20.0 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,336,618.

What The Data Says

  1. A C- overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Graduation of 26% — 54% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $20.0 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

About Alabama A & M University

Alabama A & M University is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public University
Carnegie Class
Master's University
Enrollment
6,124
Setting
Urban
Designations
HBCU
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Engineering, Biology & Biomedical, Humanities

Why students choose Alabama A & M University

Strong STEM core
A heavy concentration in technical fields
HBCU community
A historically Black college with a strong leadership pipeline
Strength in Business & Marketing
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C-
Top 60% overall
C
Earnings
$40,628 median
C-
Value
2.3× net price
C
Affordability
$17,621/yr net
F
Graduation
26% graduate
B
Selectivity
58% admit rate
F
Diversity
0.19 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Alabama A & M University serves 6,124 students and has a 58% acceptance rate. This means that more than half of applicants gain admission, making it accessible for many. However, the graduation rate stands at just 26%, which is a critical factor for prospective students to consider.

Data from Opportunity Insights highlights the importance of economic mobility. While specific mobility rates are not available, the school's focus on programs like Business, Biology, and Engineering can lead to better employment opportunities. Graduates earn an average of $40,628 within ten years, indicating a potential for steady income post-graduation, especially for those who complete their degrees.

The cost to attend Alabama A & M University is approximately $17,621 per year, with median debt at $31,000. About 63% of students receive Pell Grants, which can help offset costs for low-income families. Students who thrive here are likely those who are determined and engaged in their fields of study, particularly in popular areas like Criminal Justice and Humanities.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Alabama A & M University is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Alabama A & M University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Alabama A & M University, located in Normal, Alabama, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 58% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 938. The graduation rate is roughly 26%.

Acceptance Rate
58%
Retention Rate
70%
SAT Average
938
ACT Midpoint
18
SAT Range
810–1040
ACT Range
14–19
Full-Time Faculty
64%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$8,699
Student–Faculty Ratio
19:1
Diversity Index
0.19
First-Gen Students
37%
Applicants
8,907
Admitted
6,092

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Alabama A & M University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Alabama A & M University is $18,634, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $17,621. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $16,500 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $31,000 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$10,024
Out-of-State
$18,634
Avg Net Price
$17,621
Median Debt
$31,000
Pell Grant Rate
63%
Federal Loan Rate
75%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$16,500
Family Income $30K–$48K
$16,387
Family Income $48K–$75K
$19,622
Family Income $110K+
$20,364

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Alabama A & M University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Alabama A & M University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Alabama A & M University report median earnings of $40,628, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$27,851
8 Years
$31,992
10 Years
$40,628
Debt-to-Earnings
0.76x
Earning > $25K
45%

Earnings Trajectory

$27,851 6yr $31,992 8yr $40,628 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (105)
11%
100% (105)
11%
100% (105)
11%
100% (105)
11%

How Alabama Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation26%Earnings 10yr$41KNet Price$18KRetention70%Median Debt$31KPell Grant Rate63%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$17K$0-30K$16K$30-48K$20K$48-75K$20K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is Alabama A & M University Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Alabama A & M University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $17,621/year ($70,484 total). Graduates earn $40,628 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,407,102 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,336,618 (20.0× your investment). The median debt is $31,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 26% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$70,484
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,407,102
Net Return
$1,336,618
ROI Multiple
20.0×
Cost Per Year
$17,621
Median Debt
$31,000
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
26%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Alabama A & M University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Alabama A & M University. Its economic connectedness score is 0.86, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
0.86
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.3%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Top Programs

The fields Alabama A & M University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Alabama A & M University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Alabama A & M University, located in Normal, Alabama, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 58% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 938. The graduation rate is roughly 26%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Alabama A & M University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Alabama A & M University is $18,634, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $17,621. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $16,500 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $31,000 in federal student loans.

Is Alabama A & M University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Alabama A & M University report median earnings of $40,628, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

How Connected Is Alabama A & M University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Alabama A & M University. Its economic connectedness score is 0.86, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 3% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

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