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Northeast Alabama Community College

#1 Most Affordable Colleges in Alabama
Public Rainsville, AL · Rural · Southeast · 87% data
A+ Value A+ Affordability B Social Mobility
Graduation Rate
53% C-
About half of students who start complete their degree
Earnings (10yr)
$34,913 D+
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$2,756 A+
84% less than the typical college
Enrollment
1,629
Earnings -14% vs avg
Graduation -8% vs avg
Net Price +-84% vs avg
Mobility Top 23%

Bottom line: A B- overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 70.5× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $70.5 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Most Affordable Colleges in Alabama.

70.5× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $70.5 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $766,200.

What The Data Says

  1. A B- overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Social mobility rate of 2.17% — an engine of upward economic mobility.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $70.5 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Northeast Alabama Community College Matters

Northeast Alabama Community College is a public college in Rainsville, AL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.

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

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public College
Carnegie Class
Associate's College
Enrollment
1,629
Setting
Rural
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Health Professions, Mechanic & Repair Tech, Culinary & Personal Services

Why students choose Northeast Alabama Community College

Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

B-
Top 35% overall
D+
Earnings
$34,913 median
A+
Value
12.7× net price
A+
Affordability
$2,756/yr net
C-
Graduation
53% graduate
B
Social Mobility
2.2% climb Q1→Q5
D+
Diversity
0.44 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

Northeast Alabama Community College has a net price of just $2,756, making it one of the most affordable options for students in the region. This low cost allows students to start their education without accumulating significant debt. With a median debt of only $6,100, graduates can enter the workforce with manageable financial burdens.

The earnings potential for graduates ten years after enrollment stands at $34,913. While mobility and economic connectedness data are not available, the college focuses on practical fields like Health Professions and Mechanic & Repair Tech, which typically lead to stable employment opportunities. This suggests that students who pursue these programs may experience a positive return on their educational investment.

Students who thrive here are those seeking a community-oriented environment with a strong emphasis on practical skills and hands-on learning. The college serves a diverse group of individuals, including those looking to enter the workforce quickly and those planning to transfer to four-year institutions. With a graduation rate of 53%, Northeast Alabama Community College supports students in reaching their academic and career goals while maintaining affordability.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Northeast Alabama Community College 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 Northeast Alabama Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Rainsville, Alabama, Northeast Alabama Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 53%.

Retention Rate
70%
Full-Time Faculty
35%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$7,597
Student–Faculty Ratio
17:1
Diversity Index
0.44
First-Gen Students
58%

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 Northeast Alabama Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Northeast Alabama Community College is $8,910, 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 $2,756. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $1,451 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $6,100 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$5,040
Out-of-State
$8,910
Avg Net Price
$2,756
Median Debt
$6,100
Pell Grant Rate
34%
Federal Loan Rate
12%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$1,451
Family Income $30K–$48K
$2,130
Family Income $48K–$75K
$5,212
Family Income $110K+
$5,648

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 Northeast Alabama Community College — 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 Northeast Alabama Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Northeast Alabama Community College report median earnings of $34,913, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$31,750
8 Years
$32,882
10 Years
$34,913
Debt-to-Earnings
0.17x
Earning > $25K
45%

Earnings Trajectory

$31,750 6yr $32,882 8yr $34,913 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (171)
36%
100% (171)
36%
100% (171)
36%
100% (171)
36%

How Northeast Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation53%Earnings 10yr$35KNet Price$3KRetention70%Median Debt$6KPell Grant Rate34%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$1K$0-30K$2K$30-48K$5K$48-75K$6K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%17.7%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%12.3%MOBILITY2.17%

College ROI Calculator

Is Northeast Alabama Community College Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, Northeast Alabama Community College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $2,756/year ($11,024 total). Graduates earn $34,913 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $777,224 in total earnings — a net gain of $766,200 (70.5× your investment). The median debt is $6,100, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 53% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$11,024
Projected 20yr Earnings
$777,224
Net Return
$766,200
ROI Multiple
70.5×
Cost Per Year
$2,756
Median Debt
$6,100
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
53%

Does It Change Lives?

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

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Northeast Alabama Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Northeast Alabama Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.17%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 17.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 12.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $53,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
2.17%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
12.3%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
17.7%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$72,280
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Northeast Alabama Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Northeast Alabama Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.74, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
0.74
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.02
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
4.0%
Support Ratio
1.00
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 Northeast Alabama Community College 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 Northeast Alabama Community College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Rainsville, Alabama, Northeast Alabama Community College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 53%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Northeast Alabama Community College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Northeast Alabama Community College is $8,910, 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 $2,756. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $1,451 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $6,100 in federal student loans.

Is Northeast Alabama Community College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Northeast Alabama Community College report median earnings of $34,913, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Northeast Alabama Community College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Northeast Alabama Community College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 2.17%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 17.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 12.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $53,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Northeast Alabama Community College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs below average at Northeast Alabama Community College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.74, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Northeast Alabama Community College.

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.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys