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University of Alaska Anchorage

Public Anchorage, AK · Urban · Far West · 87% data
A- Diversity B Earnings B- Value
Graduation Rate
29% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$51,871 B
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$15,301 C+
Close to the national average
Enrollment
7,212
Earnings +27% vs avg
Graduation -49% vs avg
Net Price +-11% vs avg

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 21.9× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $21.9 over 20 years.

21.9× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $21.9 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,279,118.

What The Data Says

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

  2. Earnings 27% above the national college median.

  3. Graduation of 29% — 49% below the national average.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $21.9 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why University of Alaska Anchorage Matters

University of Alaska Anchorage is a public university in Anchorage, AK and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

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

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public University
Carnegie Class
Master's University
Enrollment
7,212
Setting
Urban
Primary Strengths
Health Professions, Humanities, Business & Marketing, Mechanic & Repair Tech

Why students choose University of Alaska Anchorage

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Strength in Health Professions
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

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

C+
Top 41% overall
B
Earnings
$51,871 median
B-
Value
3.4× net price
C+
Affordability
$15,301/yr net
F
Graduation
29% graduate
A-
Diversity
0.72 index

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

How we grade →

Overview

The University of Alaska Anchorage has a graduation rate of just 29%, highlighting the challenges students may face in completing their degrees. This figure is a crucial consideration for prospective students assessing their chances of finishing their education and entering the workforce.

According to Chetty/Opportunity Insights data, specific insights about economic mobility and outcomes are not available for UAA. However, students can expect that the university's offerings in fields like Health Professions and Business & Marketing can lead to solid career prospects. Graduates earn a median income of $51,871 ten years after enrollment, which suggests potential for financial stability after completing their studies.

The net price for attending UAA stands at $15,301, with a median debt of $20,210 for graduates. Students looking for a supportive environment may thrive in UAA's diverse programs. Those who excel here often have a clear vision for their career paths and are prepared to tackle the challenges of college life head-on.

Can I Get In?

How selective University of Alaska Anchorage 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 University of Alaska Anchorage? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Anchorage, Alaska, University of Alaska Anchorage enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 29%.

Retention Rate
71%
Full-Time Faculty
53%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$10,110
Student–Faculty Ratio
11:1
Diversity Index
0.72
First-Gen Students
39%
Applicants
4,005
Admitted
2,616

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 University of Alaska Anchorage? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of Alaska Anchorage is $21,322, 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 $15,301. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $11,582 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $20,210 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$7,738
Out-of-State
$21,322
Avg Net Price
$15,301
Median Debt
$20,210
Pell Grant Rate
18%
Federal Loan Rate
14%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$11,582
Family Income $30K–$48K
$13,401
Family Income $48K–$75K
$16,662
Family Income $110K+
$20,975

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 University of Alaska Anchorage — 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 University of Alaska Anchorage Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of Alaska Anchorage earn a median of $51,871, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$42,313
8 Years
$45,334
10 Years
$51,871
Debt-to-Earnings
0.39x
Earning > $25K
68%

Earnings Trajectory

$42,313 6yr $45,334 8yr $51,871 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (127)
13%
100% (127)
13%
100% (127)
13%
100% (127)
13%

How University Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation29%Earnings 10yr$52KNet Price$15KRetention71%Median Debt$20KPell Grant Rate18%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$12K$0-30K$13K$30-48K$17K$48-75K$21K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is University of Alaska Anchorage Worth It?

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

Yes — for most students, University of Alaska Anchorage delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $15,301/year ($61,204 total). Graduates earn $51,871 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,340,322 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,279,118 (21.9× your investment). The median debt is $20,210, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 29% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$61,204
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,340,322
Net Return
$1,279,118
ROI Multiple
21.9×
Cost Per Year
$15,301
Median Debt
$20,210
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
29%

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 University of Alaska Anchorage? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Alaska Anchorage. Its economic connectedness score is 1.60, 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 10% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.60
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
10.1%
Support Ratio
0.97
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).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income
$595,463

Top Programs

The fields University of Alaska Anchorage 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 University of Alaska Anchorage? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a public institution in Anchorage, Alaska, University of Alaska Anchorage enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 29%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of Alaska Anchorage? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of Alaska Anchorage is $21,322, 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 $15,301. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $11,582 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $20,210 in federal student loans.

Is University of Alaska Anchorage Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of Alaska Anchorage earn a median of $51,871, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

How Connected Is University of Alaska Anchorage? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Alaska Anchorage. Its economic connectedness score is 1.60, 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 10% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to University of Alaska Anchorage.

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