Higher Education Outcome Report · South

💰 Low-Cost / High Value

Alabama Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 37 degree-granting institutions graded

Alabama's higher education system is a lower earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $44,903, -13% vs the national median.

aerospace & defense
automotive manufacturing
healthcare

74
INSTITUTIONS: $44,903
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▼ -13% vs natl; $17,667
AVG NET PRICE: 38 / 19
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

C+

36/100 · #43 of 50

Alabama At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

37

159,345 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~22,914

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
18th pct

$43,457

41st of 50 states
Mobility Score
72nd pct

1.9%

13th of 46 states
Talent Retention
16th pct

68%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
24th pct

2.5x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Business
Healthcare
Social Sciences

Executive Summary

Alabama graduates earn a median of $43,457 a decade after entry, 11% below the national state average, ranking 41st of 50 states.
Upward mobility is a defining strength: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 1.9% rate, in the 72nd percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Business and Healthcare, which together account for 42% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Engineering is the standout sector: graduates earn $54,353, +5.4% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Humanities shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 19.1% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, Alabama returns 2.5x earnings per dollar of net price, below average cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

-8.6%

Median graduate earnings in Alabama are below the national average by 9%.
Cost vs National

-16.2%

Net price in Alabama is lower than the national average by 16%.
Mobility Rate

+0.24pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.2 percentage points above the national average.
Completion Rate

-12.4pp

Alabama's graduation rate is 12.4 percentage points below the national average.
Best Value

26.8x

Top value school: George C Wallace Community College-Dothan ($31,399 earnings vs $1,170 net price).
Low-Income Access

16.1%

16% of students come from bottom-quintile households, a measure of how open the state's colleges are to low-income students.

Education Output Profile

Business (26% of graduates) and Healthcare (16% of graduates) dominate Alabama's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $45,159.

Business

26%

$45,159 avg
Healthcare

16%

$42,521 avg
Social Sciences

10%

$45,722 avg
Sciences

9%

$46,567 avg
Engineering

8%

$55,657 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 13

Outcome Performance

Alabama's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Culinary & Personal Services), where graduates average $34,909 against a net cost of $6,051, a 5.8x return. That's -32.3% vs the national median. At the other end, Engineering produces $51,687 at a 2.3x return, less than half what the top cluster delivers.

Culinary & Personal Services
5.8x

$34,909 earnings $6,051 net -32.3% vs natl
Precision Production
4.9x

$35,527 earnings $7,225 net -31.1% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
4.4x

$37,703 earnings $8,590 net -26.9% vs natl
Humanities
2.7x

$46,261 earnings $17,423 net -10.3% vs natl
Criminal Justice
2.6x

$41,154 earnings $15,797 net -20.2% vs natl
Construction Trades
2.6x

$37,883 earnings $14,693 net -26.5% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on Alabama's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Business & Marketing 26%
Health Professions 16%
Engineering 8%
Biology & Biomedical 8%
Psychology 6%

Highest-Earning Fields

Engineering $55,657
Social Sciences $48,218
Communications $47,949
Education $46,973
Humanities $46,351

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun Alabama's graduate supply.

Social Sciences $48,218 5% of grads
Communications $47,949 5% of grads
Education $46,973 6% of grads
Humanities $46,351 5% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

Alabama's colleges post an average mobility rate of 1.9%, which puts the state in the 72nd percentile nationally. 13% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households, a larger share than most states enroll. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.15, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

1.9%

▲ +0.24pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

13%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

18%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

37%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

68%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.15

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Alabama's Engineering programs produce graduates earning $54,353, +5.4% relative to the national median. Humanities graduates, however, earn 19.1% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Business
26% of enrollment

$45,299 -12.2% vs natl

28 schools
Healthcare
16% of enrollment

$45,775 -11.2% vs natl

26 schools
Social Sciences
10% of enrollment

$43,741 -15.2% vs natl

16 schools
Sciences
9% of enrollment

$47,125 -8.6% vs natl

13 schools
Engineering
8% of enrollment

$54,353 +5.4% vs natl

7 schools
Humanities
6% of enrollment

$41,727 -19.1% vs natl

13 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Engineering: +5.4% vs national earnings ($54,353)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Humanities: -19.1% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Social Sciences: -15.2% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Business: -12.2% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

Alabama's higher education system includes 4 research-oriented, 5 specialized, 9 access-oriented, 19 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

4

Research Universities
19

Regional Universities
9

Access-Oriented Institutions
5

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

33% of Alabama's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $41,389 at 10 years.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

11

33% of schools
Avg earnings: $41,389
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

18

55% of schools
Avg earnings: $46,719
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

4

12% of schools
Avg earnings: $46,255

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in Alabama

Alabama is home to 74 colleges and universities, from 38 public institutions to 19 private nonprofits. The University of Alabama anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $40,055 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Montgomery, Mobile and Birmingham, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in Alabama

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $15,148 a year across Alabama. Southern Union State Community College stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

Alabama's economy leans on aerospace & defense, automotive manufacturing and healthcare, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the Alabama level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in Alabama earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$40,055

▼ $-3,782 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$15,148

▲ $-2,928 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.6x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

HBCUs in Alabama

Is Alabama Right for You?

Alabama is a strong fit if you want to build a career in aerospace & defense and automotive manufacturing, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

Auburn University · AL Columbia Southern University · AL University of Alabama in Huntsville · AL Marion Military Institute · AL The University of Alabama · AL Samford University · AL

FAQ

How many colleges are in Alabama?

There are 74 colleges and universities in Alabama in our dataset — 38 public, 19 private nonprofit, including 14 HBCUs.

What is the highest-earning college in Alabama?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Auburn University leads, followed by schools like Columbia Southern University and University of Alabama in Huntsville.

How much does college cost in Alabama?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $15,148 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in Alabama?

Alabama's economy is anchored by aerospace & defense, automotive manufacturing and healthcare, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in Alabama?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. Southern Union State Community College, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 74 schools in Alabama

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

74 institutions in Alabama

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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