Public · University
Athens State University
Athens, Alabama · Fringe town
- —
- Admit rate
- —
- Avg net price
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- Graduation rate
- $50,273
- Median earnings
Athens State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Athens, Alabama (fringe town setting), enrolling 2,446 undergraduates.
About Athens, Alabama
Athens is a city in and the county seat of Limestone County, in the U.S. state of Alabama; it is included in the Huntsville–Decatur–Albertville combined statistical area. Founded in 1818 by John Coffee, Robert Beaty, John D. Carroll, and John Read, Athens is one of the oldest incorporated cities in the state, having been incorporated one year prior to the state's admittance to the Union in 1819. Athens was the primary filming location of Brittany Howard's "Stay High" music video. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe town
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 22 miles to Huntsville, AL
- To the ocean
- 288 miles
- Nearest airport
- 16 miles to Huntsville (HSV)
How Athens State University compares
Higher than 39% · #9 of 30 in Alabama
Lower than 84%
Lower than 42%
Larger than 63%
Percentiles compare Athens State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Alabama.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate2,44684%
- Graduate45116%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,72571%
- Men72129%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White74%
- Black14%
- Hispanic5.8%
- Asian0.8%
- Other or multiracial6.0%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 2,446
- Graduate enrollment
- 451
- Student–faculty ratio
- 14 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 43%
- First-generation students
- 48%
- Students over 25
- 56%
- Median family income
- $29,646
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $86,994
- Endowment
- $7,026,759
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- —
- First-year retention
- —
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $46,266
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $50,273
- Median debt at graduation
- $18,051
- Students with federal loans
- 41%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 43%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $30
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,986 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $50,273
- Typical debt at graduation
- $18,051
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 36%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 61%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $14,609 (32%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 90°F
- Winter low
- 34°F
- Annual rain
- 59.1″
- Annual snow
- 1.3″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Athens, AL US station (2.3 mi from campus).
What Athens State University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Athens State University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Athens State University side by side →
Indiana University-Kokomo
Kokomo, Indiana · Small city · 48 mi to Indianapolis
- Students
- 2,352
- Admission
- 86%
- Net price
- $4k
- SAT
- 1065
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $50k
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, West Virginia · Fringe rural · 55 mi to Washington
- Students
- 2,344
- Admission
- 97%
- Net price
- $11k
- SAT
- 1034
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $49k
Eastern Oregon University
La Grande, Oregon · Remote town · 150 mi to Boise
- Students
- 2,172
- Admission
- 98%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $50k
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, Minnesota · Remote town · 79 mi to Sioux Falls
- Students
- 2,315
- Admission
- 62%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1050
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $51k
Southern Oregon University
Ashland, Oregon · Midsize suburb · 131 mi to Eugene
- Students
- 2,751
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $49k
Georgia Southwestern State University
Americus, Georgia · Distant town · 53 mi to Columbus
- Students
- 2,424
- Admission
- 75%
- Net price
- $12k
- SAT
- 978
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $49k
Colleges near Athens State University
John C Calhoun State Community College
Tanner, AL · Public · Certificate · 7,070 students
Ross Medical Education Center-Huntsville
Huntsville, AL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 132 students
Oakwood University
Huntsville, AL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,153 students
The Salon Professional Academy-Huntsville
Huntsville, AL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 53 students
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, AL · Public · Bachelor's · 6,591 students
Huntsville Bible College
Huntsville, AL · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 64 students
J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College
Huntsville, AL · Public · Certificate · 755 students
Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL · Public · Bachelor's · 6,124 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.














