Public · University

The University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama · Midsize city

#4 for grad earnings in Alabama#4 graduation rate in Alabama
76.6%
Admit rate
$22,420
Avg net price
73%
Graduation rate
$59,221
Median earnings

The University of Alabama is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (midsize city setting), enrolling 33,227 undergraduates.

PublicLarge · 33,227 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 77% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · Southeastern Conference

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against The University of Alabama's admitted students.

Admit rate
76.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
1170–1400
Avg GPA
3.86

Enter a test score to see where you land against The University of Alabama's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and The University of Alabama's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Tuscaloosa is a city in and the county seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Reportedly the name Tuscaloosa is a compound Choctaw Indian word; "tusko" meaning "warrior" and "loosa" meaning "black". The Black Warrior River flows through the north portion of the city. The Tuscaloosa Public Library is a joint city-county agency with nearly 200,000 items and approximately 47,000 registered patrons (28% of the county's population). (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
173 miles
Nearest airport
52 miles to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth (BHM) · major hub

How The University of Alabama compares

Selectivity76.6%

More selective than 51% · #14 most selective of 24 in Alabama

SAT average1285

Higher than 77%

Graduation rate73%

Higher than 83% · #4 of 29 in Alabama

First-year retention89%

Higher than 85%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$59,221

Higher than 66% · #4 of 30 in Alabama

Average net price$22,420

Cheaper than 38% · #20 cheapest of 27 in Alabama

Median debt at graduation$22,750

Lower than 55%

Student–faculty ratio19 : 1

Lower than 14%

Undergraduate enrollment33,227

Larger than 98%

Percentiles compare The University of Alabama with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Alabama.

The University of Alabama campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

39,684students
  • Undergraduate33,22784%
  • Graduate6,45716%

Undergraduates by gender

33,227undergrads
  • Women20,44562%
  • Men12,78238%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White71%
  • Black11%
  • Hispanic7.5%
  • Asian1.5%
  • Other or multiracial8.5%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
33,227
Graduate enrollment
6,457
Student–faculty ratio
19 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
23%
Students over 25
6%
Median family income
$66,734
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$102,771
Endowment
$1,565,891,763

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 8,279 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Alabama36%
  • Other U.S. states64%
  • International0.6%

A national draw — only 36% of first-years come from Alabama; 64% arrive from other states.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
76.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1170–1400
SAT average
1285
SAT reading
590–690
SAT math
580–710
ACT composite
24–31
Average GPA
3.86

Cost

In-state tuition
$12,180
Out-of-state tuition
$34,172
Room & board
$15,016
Books & supplies
$700
Total cost of attendance
$33,382
Average net price
$22,420

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
73%
Graduated on time (4 years)
57%
First-year retention
89%
Transferred to another college
17%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$52,233
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$59,221
Median debt at graduation
$22,750
Students with federal loans
32%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
55%

About 17% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
57%
Low-income (Pell)
51%
First-generation
52%

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
Yes
Dorm capacity
9,294
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
28%
Housing charge (year)
$6,250
Meal plan (year)
$4,616
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
Southeastern Conference
Varsity athletes
828 (404 men · 424 women)

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%.

Varsity sports (12)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)271
Football132
Rowing115
Swimming and Diving (combined)76
Basketball50
Baseball49
Soccer39
Volleyball22
Softball21
Gymnastics19
Golf18
Tennis16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
143
Property offenses (2022–2024)
99

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (40,846 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.

81reported offenses a year
48 violent a year33 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
25
Burglary
24
Aggravated assault
11
Fondling
8.3
Motor vehicle theft
8.0
Robbery
3.7
Arson
0.7

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.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$19,169
$30–48k
$19,884
$48–75k
$22,258
$75–110k
$25,658
$110k+
$26,729

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$96,672

$22,258/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

66%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$16,096
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 66% — get grant money from The University of Alabama itself, averaging $16,096, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 7,981 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$59,221
Typical debt at graduation
$22,750
Debt vs. one year's pay
38%
Out-earn a HS grad
68%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$53,838
Men
$68,461

Men out-earn women by $14,623 (27%) 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
92°F
Winter low
35°F
Annual rain
57.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Northport 2 S, AL US station (2.6 mi from campus).

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 The University of Alabama

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare The University of Alabama side by side →

Colleges near The University of Alabama

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.