This page compares the best colleges in Alabama with tuition, admission, and more academic facts (Ranking data from College Evaluator). For the academic year 2021-2022, Samford University rank first in the best Alabama college ranking and Auburn University is placed in second.
Admission Comparison Between Best Colleges in Alabama
8 public and 2 private schools rank in the best Alabama colleges. The schools' average acceptance rate is 76.70% where Birmingham-Southern College has the tightest (lowest) acceptance rate of 60% and Troy University has the highest rate of 92%. Total 144,418 students are attending one of the best Alabama schools where The University of Alabama has the largest population with 37,840 students and Birmingham-Southern College has the smallest number of students (1,129 students). The average graduation rate is 61.70% and the average students to faculty ratio is 16.70:1 at those colleges.
| Rank | Name | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Graduation Rate | Population | Student-Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samford University Birmingham, AL | 84% | 1,150 | 77% | 5,729 | 12:1 (8.33 %) |
| 2 | Auburn University Auburn, AL | 85% | 1,240 | 79% | 30,737 | 19:1 (5.26 %) |
| 3 | The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL | 80% | 1,200 | 72% | 37,840 | 22:1 (4.55 %) |
| 4 | University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL | 81% | 1,209 | 61% | 22,563 | 19:1 (5.26 %) |
| 5 | University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL | 77% | 1,300 | 57% | 9,999 | 17:1 (5.88 %) |
| 6 | Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL | 64% | 955 | 46% | 9,238 | 18:1 (5.56 %) |
| 7 | University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL | 61% | 1,103 | 54% | 2,600 | 13:1 (7.69 %) |
| 8 | Troy University Troy, AL | 92% | 1,020 | 50% | 16,497 | 16:1 (6.25 %) |
| 9 | Birmingham-Southern College Birmingham, AL | 60% | 1,105 | 71% | 1,129 | 12:1 (8.33 %) |
| 10 | University of North Alabama Florence, AL | 83% | 1,098 | 50% | 8,086 | 19:1 (5.26 %) |
| Average | 76.70% | 1,138 | 61.70% | 144,418 (Total) | 16.70:1 (5.99 %) |
Best Alabama Colleges 2022 Tuition Comparison and 2023 Estimated Costs
The following table lists 2021-2022 tuition & fees and compares them between the best Alabama colleges. The 2021-2022 costs are officially published by IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education. The estimated costs for the academic year 2022-2023 are calculated and estimated based on each school's rate of tuition change from 2021 to 2022.
For the undergraduate programs, the average tuition & fees of the best Alabama colleges is $24,923 where Samford University has the most expensive costs at $35,360 and Troy University has the lowest amount of tuition at $18,624. The average graduate tuition & fees of the best Alabama colleges is $22,985 where Auburn University has the highest tuition with $31,986 and University of North Alabama has the lowest amount of graduate school tuition with $13,860.
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | Samford University | $35,360 | $36,561 | ||
| 2 | Auburn University | $11,826 | $31,986 | $11,856 | $32,016 |
| 3 | The University of Alabama | $11,620 | $31,090 | $11,620 | $31,090 |
| 4 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | $8,568 | $20,400 | $8,568 | $20,400 |
| 5 | University of Alabama in Huntsville | $11,488 | $23,884 | $11,640 | $24,035 |
| 6 | Jacksonville State University | $11,120 | $20,840 | $11,120 | $20,840 |
| 7 | University of Montevallo | $13,710 | $26,730 | $13,710 | $26,730 |
| 8 | Troy University | $9,312 | $18,624 | $9,734 | $20,760 |
| 9 | Birmingham-Southern College | $20,100 | $21,376 | ||
| 10 | University of North Alabama | $10,620 | $20,220 | $10,620 | $20,220 |
| Average | $11,033 | $24,923 | $11,109 | $25,403 | |
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | Samford University | $21,575 | $21,929 | ||
| 2 | Auburn University | $11,826 | $31,986 | $11,826 | $11,856 |
| 3 | The University of Alabama | $11,470 | $30,940 | $11,470 | $11,470 |
| 4 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | $8,100 | $19,188 | $8,100 | $8,100 |
| 5 | University of Alabama in Huntsville | $11,686 | $25,484 | $11,686 | $11,785 |
| 6 | Jacksonville State University | $10,600 | $20,200 | $10,600 | $10,600 |
| 7 | University of Montevallo | $11,916 | $26,532 | $11,916 | $11,916 |
| 8 | Troy University | $8,550 | $17,100 | $8,550 | $8,594 |
| 9 | Birmingham-Southern College | - | - | ||
| 10 | University of North Alabama | $7,140 | $13,860 | $7,140 | $7,081 |
| Average | $10,161 | $22,985 | $10,175 | $23,150 | |
