Alabama A & M University
Normal, Alabama · Public · 58.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 10/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Alabama A&M University, an HBCU public institution in Normal, AL, scores 10 on the ROI index, and institutional-mission caveats apply. Sticker tuition is $10,024 in-state, $18,634 out-of-state, but net price is $17,621 - meaning the all-in cost (with fees and living estimates) substantially exceeds the in-state tuition figure. Average earnings at six years are $28,400, climbing to a median $40,628 at 10 years. The damaging numbers: median debt of $31,000 produces a 1.092 debt-to-earnings ratio, payback period is 37.4 years, and completion rate is 24%. Three-year repayment rate is 42.9%, and earnings premium is just 8%. With enrollment of 6,124 and a 63% Pell rate, AAMU is a meaningful HBCU serving heavily low-income Alabama students. The program data is genuinely strong in engineering - electrical and mechanical engineering both produce $70K+ first-year earnings - which means selecting into STEM dramatically changes a student's individual ROI from the institutional average.
How Alabama A & M University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score10/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.09 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate24.0% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period37.4 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Alabama A & M University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $10,024/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,634/yr |
| Average net price | $17,621/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $70,484 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $40,628 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $28,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $329 |
| Estimated payback period | 37.4 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 24.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 6,124 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $10,024/year ($18,634/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $17,621/year, or roughly $70,484 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $16,500/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,364/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $31,000, which works out to about $329 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($28,400) and comes to 1.09, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $16,500 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,387 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,622 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,680 |
| $110,001+ | $20,364 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Households at $0-$30,000 pay $16,500 net, while $30,001-$48,000 pays $16,387 - nearly flat at the bottom. Both prices are substantial against $28,400 six-year average earnings. The four-year cost approaches a heavy multiple of post-graduation income, manageable only for engineering-track students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
$48,001-$75,000 pays $19,622, $75,001-$110,000 pays $21,680 - a normal progressive aid curve through middle-income bands.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $20,364 - which is below the $75-110K band, an inversion worth flagging. Total 4-year cost about $81,500 against $40,628 ten-year median earnings. The HBCU mission has real value, but conventional ROI math at this debt level is difficult outside the engineering programs.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Alabama A & M University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $44,145 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $58,176 | D |
| Psychology | $42,127 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $48,912 | F |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $88,490 | C+ |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $43,770 | F |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians | $42,272 | F |
| Social Work | $47,121 | C |
| Electrical Engineering | $98,045 | C+ |
| Mechanical Engineering | $87,291 | B |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering has 22 graduates, $72,241 first-year earnings, $98,045 at four years, $35,000 median debt, 0.484 debt-to-earnings, and a C+ ROI grade. The earnings are exceptional - approaching $100K at four years - and the C+ grade is held back primarily by the $35K debt load. Career paths run through aerospace, defense, and tech employers in the Huntsville-Decatur corridor. This is the flagship engineering pathway at AAMU.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering has 20 graduates, $71,954 first-year earnings, $87,291 at four years, $30,500 median debt, 0.424 debt-to-earnings, and a B ROI grade. Career paths cluster around Huntsville aerospace and Alabama manufacturing. The B grade is well-earned and represents AAMU's strongest single-major outcome.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences has 26 graduates, $63,900 first-year earnings, $88,490 at four years, $31,000 median debt, 0.485 debt-to-earnings, and a C+ ROI grade. Strong wage progression (39% over four years) reflects technology-career trajectory. The C+ grade reflects the debt load. Career paths run through Huntsville defense-tech and broader IT employment.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration has 39 graduates, $40,183 first-year earnings, $58,176 at four years, $33,250 median debt, 0.827 debt-to-earnings, and a D ROI grade. Earnings progression is OK but the $33K debt load against modest first-year wages produces the D grade.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice has 32 graduates, $31,682 first-year earnings, $48,912 at four years, $32,500 median debt, 1.026 debt-to-earnings, and an F ROI grade. The F grade is structurally honest: criminal-justice salaries in Alabama don't clear the debt load these students carry.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 33.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 42.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 33.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 38.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Alabama A & M University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 58.0% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 390-510 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 420-530 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 14-19 |
| Enrollment | 6,124 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 63.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,699 |
Admission rate is 58%, with SAT mid-range of 390-510 math, 420-530 reading, and ACT mid-range 14-19. The combination of moderate selectivity and a 24% completion rate is the standard HBCU data pattern - structural underfunding and student-population economic precarity drive completion outcomes that the algorithm penalizes without context.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
AAMU's engineering programs are the bright spot.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A & M University (this school) | 10 | $17,621 | $40,628 |
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | 10 | $12,653 | $35,550 |
| Philander Smith University | 10 | $14,224 | $38,427 |
| Savannah State University | 10 | $8,172 | $37,981 |
| Lincoln University | 10 | $19,092 | $39,463 |
| Texas Southern University | 10 | $16,590 | $38,924 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Alabama A & M University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Fits Alabama-region Black students seeking the HBCU experience and STEM access, particularly engineering-bound students whose individual major choice creates a meaningful ROI delta from the institutional average. Enrollment of 6,124, 63% Pell rate, and rural-northern-Alabama placement frame the student profile. The electrical and mechanical engineering programs are the strongest paths; criminal justice, biology, and audiovisual programs face the worst debt-to-earnings outcomes.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Alabama A & M University scores 10/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $17,621 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $40,628 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 37.4 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 24.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 42.9% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $31,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $28,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Alabama A & M University: Common Questions
Is Alabama A & M University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Alabama A & M University scores 10/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $17,621 a year after aid against $40,628 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 37.4 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Alabama A & M University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $17,621 a year, or roughly $70,484 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Alabama A & M University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $40,628 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Alabama A & M University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 37.4 years for Alabama A & M University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Alabama A & M University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $31,000, against average earnings of $28,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.09. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Alabama A & M University?
The six-year graduation rate is 24.0%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.