Alabama State University
Montgomery, Alabama · Public · 97.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 5/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Alabama State University, an HBCU in Montgomery, posts a 5/100 ROI score, in our Below Benchmark tier. The numbers are difficult: average earnings of $24,400 six years out fall below the high-school baseline (earnings premium of -0.6%), median debt of $31,000 yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.27, and the payback period is 999 years (our flag for 'graduates as a group don't out-earn high-school graduates by enough to ever recoup the cost'). Completion rate of 30.3% is weak, and the three-year repayment rate is 36.6% - the majority of borrowers are not reducing principal three years after entering repayment. Net price of $20,435 against a $11,248 in-state tuition reflects significant residential-campus cost loading, pushing four-year total to $81,740. The 71.3% Pell rate places this firmly as an access institution, and the 3,477-student enrollment makes ASU a meaningful HBCU presence in central Alabama. ASU plays a real cultural role and the marching band/AKA/Greek heritage matters to its community. Net price brackets are essentially flat across all income tiers ($19,031-$21,682) - a structural anomaly that suggests aid distribution is not effectively progressive.
How Alabama State 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 Score5/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.27 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate30.3% - 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 period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Alabama State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $11,248/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,576/yr |
| Average net price | $20,435/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $81,740 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,502 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $24,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $329 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 30.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 3,477 |
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: $11,248/year ($19,576/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 $20,435/year, or roughly $81,740 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 $19,711/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $19,031/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 ($24,400) and comes to 1.27, 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 | $19,711 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,682 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,508 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,608 |
| $110,001+ | $19,031 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $19,711 net - high relative to income and only modestly subsidized. Across four years that's $78,844 against $24,400 graduate earnings, with the high probability (70%) of not finishing within the tracked window.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The brackets here are nearly flat: $30,001 - $48,000 pays $21,682, $48,001 - $75,000 pays $21,508, $75,001 - $110,000 pays $21,608. That non-progressive structure is unusual - middle-income families pay essentially the same as adjacent brackets, with no apparent aid-driven differentiation. Across four years that's $86,000-$87,000, against $24,400 graduate earnings.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $19,031 - actually LESS than the middle-income brackets, an inverted pattern. Full-pay outcomes still fail to justify cost on financial grounds; ASU choices in this bracket are made for HBCU mission and family/cultural connection, not ROI.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Alabama State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $46,370 | F |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $37,576 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $45,173 | D |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | $40,152 | F |
| Accounting | $63,070 | D |
| Social Work | $43,661 | F |
| Communication and Media Studies | $38,566 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $46,126 | F |
| Psychology | $41,766 | F |
| Teacher Education | $51,014 | D |
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.
Accounting
Accounting is one of ASU's defensible programs: 28 graduates with first-year earnings of $39,762 climbing to $63,070 by year four. Median debt of $30,750 yields a 0.77 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). For students who pass the CPA exam, the trajectory improves further.
Biology
Biology graduates 57 students annually - ASU's largest program by graduate count. First-year earnings of $30,174 climb to $46,370 by year four, with $31,000 median debt yielding a 1.03 debt-to-earnings ratio (F grade).
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Interdisciplinary Studies graduates 41 students with first-year earnings of $27,978 climbing to $37,576 by year four. Median debt of $26,000 yields a 0.93 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). This major often catches students who don't complete a more focused track; outcomes are weak by design. Students considering this path should weigh whether ASU's Accounting or Teacher Ed programs offer better long-term value.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 36 students with first-year earnings of $32,898 climbing to $45,173 by year four. Median debt of $32,261 yields a 0.98 debt-to-earnings ratio (D grade). Pipeline into Alabama law enforcement, corrections, and federal agency roles. Among ASU's better non-business program ROIs, but the debt load still pushes the ratio close to 1.0.
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Rehab/Therapeutic Professions graduates 31 students with first-year earnings of $22,847 climbing to $40,152 by year four. Median debt of $33,000 yields a 1.44 debt-to-earnings ratio (F grade) - among the worst in ASU's program data. Students typically need graduate-level credentials (MSW, MS in counseling) for the field to pay; the bachelor's-only path carries a high debt-to-earnings ratio at this debt level.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 24.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 36.6% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 29.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 32.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Alabama State 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 | 97.5% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 350-462 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 399-505 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 15-20 |
| Enrollment | 3,477 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 71.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,153 |
ASU admits 97.6% of applicants - effectively open access. SAT mid-ranges of 350-462 (math) and 399-505 (reading) plus an ACT range of 15-20 indicate a student body arriving with significant academic preparation gaps, primarily from underfunded Alabama high schools. The combination of open admission and weak academic preparation correlates directly with the 30.3% completion rate. Students arriving college-ready can succeed here, but the population-level math reflects the structural challenges of educating an under-resourced population.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama State University (this school) | 5 | $20,435 | $34,502 |
| Bennett College | 6 | $28,299 | $36,654 |
| Mississippi Valley State University | 5 | $9,686 | $31,919 |
| Harris-Stowe State University | 5 | $9,922 | $31,088 |
| Langston University | 5 | $11,504 | $33,261 |
| Wiley University | 5 | $7,092 | $33,159 |
Who Thrives Here
ASU fits Alabama-resident students drawn to its HBCU mission, marching band tradition, and Montgomery cultural setting. With 3,477 students and a 71.3% Pell rate, the campus is small, working-poor-majority, and access-oriented. Students who succeed here typically arrive with strong family support, a clear major focus (most strongly accounting and teacher education), and a disciplined plan to minimize borrowing. Median debt is $31,000 against $24,400 early earnings, and the completion rate is 30.3%, so many borrowers leave without a credential.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Alabama State University scores 5/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,435 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,502 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 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 30.3% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.27 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 36.6% (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 $24,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.27. 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 State University: Common Questions
Is Alabama State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Alabama State University scores 5/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,435 a year after aid against $34,502 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Alabama State 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 $20,435 a year, or roughly $81,740 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 State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,502 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 State 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 more than 50 years for Alabama State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Alabama State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $31,000, against average earnings of $24,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.27. 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 State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 30.3%. 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.