University of North Alabama
Florence, Alabama · Public · 87.3% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 38/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of North Alabama (UNA) earns an overall ROI score of 38 in the Below Benchmark tier. The numbers reveal a regional public with several strong professional pipelines surrounded by softer aggregate outcomes. In-state tuition is $12,120 and net price is $12,170. Four-year cost is $48,680. Median debt of $22,077 against six-year earnings of $32,100 produces a 0.688 debt-to-earnings ratio that is well above healthy thresholds, and the 18.1-year payback period reflects modest wage growth - ten-year earnings climb only to $45,415. Repayment is the second weak signal: only 69% of borrowers reduce principal at three years, dropping to 57% at five years. The earnings premium is positive at 21.4%, meaningful but not strong. UNA's structural challenge is that the largest single program (research and experimental psychology with 59 graduates) is also one of the worst-performing on debt-to-earnings, while the strongest programs (CS, nursing, MIS) are smaller in scale. Students who match into the top professional pipelines can extract real value; the average graduate sees mediocre returns.
How University of North Alabama 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 Score38/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period18.1 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
University of North Alabama
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $12,120/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,320/yr |
| Average net price | $12,170/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $48,680 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,415 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $32,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $22,077 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $234 |
| Estimated payback period | 18.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 54.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,811 |
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: $12,120/year ($22,320/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 $12,170/year, or roughly $48,680 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 $9,741/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $14,866/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $22,077, which works out to about $234 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($32,100) and comes to 0.69, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than 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 | $9,741 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $10,127 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,665 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $13,903 |
| $110,001+ | $14,866 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,741 per year and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $10,127. Four-year cost lands at $39,000-$41,000 for the lowest brackets. Pell grants help, but the institutional aid bump is modest.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$110,000) pay $11,665 to $13,903 per year. Four-year cost ranges from $47,000 to $56,000. The math works passably for students completing strong professional majors; less so for liberal arts tracks.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households over $110,000 pay $14,866 per year - approximately $59,000 across four years.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of North Alabama with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $74,550 | B |
| Teacher Education | $47,973 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $51,912 | C |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $52,044 | F |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $50,331 | D |
| Accounting | $56,814 | B |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $33,565 | F |
| Marketing | $51,124 | C+ |
| Social Work | $37,853 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $48,913 | 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.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is UNA's largest professional pipeline and one of its strongest ROI plays. With 154 graduates yearly, $61,137 first-year and $74,550 four-year earnings on $25,000 of debt, the program earns a B grade with a 0.409 debt-to-earnings ratio. Career outcomes feed into Huntsville, Birmingham, and Tennessee Valley hospital systems where RN demand is structurally strong. This is the single best high-volume value play on the entire campus.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and information sciences produces 31 graduates yearly with $68,996 first-year and $80,423 four-year earnings - the highest figures on campus. The 0.391 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a B grade.
Teacher Education
Teacher education graduates 136 students yearly with $42,529 first-year and $47,973 four-year earnings on $25,000 of debt. The 0.588 ratio earns a C grade. The earnings figure tracks Alabama public-school teacher salaries closely; the low ceiling on wage growth means PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) is essentially required to make the math work over the long term.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business administration produces 104 graduates yearly with $35,057 first-year and $51,912 four-year earnings on $22,034 of debt. The 0.629 ratio earns a C grade. Career outcomes cluster in regional Alabama corporate operations, automotive supplier roles around Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, and family-business management. The four-year earnings bump is encouraging but the entry-level wages are modest.
Research and Experimental Psychology
Research and experimental psychology has 59 graduates yearly with $20,182 first-year earnings on $21,750 of debt - a 1.078 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. This is the worst-performing program by ROI on the entire UNA campus and the volume is concerning. Four-year earnings recover to only $33,565, suggesting the bachelor's-only outcome is structurally weak. Students entering this track must have a credible graduate-school plan.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 63.3% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 69.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 57.0% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 62.5% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of North Alabama’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 | 87.3% |
| Enrollment | 5,811 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 24.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,167 |
UNA admits 87.3% of applicants. With this admit rate and a 54.9% completion rate, UNA is not selective but does retain a majority of students through to graduation - a notable difference from most schools at its admit-rate level. Prospective students should expect a wide ability range in classes.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Alabama (this school) | 38 | $12,170 | $45,415 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 55 | $18,749 | $54,501 |
| Idaho State University | 38 | $12,193 | $45,608 |
| Northwestern State University of Louisiana | 38 | $13,606 | $47,021 |
| The University of Tennessee-Martin | 37 | $10,701 | $44,213 |
| Alabama A & M University | 10 | $17,621 | $40,628 |
Who Thrives Here
UNA fits Alabama residents from the Shoals region and northern Alabama who want a mid-size (5,811) regional public with affordable in-state tuition. Outcomes are strongest for nursing, computer science, and management information systems graduates - all professional pipelines with regional Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi employer demand. Students drifting through interdisciplinary or general psychology tracks face poor ROI math.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of North Alabama scores 38/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $12,170 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,415 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 18.1 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: a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 69.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $22,077 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $32,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
University of North Alabama: Common Questions
Is University of North Alabama worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of North Alabama scores 38/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $12,170 a year after aid against $45,415 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 18.1 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of North Alabama 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 $12,170 a year, or roughly $48,680 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 University of North Alabama graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,415 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,615 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off University of North Alabama?
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 18.1 years for University of North Alabama. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of North Alabama graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $22,077, against average earnings of $32,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at University of North Alabama?
The six-year graduation rate is 54.9%. 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.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
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.