University of South Alabama
Mobile, Alabama · Public · 71.0% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 37/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of South Alabama earns an ROI score of 37 out of 100, placing it in the Below Benchmark tier despite its public-university cost structure. In-state tuition runs $10,116 with a net price of $17,648 (total four-year cost roughly $70,592). The score reflects three real drag factors: a 52.7% completion rate (only about half of entering students finish). Average earnings six years after entry are just $35,100, climbing to a median $49,379 at ten years. The earnings premium over a high-school baseline is modest at 0.20, and the repayment-rate sub-score of 23 is the weakest signal - only about 63% of borrowers are reducing principal. The bright spot is the program mix: USA's engineering and nursing pipelines pull strong B+/B grades and respectable starting salaries, but the long tail of education, social-science, and humanities programs carry sub-$35,000 first-year earnings and debt-to-earnings ratios above 0.85. Aggregate outcomes mask sharp internal variance.
How University of South 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 Score37/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
University of South Alabama
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $10,116/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,092/yr |
| Average net price | $17,648/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $70,592 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $49,379 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $35,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,929 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $264 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 52.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 8,879 |
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: $10,116/year ($19,092/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 $17,648/year, or roughly $70,592 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 $12,657/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $25,322/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $24,929, which works out to about $264 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($35,100) and comes to 0.71, 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 | $12,657 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,265 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,277 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $23,252 |
| $110,001+ | $25,322 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay a net price of $12,657. Over four years that's roughly $50,628 of out-of-pocket and borrowing exposure. The math works only if the student lands in engineering, nursing, or allied health; for low-earning majors, this price point against $35,100 average earnings creates real repayment risk.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $16,277 net annually, and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket jumps to $23,252 - a steep $7,000 cliff at the upper-middle threshold. Four-year exposure of $65,000-$93,000 against $35,100 average 6-year earnings looks tight. Middle-income families should pressure-test major choice and run the federal net-price calculator.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $25,322 net per year - effectively full sticker, since institutional aid evaporates. Four-year cost approaches $101,000, more than the out-of-state tuition list price.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at University of South Alabama with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $78,024 | B |
| Biology | $54,090 | F |
| Psychology | $43,384 | F |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | $47,019 | D |
| Teacher Education | $48,956 | C |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | $43,023 | D |
| Allied Health Diagnostic and Treatment | $69,490 | C+ |
| Mechanical Engineering | $89,052 | B |
| Computer Science | $80,317 | C+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $48,021 | C |
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 USA's volume program at 347 graduates per cohort, with $69,447 first-year earnings climbing to $78,024 by year four. Median debt of $26,000 against those earnings produces a 0.374 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B grade. For prospective students focused purely on ROI, this is the strongest pathway.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering posts the highest first-year earnings on campus at $81,499, rising to $100,166 by year four. With $25,146 median debt and a 0.309 debt-to-earnings ratio, the program earns a B+ - the top ROI grade on file. Cohort size is small (29 graduates), but for capable STEM students this is one of the rare USA tracks where outcomes resemble flagship engineering programs. The Mobile-area aerospace, shipbuilding, and energy employer base supports placement.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering grads earn $67,175 in year one and $89,052 by year four, with $26,500 median debt and a 0.394 debt-to-earnings ratio for a B grade. Fifty graduates per cohort makes this a meaningful program rather than a boutique option. Like electrical, ME benefits from regional manufacturing and shipbuilding demand around Mobile Bay.
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering posts $71,116 first-year earnings and $93,943 at year four with $24,500 in median debt - a 0.345 ratio earning a B+ grade. With 36 graduates, the program supplies the regional petrochemical, paper, and energy industries along the Gulf Coast. ROI math is among the strongest at USA. Debt is the lowest of the engineering disciplines on file, which improves the payback profile further.
Psychology
Psychology produces 100 graduates per cohort with $23,700 first-year earnings and $25,949 in median debt - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.095 and an F grade. This is a structural ROI failure: bachelor's-only psychology nationwide carries weak earnings, and USA's outcomes confirm the pattern. Students drawn to the field should plan for graduate school (where licensure and earnings are unlocked) or pivot to applied tracks like industrial-organizational psychology or counseling at the master's level.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 58.1% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 63.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 50.8% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 56.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of South 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 | 71.0% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 470-580 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 500-610 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 20-26 |
| Enrollment | 8,879 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 38.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,761 |
Admission rate is 70.96%, making USA broadly accessible rather than selective. Mid-range SAT bands sit at 470-580 Math and 500-610 Reading; ACT composite spans 20-26.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Alabama (this school) | 37 | $17,648 | $49,379 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 55 | $18,749 | $54,501 |
| Idaho State University | 38 | $12,193 | $45,608 |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 38 | $18,309 | $48,351 |
| Coastal Carolina University | 36 | $13,966 | $47,258 |
| Alabama A & M University | 10 | $17,621 | $40,628 |
Who Thrives Here
USA fits in-state Alabama and Gulf Coast students who target nursing, engineering, or allied-health programs and can realistically complete in six years. Pell grant rate is 37.96% - a meaningfully working-class enrollment of 8,879 undergraduates. Students who land in the strong programs (engineering, nursing) see ROI outcomes that look nothing like the school average. Students drifting into psychology, biology, fine arts, or general studies face debt-to-earnings ratios above 1.0 and should think hard about major choice before committing.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of South Alabama scores 37/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $17,648 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $49,379 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 14.6 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, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 63.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $24,929 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $35,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. 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 South Alabama: Common Questions
Is University of South Alabama worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of South Alabama scores 37/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $17,648 a year after aid against $49,379 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 14.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of South 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 $17,648 a year, or roughly $70,592 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 South Alabama graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $49,379 ten years after enrolling, roughly $7,579 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 South 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 14.6 years for University of South Alabama. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of South Alabama graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $24,929, against average earnings of $35,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71. 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 South Alabama?
The six-year graduation rate is 52.7%. 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.