Alabama Colleges come in more shapes than the rankings sites let on: 35 degree-granting colleges, of which 8 are open admission (no one is turned away) and 24 more do not require test scores. The lowest real net price in the state is Lurleen B Wallace Community College at about $2,792 a year – net price, not the sticker. Every number on this page is federal College Scorecard data – not marketing, not a paid ranking.
Alabama Colleges at a Glance
- Degree-granting colleges: 35 (of 73 Scorecard institutions incl. trade schools)
- Open admission (everyone gets in): 8
- Test scores not required: 24 more
- Public community colleges: 24
- Four-year colleges: 28
On this page
What Paying for Alabama Colleges Actually Looks Like
If you are starting to look at alabama colleges, the first useful thing to know is how many there are. Alabama has 73 operating colleges, which is a bigger number than most families expect. That total includes four-year universities, two-year schools, and smaller specialized programs, so the range is wide. You do not need to consider all of them. You mostly need to figure out which handful actually fit the student in your house.
One thing that surprises a lot of families is how open the door is at many alabama colleges. Eight of the schools in the state are open-admission, meaning they do not reject applicants who meet the basic requirements. Twenty-four do not require test scores at all. If your student has had a rough semester somewhere along the way, or test day has never gone well, those numbers are worth sitting with. There are real paths here that do not depend on a perfect transcript.
The community college system is a large part of the picture. Alabama has 24 public community colleges, and for many families that is where the math starts making sense. The lowest average net price in the state belongs to Lurleen B Wallace Community College, at roughly $2,792 per year. Net price means what families typically pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted, not the sticker price on the website. It varies household by household, so treat that figure as a starting point for a conversation, not a quote.
On the other end of the size range is The University of Alabama, the largest four-year college in the state. Big schools bring more majors, more research, more activity, and more people to get lost among if a student is not ready for that. Smaller alabama colleges tend to work the other way around, with fewer options but more attention. Neither is better in the abstract. It depends entirely on how your student handles a room full of strangers and whether they already know what they want to study.
Whatever you narrow down to, verify it directly with the schools themselves. Admission requirements shift, aid packages are individual, and no page like this one, ours included, can tell you what a specific student will be offered. Use these numbers to build a short list of alabama colleges worth a closer look, then call the admissions and financial aid offices and ask them plainly what your family would pay and what they would need to see from your student. Their answers are the ones that count.
Alabama Colleges With Open Admission
Open admission means exactly what it sounds like: meet the basic requirements (usually a diploma or GED) and you are in. No essays sweated over, no rejection letter. These alabama colleges are where the “will I get in anywhere?” worry ends – and several lead to the same careers as far more selective schools.
| College | City | Type | Avg net price/yr | Grad rate |
| Jefferson State Community College | Birmingham | Public 2-year | $9,086 | 21% |
| Lawson State Community College | Birmingham | Public 2-year | $6,275 | 24% |
| Enterprise State Community College | Enterprise | Public 2-year | $12,609 | 23% |
| Miles College | Fairfield | Nonprofit 4-year | $14,271 | 39% |
| Chattahoochee Valley Community College | Phenix City | Public 2-year | $4,244 | 29% |
| Lurleen B Wallace Community College | Andalusia | Public 2-year | $2,792 | 43% |
| Amridge University | Montgomery | Nonprofit 4-year | n/a | 68% |
| Selma University | Selma | Nonprofit 4-year | n/a | 8% |
Test-Optional Alabama Colleges
These schools do not require SAT or ACT scores. That does not make them easy – grades and coursework still matter – but a bad test day will not close the door. Combined with the open-admission list above, most alabama colleges are reachable without a test score.
| College | City | Admission rate | Avg net price/yr |
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa | 77% | $22,420 |
| Auburn University | Auburn | 46% | $24,323 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham | 88% | $18,749 |
| Troy University | Troy | 96% | $16,527 |
| University of South Alabama | Mobile | 71% | $17,648 |
| Jacksonville State University | Jacksonville | 78% | $14,279 |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville | Huntsville | 69% | $18,796 |
| Alabama A & M University | Normal | 58% | $17,621 |
| University of North Alabama | Florence | 87% | $12,170 |
| Samford University | Birmingham | 82% | $32,622 |
| Alabama State University | Montgomery | 98% | $20,435 |
| University of West Alabama | Livingston | 43% | $12,684 |
| Tuskegee University | Tuskegee | 49% | $35,013 |
| Auburn University at Montgomery | Montgomery | 92% | $13,224 |
| University of Montevallo | Montevallo | 54% | $17,683 |
9 more listed in the full table below.
What about trade and certificate schools? Alabama also has 37 open-admission institutions that award certificates rather than degrees – welding, cosmetology, medical assisting, HVAC and similar. Many are excellent and lead straight to licensed work; many are for-profit, and outcomes vary widely between them. They are kept out of the college tables on this page so the comparison stays apples-to-apples, and covered properly in our trade school guides, where the pay data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Cheapest Alabama Colleges by Real Net Price
Sticker price is a fiction most families never pay. Net price is what students actually paid on average after grants and scholarships – the honest number, straight from the federal data. These are the ten lowest degree-granting colleges in Alabama. For-profit certificate academies often post lower prices than anything here, but they award certificates rather than degrees, so they are covered separately below rather than mixed into this comparison:
| College | City | Type | Avg net price/yr | Grad rate | Median earnings (10 yr) |
| Lurleen B Wallace Community College | Andalusia | Public 2-year | $2,792 | 43% | $32,307 |
| Chattahoochee Valley Community College | Phenix City | Public 2-year | $4,244 | 29% | $36,438 |
| Lawson State Community College | Birmingham | Public 2-year | $6,275 | 24% | $31,701 |
| Marion Military Institute | Marion | Public 2-year | $8,627 | 32% | $59,644 |
| Jefferson State Community College | Birmingham | Public 2-year | $9,086 | 21% | $40,719 |
| University of North Alabama | Florence | Public 4-year | $12,170 | 54% | $45,415 |
| Enterprise State Community College | Enterprise | Public 2-year | $12,609 | 23% | $42,572 |
| University of West Alabama | Livingston | Public 4-year | $12,684 | 42% | $44,232 |
| Auburn University at Montgomery | Montgomery | Public 4-year | $13,224 | 45% | $44,391 |
| Miles College | Fairfield | Nonprofit 4-year | $14,271 | 39% | $32,627 |
Pair any of these with the awards on our Alabama scholarships page and the real cost drops again.
Community Colleges in Alabama
Two years at a community college and a transfer is the cheapest path through the alabama colleges system for most families – same bachelor’s degree at the end, a fraction of the debt. Alabama has 24 public community and technical colleges:
| College | City | Avg net price/yr |
| John C Calhoun State Community College | Tanner | $7,660 |
| Jefferson State Community College | Birmingham | $9,086 |
| Coastal Alabama Community College | Bay Minette | $13,644 |
| George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville | Hanceville | $13,170 |
| Southern Union State Community College | Wadley | $6,142 |
| Gadsden State Community College | Gadsden | $3,515 |
| Shelton State Community College | Tuscaloosa | $14,557 |
| George C Wallace Community College-Dothan | Dothan | $1,170 |
| Lawson State Community College | Birmingham | $6,275 |
| Bishop State Community College | Mobile | $5,397 |
| Bevill State Community College | Jasper | $5,937 |
| Northwest Shoals Community College | Muscle Shoals | $2,838 |
| H Councill Trenholm State Community College | Montgomery | $8,325 |
| Northeast Alabama Community College | Rainsville | $2,756 |
| Enterprise State Community College | Enterprise | $12,609 |
9 more not shown.
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Alabama Colleges Compared: The Four-Year Table
Every four-year college, largest first, with the five numbers that matter: how hard it is to get in, the SAT middle band (25th to 75th percentile of admitted students – below the low number does not mean rejected), the real net price, how many finish, and what graduates earn ten years after starting.
| College | Admit rate | SAT mid-50% | Net price/yr | Grad rate | Earnings (10 yr) |
| The University of Alabama | 77% | 1170–1400 | $22,420 | 71% | $59,221 |
| Auburn University | 46% | 1260–1390 | $24,323 | 80% | $65,337 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 88% | 1210–1450 | $18,749 | 58% | $54,501 |
| Troy University | 96% | 940–1210 | $16,527 | 45% | $42,062 |
| University of South Alabama | 71% | 970–1190 | $17,648 | 50% | $49,379 |
| Jacksonville State University | 78% | 1000–1290 | $14,279 | 56% | $45,235 |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville | 69% | 1210–1410 | $18,796 | 60% | $61,767 |
| Alabama A & M University | 58% | 810–1040 | $17,621 | 31% | $40,628 |
| University of North Alabama | 87% | n/a | $12,170 | 54% | $45,415 |
| Samford University | 82% | 1070–1250 | $32,622 | 77% | $58,469 |
| Alabama State University | 98% | 749–967 | $20,435 | 31% | $34,502 |
| University of West Alabama | 43% | 860–1120 | $12,684 | 42% | $44,232 |
| Tuskegee University | 49% | n/a | $35,013 | 81% | $49,641 |
| Auburn University at Montgomery | 92% | 1036–1203 | $13,224 | 45% | $44,391 |
| Athens State University | n/a | n/a | n/a | 58% | $50,273 |
| University of Montevallo | 54% | n/a | $17,683 | 55% | $42,957 |
| Faulkner University | 73% | n/a | $22,085 | 41% | $43,457 |
| University of Mobile | 78% | n/a | $22,382 | 57% | $43,611 |
| Miles College | n/a | n/a | $14,271 | 39% | $32,627 |
| Oakwood University | 45% | n/a | $25,669 | 49% | $42,488 |
| Huntingdon College | 69% | 1006–1220 | $22,566 | 56% | $49,601 |
| Spring Hill College | 77% | n/a | $20,449 | 55% | $51,500 |
| Stillman College | 62% | n/a | $15,258 | 26% | $35,421 |
| Talladega College | 85% | n/a | $15,560 | 24% | $32,229 |
| Amridge University | n/a | n/a | n/a | 68% | $37,621 |
| United States Sports University | 61% | n/a | $24,076 | 16% | $55,257 |
| Heritage Christian University | 90% | n/a | $15,426 | 49% | $42,597 |
| Selma University | n/a | n/a | n/a | 8% | n/a |
What Each of the Alabama Colleges Is Strongest In
The federal data shows what share of each college’s degrees come from each field – so instead of a marketing brochure, here is where each school actually concentrates. A college is listed when at least a quarter of its degrees come from one field:
| College | Focus | Concentration |
| Talladega College | Business-focused | 47% of degrees |
| Faulkner University | Business-focused | 46% of degrees |
| Chattahoochee Valley Community College | Health-focused | 43% of degrees |
| Spring Hill College | Business-focused | 34% of degrees |
| University of South Alabama | Health-focused | 31% of degrees |
| The University of Alabama | Business-focused | 30% of degrees |
| Athens State University | Business-focused | 30% of degrees |
| Miles College | Business-focused | 30% of degrees |
| Samford University | Health-focused | 30% of degrees |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville | Engineering-focused | 29% of degrees |
| Auburn University | Business-focused | 27% of degrees |
Common Questions
Which alabama colleges accept everyone?
8 colleges in Alabama are open admission – the first table on this page lists them. A diploma or GED is typically the only academic requirement.
What is the cheapest college in Alabama?
By average net price – what students actually paid – it is Lurleen B Wallace Community College at about $2,792 per year in the current federal data. State grants and outside scholarships can push your own cost below that; see the Alabama scholarships page.
Do alabama colleges require the SAT or ACT?
Not all of them. 24 schools beyond the open-admission list do not require scores. Policies change year to year, so confirm on the college’s own admissions page before you skip the test.
The fastest way to use this alabama colleges guide is backwards: pick the net price your family can live with first, then see which schools fit it.
Bookmark this page – the alabama colleges data refreshes with every annual federal release, so the numbers stay honest instead of aging quietly.
When you compare alabama colleges, weigh the graduation rate as hard as the price: a cheap school you never finish is the most expensive kind.
Most families overestimate what alabama colleges cost, because sticker prices make headlines and net prices do not.
No table can rank alabama colleges for you – the right one depends on your major, your commute, and your budget, and only you know those.
Guidance counselors can pull the same federal numbers behind this alabama colleges page, so bring it to your next meeting and ask what they would add.
Out-of-state readers can compare alabama colleges against their own state’s page – the same six tables exist for all fifty states.
Ready to cut the price of any college on this page?
Sources & How to Verify
Every figure above comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (retrieved August 2026; the Scorecard updates annually and this page is regenerated with each release). Prices are averages – your own net price depends on your family income. Verify any college directly:
- College Scorecard: collegescorecard.ed.gov — look up any school’s current numbers
- Federal Student Aid: studentaid.gov — FAFSA, grants, and aid rules
- The college’s own net price calculator: every school is required to publish one — it is the closest thing to your real number
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Related Guides
- Alabama Scholarships (the sibling page)
- Scholarships by State (50-State Guide)
- College Decisions
- College Survival Guide
- Browse All Scholarships
Informational only — not admissions, legal, tax, or financial advice. Spot Scholarships is an independent educational resource. All figures are federal College Scorecard data and change with each annual release; admission policies, prices, and test requirements can change sooner, so always confirm current details with the college itself. Nothing on this page guarantees admission, aid, or an award.