Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Alabama

Colleges ranked by how many years of extra earnings, above a high school graduate’s, cover four years of net price.

Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Alabama5 schools

5 schools qualify, ranked by payback years.

How this list is made

Schools in Alabama.
Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
Academic Excellence grade B+ or better (the top 35% of rated colleges).
Has median earnings ten years after enrolling and a net price from federal data (College Scorecard), and those earnings are above a high school graduate’s ($48,360 a year: median weekly earnings of $930 for full-time workers with a high school diploma, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).
Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
Payback years = four years of net price ÷ (earnings − a high school graduate’s earnings). Ordered by payback years, fewest first. A simple estimate: it leaves out interest, taxes and earnings growth.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.

School	Net price a year	Median debt	Earnings 10 years out	Graduation rate
University of Alabama in Huntsville	$18,796	$20,705	$61,767	64%
Auburn University	$24,323	$21,000	$65,337	82%
The University of Alabama	$22,420	$22,750	$59,221	73%
University of Alabama at Birmingham	$18,749	$22,300	$54,501	64%
Samford University	$32,622	$19,500	$58,469	77%

Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.