Liberal arts college
#3 Best small colleges in AlabamaOakwood University
Huntsville, AL · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $25,669 a year
Median debt at graduation: $27,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In Alabama
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.45%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.71%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,746
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $40,176 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,279 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 44% · Women 56% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 18% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 82% |
| Total students | 1,319 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $25,669 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $40,176 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 45% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 36% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 38% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 28% |
| First-year retention | 71% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $42,488 |
| Admission rate | 45% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,136 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 44% |
Value: Solid (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Human resources | |
| Liberal arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Allied health, Applied mathematics, Biochemistry, Biology, Broadcasting, Business administration, Chemistry, Clinical and counseling psychology, Clinical laboratory science, Communication studies, Computer science, Computing and information science, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, English, Family and human development, Finance, General studies, Health administration, Health sciences, History, International relations, Journalism, Management information systems, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Networking, Nursing, Other health professions and related clinical sciences, Pastoral counseling, Political science, Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants, Pre-health, Psychology, Public Policy Analysis, Public relations, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious Education, Romance languages, Secondary education, Social work, Teacher education, Theology, Visual and performing arts, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Health professions | |
| Biology | |
| Business | |
| Liberal arts and general studies | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 4% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 8% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $9,384 |
| Sports | NAIA · HBCU Athletic Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 14 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 5%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 50%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $10,836IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 99% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Huntsville International Airport (HSV)About 11 miles away |
| Nearest major airport | Nashville International Airport (BNA)About 95 miles away |
| Town population | 222,791Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Nashville-DavidsonAbout 98 miles away |
| Typical weather | 43°F in January · 81°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Huntsville International Airport, AL, about 11 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 2.45 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Oakwood University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Oakwood University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $25,669 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Oakwood University?
- Oakwood University admitted 45% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Oakwood University’s graduates do?
- 45% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $42,488; the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 101912
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Seventh Day Adventist
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Colleges like this one
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