Huntsville, Alabama Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Colleges in Huntsville, Alabama: median public in-state tuition $8,661 (+57.1% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $52,128 (-4.2% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 84.4% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $23,852 (+79.7% vs U.S.) 8,748 students enrolled statewide.
Overview
Colleges and universities in Huntsville serve students across Alabama with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 6 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 8,748 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $8,661. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Huntsville, Alabama and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Huntsville vs Alabama & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, Alabama | $8,661 | $18,796 | $23,852 | 44.6% | 8,748 |
| Alabama (state median) | $5,340 | $10,721 | $21,170 | 43.0% | 220,102 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Huntsville, Alabama vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, Alabama | $52,128 | 84.4% | 77.7% | 7.7% | — | 57.1% | 0.49 |
| Alabama (state median) | $44,391 | 90.0% | 70.6% | 7.7% | — | 58.2% | 0.55 |
| United States | $54,384 | 88.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Alabama (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville, Alabama | $8,661 | $18,796 | $23,852 | 44.6% | 8,748 | $52,128 | 84.4% |
| Tuscaloosa | $12,126 | $14,908 | $22,750 | 49.2% | 37,119 | $47,321 | 91.3% |
| Auburn | $12,890 | $24,323 | $21,428 | 82.0% | 26,816 | $65,337 | 92.3% |
| Auburn | $12,890 | $24,323 | $21,428 | 82.0% | 26,816 | $65,337 | 92.3% |
| Birmingham | $13,450 | $19,200 | $20,500 | 38.4% | 26,462 | $54,501 | 90.6% |
| Mobile | $16,411 | $19,074 | $19,160 | 52.7% | 14,140 | $49,379 | 91.5% |
| Montgomery | $10,712 | $21,006 | $25,562 | 35.0% | 11,020 | $40,539 | 89.2% |
| Troy | $10,176 | $16,527 | $25,000 | 50.3% | 9,805 | $42,062 | 86.2% |
| Troy | $10,176 | $16,527 | $25,000 | 50.3% | 9,805 | $42,062 | 86.2% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 | $54,384 | 88.0% |
Top 2 colleges in Huntsville, Alabama by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 64.3%, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 44.6%, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
Top 2 colleges in Huntsville, Alabama by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 90.5%, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 78.3%, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
Top 2 most selective colleges in Huntsville, Alabama (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 45.2%, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 68.6%, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Top 2 colleges in Huntsville, Alabama by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $83,909, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $30,724, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
Top 2 colleges in Huntsville, Alabama by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $105,920, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $62,069, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
Top 2 colleges in Huntsville, Alabama by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $55,610, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $30,969, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
Top 2 colleges in Huntsville, Alabama by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $61,771, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $36,092, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
Top 2 colleges in Huntsville, Alabama by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $61,767, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $42,488, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
Top 2 colleges in Huntsville, Alabama by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $205,628, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $54,024, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
Top 2 most affordable colleges in Huntsville, Alabama (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $18,796, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, Net Price, $25,669, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
Top 2 colleges in Huntsville, Alabama by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 84.2%, University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 71.1%, Oakwood University
Oakwood University
In-state tuition: Huntsville, Alabama vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Huntsville, Alabama median in-state tuition is $8,661, +57.1% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Huntsville, Alabama vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Huntsville, Alabama is $23,852 (+79.7% vs U.S. median $13,271). Regional median: $14,456.
Median earnings (10 years out): Huntsville, Alabama vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Huntsville, Alabama center around $52,128 (-4.2% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Huntsville, Alabama vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 84.4% at the median Huntsville, Alabama campus (-3.6 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Huntsville, Alabama median public in-state tuition is $8,661, about +57.1% vs the national median. Versus the Southeast region, tuition is +73.5%.
Median graduate debt is $23,852 (+79.7% above the U.S. median of $13,271). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Huntsville, Alabama are $52,128, about -4.2% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,384).
The median campus reports 84.4% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 88.0% (-3.6 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 77.7% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 7.7% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 57.1% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include University of Alabama in Huntsville (90.5%), Oakwood University (78.3%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Huntsville, Alabama is 44.6% (national institution average about 50.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Huntsville?
This city profile covers 6 campuses in Huntsville, Alabama with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Huntsville?
Median in-state tuition in Huntsville is $8,661 and median net price is $18,796. For Alabama overall, medians are $5,340 and $10,721; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,969.
What do graduates earn in Huntsville?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Huntsville is $52,128 vs $44,391 for Alabama and $54,384 nationally.
What is student debt like for Huntsville colleges?
Median completer debt in Huntsville is $23,852 vs $21,170 for Alabama and $13,271 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Huntsville?
Top campuses on this page include University of Alabama in Huntsville (graduation) and University of Alabama in Huntsville (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Huntsville?
Among 6 campuses in Huntsville, Alabama, 2 historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs, IPEDS HBCU flag), including J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College and Oakwood University; 2 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Seventh Day Adventist (1), Interdenominational (1).
Sources & related
- Alabama college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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