Alaska Colleges: Tuition, Debt & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Colleges in Alaska: median 10-year earnings $50,368 (-7.3% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 82.0% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $19,660 (+46.4% vs U.S.) 15,491 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Total college enrollment: 15,491 students
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $50,368 (-7.3% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 82.0% (-6.0 pp vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $19,660 (+46.4% vs U.S. $13,432). Debt rank: #44 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank)
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 40.4%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 72.4%
- Earnings rank: #33 nationally (higher median 10-yr earnings = better rank)
- Employment-outcome rank: #42 nationally (higher working share = better rank)
- Student debt rank: #44 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank)
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Overview
Higher education in Alaska includes public research universities, private colleges, and community colleges serving transfer students and workforce training. About 15,491 students enrolled statewide in federal data. Major campuses include University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Alaska Fairbanks. The tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, debt, and employment outcomes against U.S. and regional medians.
Alaska vs regional & 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska (AK) | N/A | N/A | $19,660 | 40.4% | 15,491 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Alaska 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska (AK) | $50,368 | 82.0% | 72.4% | 8.5% | 0.05% | 76.8% | 0.40 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Educational attainment context (Alaska)
U.S. Census ACS 2024 — adults age 25+.
- Bachelor's degree or higher: 31.7% of adults 25+
- Some college, no degree (ACS): 24.15%
Program completions produced in Alaska (IPEDS 2024)
Award completions by CIP family — supply-side context for nursing, cosmetology, and other pathways. Not placement rates.
| Program area | Completions | Institutions |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing (CIP 51.38) | 238 | 3 |
| Computer Science (CIP 11.01) | 9 | 1 |
| Business (CIP 52.01) | 0 | 1 |
State workforce wages (BLS OEWS May 2024)
Context for graduate earnings — not a unemployment rate for recent grads (CEW state series not in repo).
- All occupations median annual wage: $59,400
- Education occupations (SOC 25-xxxx) median: $75,820
Program-level earnings in Alaska (Scorecard)
- Median 1-yr post-completion program earnings (across reporting campuses): $66,156
- Median 4-yr post-completion: $82,957
- Campuses with program earnings data: 4
Public 4-year in-state tuition trend: Alaska
Median published in-state tuition, public 4-year institutions. Source: College Scorecard multi-year pull.
Top 2 colleges in Alaska 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, 38.0%, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 29.7%, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
Top 2 colleges in Alaska 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, 82.3%, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 81.6%, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
Top 2 colleges in Alaska 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, $86,823, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $79,438, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top 2 colleges in Alaska 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, $103,316, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $91,522, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top 2 colleges in Alaska 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, $42,313, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $40,746, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top 2 colleges in Alaska 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, $46,319, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $45,334, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
Top 2 colleges in Alaska 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, $51,871, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $48,866, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top 2 colleges in Alaska 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, $178,886, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $163,044, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
Top 2 most affordable colleges in Alaska (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, $10,892, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
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Rank 2, Net Price, $15,301, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
Top 2 colleges in Alaska 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, 74.1%, University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 70.7%, University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Anchorage
Student debt: Alaska vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Alaska is $19,660 (+46.4% vs U.S. median $13,432). Rank: #44 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank).
Median earnings (10 years out): Alaska vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Alaska center around $50,368 (-7.3% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Alaska vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 82.0% at the median Alaska campus (-6.0 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
Median graduate debt is $19,660 (+46.4% above the U.S. median of $13,432). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Student debt rank: #44 nationally of 48 (lower debt = better rank) (1 = lowest median debt).
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Alaska are $50,368, about -7.3% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 82.0% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (-6.0 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 72.4% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 8.5% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr default 0.05% (U.S. median N/A); 3-yr repayment progress 76.8% (U.S. 73.7%).
Nationally, Alaska ranks earnings #33 and employment proxy #42 on these outcome medians (1 = best).
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include University of Alaska Fairbanks (82.3%), University of Alaska Anchorage (81.6%)—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 Alaska is 40.4% (national institution average about 50.3%).
National Student Clearinghouse data cite roughly 93,712 residents with some college but no credential in Alaska (YoY change 0.20%). That stock of incomplete credentials sits alongside the completion and employment metrics above.
City profiles in this state
Metro and city aggregates for places with at least three reporting campuses in the College Scorecard.
| City | Campuses |
|---|---|
| Anchorage | 4 |
FAQ
How much does college cost in Alaska?
Cost benchmarks for Alaska are listed in the profile tables when campuses report tuition and net price to the College Scorecard.
What is typical student debt for graduates in Alaska?
Median federal loan debt among completers in Alaska is $19,660 vs a U.S. median of $13,432 (Alaska ranks #44 nationally for median debt among states.)
What do graduates earn in Alaska?
Median earnings 10 years after entry for Alaska campuses reporting to the College Scorecard is $50,368 vs $54,323 nationally. Six-year medians are $41,530.
What share of Alaska graduates are working after college?
The federal employment-outcome proxy used on this site (8-year cohort working and not enrolled) has a median of 82.0% in Alaska vs 87.9% nationally.
How many colleges are in Alaska?
This profile aggregates 2 campuses with cost or outcomes data in Alaska and roughly 15,491 total reported enrollment.
What are the top colleges in Alaska?
Rankings on this page are drawn from College Scorecard medians; standouts include highest 150%-time graduation rate: University of Alaska Fairbanks; highest 10-year earnings: University of Alaska Anchorage; lowest net price among large campuses: University of Alaska Fairbanks. See the ranked lists below for full details.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Alaska?
Among 10 campuses in Alaska, 1 tribal college (IPEDS TRIBAL flag), including Ilisagvik College; 1 campus with at least 25% Hispanic enrollment in College Scorecard demographics—a common Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) eligibility proxy; examples include Charter College; 3 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Undenominational (1), United Methodist (1), Evangelical Covenant Church of America (1).
Sources & related
- U.S. national benchmarks
- All college profiles
- Alaska trade school profile
- States & cities with the most colleges
- Compare University of Alaska Anchorage vs University of Alaska Fairbanks vs Charter College
- Alaska college costs drilldown
- Top colleges in Alaska by ROI
- Student loan debt by state
- College enrollment statistics
- Supplemental: Census ACS attainment, IPEDS completions, BLS OEWS, NSC SCNC, tuition trends
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON