The top ten Alabama universities that offer the best value to students

University of Alabama's Denny Chimes (left) and Auburn University's Samford Hall (right) — University of Alabama’s Denny Chimes (left) and Auburn University’s Samford Hall (right)

College is expensive, and it’s getting more and more expensive every day. Choosing a college that students and their families can afford is a difficult decision. Scholarships, grants, and financial aid help alleviate some of the stress, but not completely. Students want to pick a school that they will enjoy and will give them the most bang for their buck.

SmartAsset studied colleges and universities across the United States to determine which schools offered the most value to their students. In Alabama, Auburn University had long topped this list, but now a new school has claimed the number one spot.

The University of Alabama at Huntsville offers its students the most value, knocking Auburn University to number two. Ten Alabama colleges were included on SmartAsset’s national list, which determined colleges’ value by studying tuition (in-state for public schools), salary after graduating, student living costs, student retention rate, and available scholarships.

UAH had the highest average starting salary after graduation of any college in the state: $53,000. Auburn followed closely with an average starting salary of $48,300, and the University of Alabama came in third with $45,000.

Here are the ten schools in Alabama that offer the most value:

1. The University of Alabama at Huntsville
2. Auburn University
3. The University of Alabama
4. The University of Alabama at Birmingham
5. University of South Alabama
6. Alabama A&M University
7. Tuskegee University
8. Auburn University at Montgomery
9. Troy University
10. Jacksonville State University

Nationally, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers the best value of any institution in the country. Tuition for MIT is almost $44,000 but the average amount of scholarships and grants comes to $33,585. The average starting salary for MIT grads is $74,000. No Alabama school made the national top ten list, nor did any SEC school. The only Southern institution to crack the national top ten was Georgia Institute of Technology, which ranked 4th.

UAH ranked 93rd on the national list. The school’s tuition costs $9,192 but it offers an average of $6,800 in scholarships and grants. Auburn and Alabama both offer more scholarships and grants than UAH ($8,901 and $10,736, respectively), but their cost of tuition is also higher.

The ten Alabama schools on SmartAsset’s list include some interesting facts and comparisons. The University of South Alabama has the lowest cost of tuition, $6,984, and Tuskegee University has the highest, $18,900. Tuskegee, the only private institution in Alabama’s top ten, also offers the lowest average amount of scholarships and grants, only $4,880. Auburn still boasts the highest retention rate in the state with 91% returning. Graduates of Troy University have the lowest average starting salary, $38,000.