2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in Alabama
When pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Alabama Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking is part of that endeavor.
After analyzing 25 schools, we came up with our list of those that were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in Alabama. This ranking isn't just a listing of 'cheap' schools. Instead, it is noting which schools offer a high quality education for a reasonable price. Thus, one college may rank better than another, but the second school could have a lower average cost.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Our average cost calculation adds up all expenses, such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other expenses. So it is an approximation of how much you will have to pay out-of-pocket each year on average.
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Customizing Your List
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as overall quality or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in Alabama
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Auburn University to be the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in Alabama in this year’s ranking. Auburn is a public institution located in Auburn, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5,370 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Auburn is 4.4 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $32,196 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Auburn is about $141,984. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. Auburn did well in our quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Colleges in Alabama list.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at The University of Alabama helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Alabama. UA is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 7,542 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UA is 4.3 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $30,016 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UA is about $130,570. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. UA also made our Best Colleges in Alabama list, coming in at #3.
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A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list means University of Alabama at Birmingham is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. UAB is a public institution located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,613 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.5 years for the average student at UAB to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,630 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UAB is $124,611. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UAB is ranked #4 for overall quality in Alabama.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Birmingham Southern College. It ranked #4 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in Alabama list. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 354 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at BSC is 4.1 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $35,093 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from BSC is about $143,530. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. BSC not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #5 on our Best Colleges in Alabama list.
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A rank of #5 on our Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list means University of Alabama in Huntsville is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. UAH is a public institution located in Huntsville, Alabama. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,348 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.7 years for the average student at UAH to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $27,636. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from UAH be around $130,166. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
UAH excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Alabama list.
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University of South Alabama landed the #6 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Alabama ranking. Located in Mobile, Alabama, the fairly large public school awarded 1,940 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at USA about 4.6 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $22,412 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from USA be around $103,992. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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University of Montevallo landed the #7 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Alabama ranking. University of Montevallo is a public institution located in Montevallo, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 465 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At University of Montevallo, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,718 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from University of Montevallo is $124,454. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Samford University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list. Samford is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Birmingham, Alabama. It awarded 891 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Samford to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $49,634 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Samford be around $207,470. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Samford not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #1 on our Best Colleges in Alabama list.
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University of North Alabama ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list. Located in Florence, Alabama, the medium-sized public school handed out 1,208 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at UNA is 4.7 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $22,750 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UNA is $106,242. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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With a ranking of #10, Jacksonville State University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list. Jacksonville State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Jacksonville, Alabama. It awarded 1,345 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Jacksonville State University is 4.8 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,831 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Jacksonville State University is $103,697. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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With a ranking of #11, Troy University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list. TROY is a fairly large public school situated in Troy, Alabama. It awarded 2,450 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at TROY to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,778 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the TROY is $100,179. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Auburn University at Montgomery landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Alabama ranking. AUM is a public institution located in Montgomery, Alabama. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 680 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at AUM graduates in less than 4.8 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $20,650 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from AUM is about $99,946. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of West Alabama landed the #13 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Alabama ranking. University of West Alabama is a public institution located in Livingston, Alabama. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 319 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At University of West Alabama, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $23,205. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from University of West Alabama is about $102,798. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Alabama State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Alabama ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Montgomery, Alabama, the small public school handed out 510 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.9 years for the average student at Alabama State to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $22,110 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Alabama State is $107,897. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Miles College landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Alabama ranking. Miles College is located in Fairfield, Alabama and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 230 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at Miles College about 4.7 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $22,894 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Miles College is $108,518. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Alabama A & M University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list. This medium-sized public school is located in Normal, Alabama, and it awarded 560 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at AAMU is 5.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $23,954 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from AAMU is $122,405. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Judson College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Marion, Alabama, and it awarded 65 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Judson College graduates in less than 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $33,770 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Judson College be around $143,860. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
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Tuskegee University landed the #18 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Alabama ranking. Located in Tuskegee, Alabama, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 403 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Tuskegee about 4.2 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $40,750 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee is $172,373. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Stillman College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list. Stillman College is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 94 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at Stillman College about 4.5 years to graduate, and it costs students who receive no aid about $28,092 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Stillman College is $125,290. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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University of Mobile came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama ranking. University of Mobile is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mobile, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 281 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at University of Mobile about 4.3 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $40,110 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $174,077 to get a bachelor’s degree from University of Mobile. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Huntingdon College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list. Located in Montgomery, Alabama, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 265 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Huntingdon College graduates in less than 4.3 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $37,778. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Huntingdon College is $162,823. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Talladega College landed the #22 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Alabama ranking. Talladega College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Talladega, Alabama. It awarded 101 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Talladega College graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $28,388. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Talladega College be around $128,030. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Oakwood University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama ranking. Oakwood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Huntsville, Alabama. The school has a small population, and it awarded 292 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Oakwood is 4.7 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $37,764 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $178,246 to get a bachelor’s degree from Oakwood. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Spring Hill College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama ranking. Spring Hill College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Mobile, Alabama that handed out 279 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Spring Hill is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $59,062 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Spring Hill is $246,289. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Faulkner University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Alabama list. Faulkner University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Montgomery, Alabama that handed out 497 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Faulkner about 4.7 years to graduate, and it costs students who receive no aid about $36,335 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Faulkner is $171,501. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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