Cost of Attending College in Alabama: Tuition and Living Costs
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 04, 2026 • US States & Cities
Part of the guide Cost of Attending College by State: Tuition and Living Costs Compared
Alabama's public flagships cost around 28,000 dollars a year in-state and over 50,000 dollars out-of-state including housing and food. Community college runs about 6,000 dollars a year, and private nonprofit tuition alone can top 39,000 dollars.
| University of Alabama, in-state, on-campus | ~28,196 dollars/year |
| University of Alabama, out-of-state, on-campus | ~52,202 dollars/year |
| Auburn, in-state tuition and fees | 13,572 dollars/year |
| Auburn, out-of-state tuition and fees | 37,596 dollars/year |
| Community college, in-state tuition | ~5,880 dollars/year |
| Samford (private), tuition and fees | ~39,000 dollars/year |
What Alabama's Public Flagships Cost
The University of Alabama publishes 2026-27 costs on its official cost of attendance page . For a full-time, dependent undergraduate living on campus, in-state tuition and fees run 12,718 dollars a year, with housing estimated at 10,000 dollars and food at 5,478 dollars, putting total on-campus cost near 28,196 dollars. Out-of-state students pay 36,724 dollars in tuition and fees, pushing their on-campus total to roughly 52,202 dollars a year before books, transportation and personal expenses.
Auburn University's official 2026-27 rate sheet sets undergraduate tuition at 482 dollars per credit hour for residents and 1,483 dollars per credit hour for non-residents, plus a flat 1,002 dollar student services fee each semester. At 12 or more credit hours, a resident pays 6,786 dollars a semester, or 13,572 dollars for the year. A non-resident at the same course load pays 18,798 dollars a semester, or 37,596 dollars for the year, in tuition and fees alone, before housing and meals.
| School | In-state tuition/fees (year) | Out-of-state tuition/fees (year) |
|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama | 12,718 dollars | 36,724 dollars |
| Auburn University | 13,572 dollars | 37,596 dollars |
Both figures cover tuition and mandatory fees only. Add housing, food, books and personal costs on top, and the gap between resident and non-resident status becomes the single biggest lever you control on total cost, which is why establishing Alabama residency or applying through a reciprocity program matters as much as picking a cheaper school.
Public Regional Universities and Community Colleges
Alabama's regional public universities, such as Jacksonville State, Troy, South Alabama and the others outside the two flagship systems, generally price tuition below the flagships, though rates vary enough by campus and program that you should check each school's own published cost of attendance rather than assume a single statewide number.
Community college is the lowest-cost public option by a wide margin. Jefferson State Community College, part of the Alabama Community College System, charges 196 dollars per credit hour for Alabama residents for the 2026-27 academic year, and 329 dollars per credit hour for out-of-state students. At a typical full-time load of 30 credit hours across the year, that works out to roughly 5,880 dollars in resident tuition, before any grant or scholarship aid. The Alabama Community College System sets similar per-credit-hour rates across its network, since Central Alabama Community College publishes the same 196 dollar resident rate for the same academic year.
What Private Colleges Cost
Alabama's independent nonprofit colleges price well above the public flagships. Samford University in Birmingham lists tuition near 39,000 dollars a year on its College Board profile, with total cost of attendance, including housing, meals, books and personal expenses, close to 58,600 dollars. The average student's net price after grants and scholarships drops to around 32,176 dollars a year, below the sticker price but still above in-state flagship cost. Private college sticker price rarely reflects what you actually pay, since most students receive some institutional aid, so compare net price rather than the published tuition figure when weighing a private school against a public one.
Living Costs Beyond Tuition
Housing and food make up a large share of total cost even at the lower-priced public schools. The University of Alabama's own estimate puts on-campus housing and food at 15,478 dollars a year for both resident and non-resident students, since these costs do not change with residency status. Off-campus students should budget similarly for rent, groceries and utilities, adjusted for whether they share housing, since a shared apartment near a flagship campus can run close to or below on-campus room and board while a single unit close to campus often costs more.
Building a Realistic Budget
Start with tuition and fees at your specific school, since that is the number you can pin down exactly from each college's cost of attendance page. Add housing and food based on whether you plan to live on or off campus. Then add books, supplies, transportation and personal expenses, typically a few thousand dollars a year combined, using the breakdown your target school publishes rather than a generic estimate. Finally, subtract any grant or scholarship aid you expect to receive, since net price, not sticker price, is what determines what your family actually pays.