Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Alabama
Question 1
Where are you right now?
Why we ask: a laid-off week and a thinking-about-a-move week look nothing alike. No résumé, no account.
Key facts
- #1 Auburn University, AL: $65k
- #2 Columbia Southern University, AL: $64k
- #3 University of Alabama in Huntsville, AL: $62k
- 48 colleges ranked across Alabama
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: $41k across the typical college in this list.
- 1Auburn University AL$65k
- 2Columbia Southern University AL$64k
- 3University of Alabama in Huntsville AL$62k
- 4The University of Alabama AL$59k
- 5Samford University AL$58k
- 6University of Alabama at Birmingham AL$55k
- 7Spring Hill College AL$52k
- 8Athens State University AL$50k
- 9Tuskegee University AL$50k
- 10Huntingdon College AL$50k
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Auburn University leads on $65k, and #10 Huntingdon College is at $50k.
- Spring Hill College reaches #7 on a sample of 782 students enrolled, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- The University of Alabama is the largest market in the top ten, with 33,227 students enrolled behind its figure.
- Colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Median earnings ten years after enrolling show what former students of a college go on to earn, as the Department of Education publishes it.
How to use it
Compare colleges within the same level and field, and read earnings next to completion rate and net price. Earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as the college.
The top 25
- 1
Auburn University AL
$65k
- Completion rate
- 82%
- Net price a year
- $24,323
- Public
- 26,816 students
Based on 26,816 students enrolled.
- 2
Columbia Southern University AL
$64k
- Completion rate
- 33%
- Net price a year
- $14,580
- Private for-profit
- 12,176 students
Based on 12,176 students enrolled.
Columbia Southern University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 3
- Completion rate
- 64%
- Net price a year
- $18,796
- Public
- 6,591 students
Based on 6,591 students enrolled.
University of Alabama in Huntsville: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 4
The University of Alabama AL
$59k
- Completion rate
- 73%
- Net price a year
- $22,420
- Public
- 33,227 students
Based on 33,227 students enrolled.
The University of Alabama: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 5
Samford University AL
$58k
- Completion rate
- 77%
- Net price a year
- $32,622
- Private nonprofit
- 4,206 students
Based on 4,206 students enrolled.
- 6
- Completion rate
- 64%
- Net price a year
- $18,749
- Public
- 11,635 students
Based on 11,635 students enrolled.
University of Alabama at Birmingham: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 7
Spring Hill College AL
$52k
- Completion rate
- 52%
- Net price a year
- $20,449
- Private nonprofit
- 782 students
Based on 782 students enrolled.
- 8
Athens State University AL
$50k
- Completion rate
- Not available
- Net price a year
- Not available
- Public
- 2,446 students
Based on 2,446 students enrolled.
- 9
Tuskegee University AL
$50k
- Completion rate
- 55%
- Net price a year
- $35,013
- Private nonprofit
- 2,630 students
Based on 2,630 students enrolled.
- 10
Huntingdon College AL
$50k
- Completion rate
- 48%
- Net price a year
- $22,566
- Private nonprofit
- 879 students
Based on 879 students enrolled.
- 11
University of South Alabama AL
$49k
- Completion rate
- 53%
- Net price a year
- $17,648
- Public
- 8,879 students
Based on 8,879 students enrolled.
University of South Alabama: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 12
University of North Alabama AL
$45k
- Completion rate
- 55%
- Net price a year
- $12,170
- Public
- 5,811 students
Based on 5,811 students enrolled.
University of North Alabama: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 13
Jacksonville State University AL
$45k
- Completion rate
- 55%
- Net price a year
- $14,279
- Public
- 7,036 students
Based on 7,036 students enrolled.
Jacksonville State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 14
Auburn University at Montgomery AL
$44k
- Completion rate
- 33%
- Net price a year
- $13,224
- Public
- 2,542 students
Based on 2,542 students enrolled.
Auburn University at Montgomery: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 15
University of West Alabama AL
$44k
- Completion rate
- 35%
- Net price a year
- $12,684
- Public
- 2,974 students
Based on 2,974 students enrolled.
University of West Alabama: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 16
University of Mobile AL
$44k
- Completion rate
- 57%
- Net price a year
- $22,382
- Private nonprofit
- 1,307 students
Based on 1,307 students enrolled.
- 17
Faulkner University AL
$43k
- Completion rate
- 37%
- Net price a year
- $22,085
- Private nonprofit
- 1,549 students
Based on 1,549 students enrolled.
- 18
University of Montevallo AL
$43k
- Completion rate
- 54%
- Net price a year
- $17,683
- Public
- 2,151 students
Based on 2,151 students enrolled.
University of Montevallo: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 19
- Completion rate
- 42%
- Net price a year
- $12,609
- Public
- 1,585 students
Based on 1,585 students enrolled.
Enterprise State Community College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 20
Oakwood University AL
$42k
- Completion rate
- 45%
- Net price a year
- $25,669
- Private nonprofit
- 1,153 students
Based on 1,153 students enrolled.
- 21
Troy University AL
$42k
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Net price a year
- $16,527
- Public
- 9,805 students
Based on 9,805 students enrolled.
- 22
- Completion rate
- 26%
- Net price a year
- $9,086
- Public
- 5,470 students
Based on 5,470 students enrolled.
Jefferson State Community College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 23
Alabama A & M University AL
$41k
- Completion rate
- 24%
- Net price a year
- $17,621
- Public
- 6,124 students
Based on 6,124 students enrolled.
Alabama A & M University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 24
Strayer University-Alabama AL
$40k
- Completion rate
- Not available
- Net price a year
- Not available
- Private for-profit
- 1,196 students
Based on 1,196 students enrolled.
Strayer University-Alabama: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 25
- Completion rate
- 51%
- Net price a year
- $13,170
- Public
- 4,423 students
Based on 4,423 students enrolled.
George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
Full ranking
All 48 colleges that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
How this ranking works
Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones.
Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
Sample bar: colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (median earnings, completion, net price), as held in our college tables. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which certification ranks first: colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in alabama?
- Auburn University leads Alabama among colleges for earnings: its former students earn a median of $65k ten years after enrolling, against $41k for the typical college in this list.
- How many colleges are ranked?
- 48 colleges have at least 500 students enrolled, so the list has 48 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones. Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Four-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Community and two-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Northeast
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in New England
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mid-Atlantic
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Alabama,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-alabama
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-alabama">Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Alabama (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
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