Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks University of Alabama At Birmingham #265 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $64,969, placing University of Alabama At Birmingham in the 64.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. University of Alabama At Birmingham sits in the 82.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the strong career outcomes associated with its health-sciences and research-focused program mix. University of Alabama At Birmingham's composite ranking reflects a consistent pattern across return, mobility, and affordability — driven in large part by graduates who earn about $7,624 more than similar students at comparable institutions. The university's strength in health-sciences programs, combined with its public-tuition pricing in Birmingham, positions it as a high-value option for students seeking durable career outcomes in medicine, nursing, and allied health fields.
Azimuth ranks University of Alabama At Birmingham #265 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Birmingham, AL, University of Alabama At Birmingham enrolls roughly 11,635 undergraduates. Retention stands at 80.1% and the six-year graduation rate is 64.2%, reflecting solid degree-completion performance for a broad-access research institution. The composite is anchored by return on investment. Azimuth ranks University of Alabama At Birmingham #455 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median four-year earnings of $64,969 and earn about $7,624 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of Alabama At Birmingham in the 82.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The institution's concentration in Health — a field with strong and stable labor-market demand — is a meaningful driver of those outcomes, with Business accounting for 18% of degree output. Access and affordability provide important context for the composite position. University of Alabama At Birmingham admits about 88.2% of applicants, reflecting a broad-access admissions posture that keeps the door open to a wide range of students; 34.0% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 34.1% are first-generation college students. Affordability sits in the 61.9 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and mobility sits in the 83.6 percentile — both shaped by the institution's public-tuition structure and its ability to move a mixed enrollment into careers with durable earning power.
University of Alabama at Birmingham's published cost of attendance is $28,145. Net price by income band shows meaningful variation: low-income families pay approximately $16,172, middle-income families pay around $19,161, and higher-income families pay approximately $22,597. Azimuth ranks University of Alabama At Birmingham #544 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. As a public research university with a dominant health-sciences portfolio, UAB's tuition structure reflects Alabama's public-institution pricing. Need-based aid covers a meaningful share of cost for most students, with institutional aid supplementing federal and state grant programs. The affordability rank reflects both the headline sticker price and the debt load graduates carry: net price and sticker price can differ substantially, and understanding that gap matters when comparing institutions. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $22,300, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $20,498; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $64,969, median federal debt of $22,300 projects to a monthly payment of about $252 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
University of Alabama At Birmingham is a strong fit for students drawn to health sciences, nursing, and allied health fields who want a public research university anchored in a mid-sized Southern city with direct access to a major medical ecosystem. Graduates earn in the 64.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and University of Alabama At Birmingham sits in the 82.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions — graduates earn about $7,624 more than similar students at comparable institutions, a meaningful signal for students weighing long-term return on investment. The access profile is broad. 34.0% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 34.1% are first-generation students, with a Pell completion rate of 52.8%. University of Alabama At Birmingham sits in the 70.1 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a historical 10-year Scorecard measure not yet updated to the 4-year horizon — making it a credible option for cost-sensitive and first-generation families seeking a research university with strong health-field outcomes. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program mix is concentrated in Health and related applied fields, so students whose interests fall outside that cluster will find a narrower range of high-return pathways. Families who need to borrow should weigh median student debt of $22,300 against the earnings trajectory — the Financial GPS tool models that tradeoff at the program level.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
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This is the University Of Alabama At Birmingham hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
University of Alabama at Birmingham's published cost of attendance is $28,145. Net price by income band shows meaningful variation: low-income families pay approximately $16,172, middle-income families pay around $19,161, and higher-income families pay approximately $22,597.
Azimuth ranks University of Alabama At Birmingham #544 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
As a public research university with a dominant health-sciences portfolio, UAB's tuition structure reflects Alabama's public-institution pricing. Need-based aid covers a meaningful share of cost for most students, with institutional aid supplementing federal and state grant programs.
The affordability rank reflects both the headline sticker price and the debt load graduates carry: net price and sticker price can differ substantially, and understanding that gap matters when comparing institutions. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $22,300, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $20,498; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $64,969, median federal debt of $22,300 projects to a monthly payment of about $252 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $64,969, placing University of Alabama At Birmingham in the 64.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,624 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of Alabama At Birmingham in the 82.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks University of Alabama At Birmingham #455 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. University of Alabama At Birmingham also sits in the 70.1 percentile for median low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The program mix at University of Alabama At Birmingham is anchored heavily in Health, which shapes both the earnings profile and the career pathways available to graduates. Business accounts for 18% of degree output, followed by Education at 7% and Engineering at 6%.
Nursing stands out as the highest aggregate-return program, graduating 362 students with median four-year earnings of $78,224. Azimuth ranks the program #257 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Biology, General and Psychology, General also contribute meaningfully, with median four-year earnings of $55,174 and $46,369 respectively, while Health Administration and Business Administration round out a program portfolio that reflects AL's strong regional demand for health and applied professional graduates.
Computer and Information Sciences, General
70 graduates
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
51 graduates
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
15 graduates
Mechanical Engineering
47 graduates
Materials Engineering
15 graduates
University of Alabama At Birmingham's program mix is anchored in health and applied professional fields — a signature consistent with the university's research-medical-center identity in Birmingham. The dominant program family is Health, which shapes both the scale and the earnings profile of the institution's degree output.
Across 44 programs, 34 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, serving roughly 2,839 students annually. The mix also includes meaningful concentrations in Education (7% of graduates) and Engineering (6% of graduates), reflecting a portfolio oriented toward stable, in-demand career pathways.
The program anchoring the institution's strongest aggregate return is Nursing, which combines cohort scale with competitive four-year median earnings. Among the most popular programs, Nursing program graduates 362 students with median earnings of $78,224 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #257 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Biology, General and Psychology, General also enroll large cohorts — 248 and 230 graduates respectively — with four-year median earnings of $55,174 and $46,369. The highest-earning programs at University of Alabama At Birmingham are concentrated in clinical and applied health fields.
Nursing leads with median earnings of $78,224 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #257 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Accounting and Business Administration follow closely, with graduates earning median incomes of $69,201 and $63,036 respectively — both high-mobility, direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect strong labor-market demand.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colorado State University Global Similar quality tier (#10689 ranked) | CO | 98% | $76,813 | #10689 | Compare |
University Of Nebraska-Lincoln Similar quality tier (#10698 ranked) | NE | 87% | $56,887 | #10698 | Compare |
University Of Rhode Island Similar quality tier (#10687 ranked) | RI | 72% | $69,743 | #10687 | Compare |
University Of Missouri-Kansas City Similar quality tier (#10707 ranked) | MO | 72% | $59,637 | #10707 | Compare |
Auburn University Similar quality tier in Southeast (#10709 ranked) | AL | 46% | $65,337 | #10709 | Compare |
