Best Computer Science Colleges in Alabama (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 12 schools in Alabama by median earnings of Computer Science graduates four years after completing. The University of Alabama leads the list with median earnings of $115,980 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the group, the figure ranges from $115,980 to $53,416, with a median of $84,456. The gap between the top two schools is $11,326.
All 12 listed schools are public. The University of Alabama ranks 233rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
University of North Alabama posts the lowest average net price on the page at $12,170, while Auburn University reports the highest six-year completion rate at 82%.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Computer Science Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Alabama · Tuscaloosa, AL | $115,980 | $22,420 | $19,169 | 76.7% |
| The University of Alabama reports $115,980 in median earnings of Computer Science graduates four years after completing and ranks 233rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer and Information Sciences, General (95 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer and Information Sciences, General ($115,980) | |||||
| 2 | University of Alabama at Birmingham · Birmingham, AL | $104,654 | $18,749 | $16,172 | 88.2% |
| With an admission rate of 88%, University of Alabama at Birmingham posts median earnings of $104,654 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer and Information Sciences, General (70 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer and Information Sciences, General ($104,654) | |||||
| 3 | Athens State University · Athens, AL | $102,639 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Athens State University ranks 3rd on this list and its Computer Science graduates earn a median of $102,639 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer and Information Sciences, General (22 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer and Information Sciences, General ($102,639) | |||||
| 4 | University of Alabama in Huntsville · Huntsville, AL | $95,076 | $18,796 | $16,192 | 68.6% |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville shows a six-year completion rate of 64% alongside median earnings of $95,076 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer and Information Sciences, General (153 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer and Information Sciences, General ($95,076) | |||||
| 5 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $91,087 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
| Auburn University admits 46% of applicants and its Computer Science graduates earn a median of $91,087 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer and Information Sciences, General (145 graduates), Computer Science (71 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer and Information Sciences, General ($91,087) | |||||
| 6 | Alabama A & M University · Normal, AL | $88,490 | $17,621 | $16,500 | 58.0% |
| Alabama A & M University reports an average net price of $17,621 and median earnings of $88,490 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer and Information Sciences, General (41 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer and Information Sciences, General ($88,490) | |||||
| 7 | University of North Alabama · Florence, AL | $80,423 | $12,170 | $9,741 | 87.3% |
| University of North Alabama carries the lowest average net price on the page at $12,170 and reports median earnings of $80,423 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer and Information Sciences, General (35 graduates) | |||||
| 8 | Troy University · Troy, AL | $79,492 | $16,527 | $12,656 | 96.0% |
| Troy University graduates 50% of its students within six years and its Computer Science graduates earn a median of $79,492 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer and Information Sciences, General (137 graduates), Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (5 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer and Information Sciences, General ($79,492) | |||||
| 9 | Jacksonville State University · Jacksonville, AL | $79,129 | $14,279 | $12,472 | 77.7% |
| Jacksonville State University ranks 303rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $79,129 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer and Information Sciences, General (24 graduates), Information Science/Studies (19 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer and Information Sciences, General ($79,129) | |||||
| 10 | University of South Alabama · Mobile, AL | $70,552 | $17,648 | $12,657 | 71.0% |
| University of South Alabama posts an admission rate of 71% and median earnings of $70,552 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer Science (46 graduates), Computer and Information Sciences, General (31 graduates), Information Science/Studies (18 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Computer Science ($80,317), Information Science/Studies ($64,455), Computer and Information Sciences, General ($59,602) | |||||
| 11 | Auburn University at Montgomery · Montgomery, AL | $55,184 | $13,224 | $11,706 | 91.6% |
| Auburn University at Montgomery reports an average net price of $13,224 and median earnings of $55,184 for its Computer Science graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Computer Science (34 graduates), Computer and Information Sciences, General (14 graduates) | |||||
| 12 | Alabama State University · Montgomery, AL | $53,416 | $20,435 | $19,711 | 97.6% |
| Alabama State University admits 98% of applicants and its Computer Science graduates earn a median of $53,416 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Information Science/Studies (23 graduates), Computer Science (13 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Information Science/Studies ($53,416) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Computer Science graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Computer Science earnings cohort in Alabama appear. The figures are medians for federally aided Computer Science graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. The list does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The University of Alabama leads with $115,980, $11,326 ahead of University of Alabama at Birmingham at $104,654. The median across the 12 listed schools is $84,456, and the spread from top to bottom is $62,564.
Job market context in Alabama
Computer Science graduates in Alabama enter occupations such as Software Developers, Computer User Support Specialists, and Computer Systems Analysts. The median annual wage across those occupations is $101,388; a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $76,034. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 3,740 openings a year, or roughly 304 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 9.3% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the occupation-wide wages reported here.