Auburn University

Auburn University's published cost of attendance is $34,919. Net price by income band shows meaningful variation across the income spectrum: low-income families pay approximately $16,681, middle-income families pay around $20,558, and higher-income families pay approximately $29,547.

Azimuth ranks Auburn University #966 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.

Auburn's aid structure combines need-based and merit-based scholarships with federal and state grant programs. The university participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state aid programs, and merit scholarships are available for qualifying students.

This layered approach helps reduce the gap between sticker price and what families actually pay, though the affordability rank reflects both the headline cost and the debt load graduates carry. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $43,605; 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 the typical graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $73,151, median federal debt of $21,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $237 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 $73,151, placing Auburn University in the 74.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,488 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Auburn University in the 34.5 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Auburn University #364 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median earnings figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions, reflecting Auburn's strength in applied and professional fields that connect directly to AL's regional labor markets and beyond.

The program mix at Auburn University is anchored by Business, which accounts for 24% of degrees alongside Engineering at 18% and Education at 4%. Business Administration stands out as the highest aggregate-return major, combining substantial cohort scale with strong four-year earnings that make it a key driver of institution-wide outcomes.

Among the top-performing programs, Business Administration program graduates 545 students with median earnings of $80,323 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #82 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). Biology, General and Finance also deliver strong early-career pay — with 315 and 313 graduates respectively — while Digital Marketing and Mechanical Engineering round out a program lineup that spans applied technical fields and professional disciplines, each posting four-year median earnings of $74,702 and $93,246.

Auburn University's program mix is anchored in business, engineering, and applied sciences — a portfolio shaped by the university's land-grant research identity and its deep ties to Alabama's industrial and agricultural economy. Business fields represent the largest share of degree output, with Business accounting for 24% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 18% and Education at 4%.

Across 75 programs serving roughly 5,749 students annually, 54 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Business Administration anchors the institution's economic profile, combining a large graduate cohort with strong four-year earnings.

Business Administration is the largest program, graduating 545 students, with Azimuth ranking it #82 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Biology, General follows with 315 graduates and median earnings of $83,053 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking it #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Finance, with 313 graduates, rounds out the scale leaders, with Azimuth ranking it #114 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The highest-earning programs at Auburn University cluster in engineering and quantitative fields.

Architectural Engineering leads with median earnings of $97,759 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mechanical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence post median earnings of $93,246 and $91,087 respectively four years after enrollment, each ranked among nonprofit four-year institutions by Azimuth for median earnings four years after enrollment.