Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks University of Alaska Fairbanks #396 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median $67,252 four years after enrollment, placing University of Alaska Fairbanks in the 71.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. University of Alaska Fairbanks sits in the 77.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting how graduates earn about $5,364 more than similar students at comparable institutions. University of Alaska Fairbanks's composite ranking reflects a combination of return on investment, mobility, and access outcomes working together for students in a distinctive Alaskan labor market. Graduates earn median earnings that place the university among the stronger-performing institutions in the Azimuth coverage set, with earnings beyond expectations reinforcing the long-run financial case for enrolling here.
Azimuth ranks University of Alaska Fairbanks #396 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 74.0 percentile for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Fairbanks, AK, University of Alaska Fairbanks enrolls roughly 4,207 undergraduates. Retention stands at 74.1% and the six-year graduation rate is 38.0%, reflecting the operational realities of a remote campus serving a geographically dispersed student population across Alaska. The composite is anchored by return on investment. Azimuth ranks University of Alaska Fairbanks #514 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 65.3 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $67,252, placing University of Alaska Fairbanks in the 71.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,364 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of Alaska Fairbanks in the 77.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program concentration is Business, with Business accounting for 14% of degree output. Access and affordability shape the composite's lower pillars. University of Alaska Fairbanks sits in the 77.2 percentile for access and the 88.3 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, while mobility sits in the 22.2 percentile. 22.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 39.9% are first-generation college students, reflecting the university's role serving Alaskan communities — including rural and Indigenous populations — where the no-degree earnings baseline of $40,140 provides important context for evaluating the return on a degree from University of Alaska Fairbanks.
University of Alaska Fairbanks' published cost of attendance is $22,407. Net price by income band reflects the institution's public-tuition structure and aid availability: low-income families pay approximately $7,992, middle-income families pay around $11,323, and higher-income families pay approximately $17,512. Azimuth ranks University of Alaska Fairbanks #167 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. The university participates in federal need-based aid programs, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, alongside state and institutional aid. The gap between sticker price and net price varies by income level, with lower-income families seeing a more substantial reduction through aid than higher-income families — a pattern typical of public research universities with broad access missions. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $20,291, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $15,888; 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 $67,252, median federal debt of $20,291 projects to a monthly payment of about $229 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
University of Alaska Fairbanks is a public university in Fairbanks, AK — a strong fit for students drawn to Business, natural resources, engineering technology, and applied sciences who want a research-oriented university anchored in Alaska's distinctive labor market. Graduates earn median $67,252 four years after enrollment, placing University of Alaska Fairbanks in the 71.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and earn about $5,364 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 77.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. 22.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 39.9% are first-generation students — a profile that reflects the university's broad access mission across AK's dispersed communities. University of Alaska Fairbanks sits in the 49.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions on a historical 10-year Scorecard measure, and Pell-eligible students complete at a rate of 25.9%, suggesting the institution supports access students through to graduation at a meaningful rate. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program portfolio is concentrated in Business and applied fields oriented toward AK's regional economy, so students whose interests align with those areas will find the strongest outcomes. Students who need to borrow should note that median debt at graduation is $20,291, and higher-income families pay a net price of roughly $17,512 — context worth weighing against the regional earnings baseline of $40,140 for workers without a degree in AK.
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.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
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This is the University Of Alaska Fairbanks hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Mechanical Engineering
26 graduates
Civil Engineering
16 graduates
Business Administration, Management and Operations
53 graduates
Criminal Justice and Corrections
20 graduates
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
36 graduates
University of Alaska Fairbanks's program mix is anchored in Business, with additional depth in natural resources, engineering, and health-related fields — a portfolio shaped by the university's identity as Alaska's flagship research institution serving a geographically distinct labor market. Business Administration is the largest program with 53 graduates, followed by Interdisciplinary Studies with 36 graduates and Biology, General with 35 graduates.
The mix reflects University of Alaska Fairbanks's role as a broad-access institution preparing students for careers across Alaska's public sector, resource industries, and health workforce, with Business representing 14% of graduates, Engineering accounting for 13%, and Education contributing 6%. The strongest earnings outcomes at University of Alaska Fairbanks are concentrated in technical and applied fields.
Azimuth ranks Mechanical Engineering #182 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 26 graduates earning $91,522. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #59 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 53 graduates earning $70,539, and Azimuth ranks Criminal Justice #84 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 20 graduates earning $60,306.
These programs — described further in [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) — combine solid cohort scale with earnings that reflect Alaska's demand for technically trained graduates in resource extraction, infrastructure, and applied sciences. The highest aggregate-return program is Business Administration, which combines meaningful enrollment with competitive four-year earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall financial outcomes.
Several of the university's popular programs, including Homeland Security and Psychology, General, lead into fields where graduate-school continuation is common and four-year earnings figures undercount longer-term trajectory. Across 26 programs serving roughly 455 students annually, University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a focused portfolio aligned with Alaska's regional labor-market needs — a context explored further in the [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) framework.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
University of Alaska Fairbanks' published cost of attendance is $22,407. Net price by income band reflects the institution's public-tuition structure and aid availability: low-income families pay approximately $7,992, middle-income families pay around $11,323, and higher-income families pay approximately $17,512.
Azimuth ranks University of Alaska Fairbanks #167 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.
The university participates in federal need-based aid programs, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, alongside state and institutional aid. The gap between sticker price and net price varies by income level, with lower-income families seeing a more substantial reduction through aid than higher-income families — a pattern typical of public research universities with broad access missions.
Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $20,291, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $15,888; 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 $67,252, median federal debt of $20,291 projects to a monthly payment of about $229 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 of the University of Alaska Fairbanks earn a median of $67,252 four years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 71.3rd percentile for median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,364 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing UAF in the 77.2nd percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks UAF #514 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to Alaska's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $40,140.
The earnings pattern reflects the university's Business focus, with Business representing 14% of graduates. Business Administration, Management and Operations is the highest-earning program, with 53 graduates earning $70,539 — ranking #69 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other and Biology, General also deliver outcomes, with median earnings of $59,348 and $41,862 respectively. The program mix shows particular strength in applied fields that align with Alaska's regional economy.
