University Of South Alabama

University of South Alabama's published cost of attendance is $25,476. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels.

Low-income families pay approximately $12,657; middle-income families pay about $16,277; higher-income families pay approximately $25,322. Azimuth ranks University of South Alabama #654 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's net-price structure reflects a public institution's tuition base combined with need-based aid reach.

Most students apply for aid using the FAFSA, and the university participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. The gap between sticker price and net price can differ substantially by income level, and families should review their individual aid award letters to understand their actual out-of-pocket cost.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $24,929, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $26,683; 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 $62,459, median federal debt of $24,929 projects to a monthly payment of about $282 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 $62,459, placing University of South Alabama in the 57.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,313 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of South Alabama in the 67.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks University of South Alabama #682 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $56,249 median at comparable institutions, reflecting the university's concentration in health and applied professional fields.

The earnings pattern at University of South Alabama is anchored by its Health concentration. Nursing stands out as the program combining the broadest enrollment with strong four-year earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile.

Among the largest programs, Nursing program graduates 341 students with median earnings of $78,024 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #222 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Biology, General and Teacher Education follow as substantial programs, with graduates earning $54,090 and $48,956 respectively four years after enrollment.

The program mix spans Business at 12%, Education at 11%, and Engineering at 8%, a distribution that helps explain why median earnings hold up consistently even as the university serves a broad, access-oriented student population. For graduates whose earnings fall toward the lower end of the distribution — particularly those in education or social-service fields — $30,168 represents the AL no-degree earnings baseline.

University of South Alabama's program mix is anchored in health and applied professional fields — a signature consistent with its identity as a regional public university serving the Gulf Coast. Health programs account for 12% of graduates, with Education and Engineering representing 11% and 8% respectively.

The institution's largest programs by graduate volume are Nursing (341 graduates), Biology, General (151 graduates), and Teacher Education (120 graduates), reflecting a student body that concentrates heavily in clinical, care-oriented, and applied business fields. The strongest earnings outcomes at University of South Alabama cluster in health-adjacent and technical programs.

Mechanical Engineering leads with median earnings of $89,052 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #169 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Nursing follows with median earnings of $78,024, with Azimuth ranking it #222 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Biology, General and Teacher Education — with median earnings of $54,090 and $48,956 respectively — round out a cluster of programs where graduates enter stable, in-demand roles relatively quickly after completing their degrees, per [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). The highest-aggregate-return program at University of South Alabama is Nursing, which combines meaningful cohort scale with competitive four-year earnings — making it a key contributor to the institution's overall financial outcomes.

Several of the institution's largest programs, including Health/Medical Preparatory Programs and Psychology, General, follow pathways where a share of graduates continue to graduate or professional study, meaning four-year earnings figures undercount longer-run trajectory for those students. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how health and applied-professional fields align with regional and national labor-market demand.