Cost & financial aid brief
University of South Alabama Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does University of South Alabama cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 31% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving a sticker-to-net gap of $7,828. The pattern across income bands shows lower average net prices at lower incomes.
The lowest band averages $12,657 and the highest $25,322, a spread of $12,665 between the two ends.
The published cost of attendance at University of South Alabama is $25,476. Azimuth ranks the university #649 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $12,657, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $16,277, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $25,322. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,665.
Aid saves the average recipient $7,828 against the sticker price. The across all aid recipients is $17,648, which is $3,580 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Published tuition and fees are $10,116 for in-state students and $19,092 for out-of-state students. Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $24,929 in federal student loans.
88.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That debt is $3,700 above the peer median of $21,229.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $26,683 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $283 a month.
It estimates what a family might pay based on their own finances and aid eligibility.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Among borrowers who complete a degree at University of South Alabama, the median federal student debt is $24,929. Federal borrowing reaches 88.3% of federal aid recipients.
The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $21,229. That puts the university's median $3,700 above it.
Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $26,683.
Graduates of University of South Alabama earn about $1,692 more than expects for similar students, a result that sits at the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion is $62,459, at the 58th percentile, which is $5,158 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from $43,113 on the downside to $81,987 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $62,459. On the debt side, borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,929 in federal loans, $3,700 above the peer median.
If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $283 a month.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $26,683. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $283 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $26,683
- Estimated parent payment
- $339/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 20.0% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 9.0% | Caution |
| $150,000 | 4.3% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 2.8% | Safe |
The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. Open the parent tool for your own numbers. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $24,929
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $26,683
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $283/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $339/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $622/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $62,459, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
8.8% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.