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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University of South Alabama Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-south-alabama/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/university-of-south-alabama/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-south-alabama/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-south-alabama/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-south-alabama/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does University of South Alabama cost after financial aid?

Grants and scholarships cut the published cost by $7,828 for the average aid recipient at University of South Alabama. After that aid is applied, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $17,648.

That is $3,580 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The published cost is $25,476 before any aid is applied.

Alabama residents are charged $10,116 in tuition and fees, nonresidents are charged $19,092, and on-campus room and board is $11,366. Aid covers about 31% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

Azimuth ranks the university #649 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 54th percentile.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) equals what aid recipients pay once grants and scholarships are applied. Families in the lowest band average $12,657, while those in the highest band average $25,322.

The spread between them is $12,665. Aid recipients overall pay an average of $17,648, which is $3,580 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the affordability pillar at the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,929 in federal loans, $3,700 above the peer median.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is higher for families with more income. Aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 pay $12,657 on average; those in the $30,001–$48,000 band pay $13,265; the $48,001–$75,000 band pays $16,277; the $75,001–$110,000 band pays $23,252; and families earning over $110,000 pay $25,322.

Pell Grants go to 38.0% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,665.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$12,657

**$30–48K**
$13,265

**$48–75K**
$16,277

**$75–110K**
$23,252

**$110K+**
$25,322

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$17,648**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

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 price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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 average net price 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $26,683.

Graduates of University of South Alabama earn about $1,692 more than the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$26,683

**Estimated parent payment**
$339/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=university-of-south-alabama#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## 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

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  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.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

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.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=university-of-south-alabama#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).

**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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

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.