Cheap Colleges in Alabama for Out-of-State Students
Out-of-state students pay between $8,910 and $34,922 a year in tuition and fees at the 18 public colleges and universities we rank in Alabama, a gap of $26,012 between the cheapest and the most expensive. This list ranks the non-resident price, not the in-state price.
The median public college charges nonresidents $20,221, $7,436 (58%) above the national median of $12,786 for public colleges. Residents pay a median of $10,146, so the typical out-of-state premium is only $10,075 here, a ratio of 2.0 to 1.
Lawson State Community College ranks first at $8,910, ahead of Jefferson State Community College ($8,970) and Enterprise State Community College ($8,970).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- All public colleges and universities, 4-year and 2-year (community colleges and state colleges included)
- Ranked by out-of-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Alabama
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported out-of-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; Alabama has 18
- Data period
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 18 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | Lawson State Community College Birmingham, AL Public · 2-year | $8,910 | $5,040 | $6,275 | 26% | 2,900 |
| 2 | Jefferson State Community College Birmingham, AL Public · 2-year | $8,970 | $5,100 | $9,086 | 24% | 5,470 |
| 3 | Enterprise State Community College Enterprise, AL Public · 2-year | $8,970 | $5,100 | $12,609 | 36% | 1,585 |
| 4 | Chattahoochee Valley Community College Phenix City, AL Public · 2-year | $8,970 | $5,100 | $4,244 | 36% | 1,110 |
| 5 | Lurleen B Wallace Community College Andalusia, AL Public · 2-year | $9,060 | $5,190 | $2,792 | 42% | 1,097 |
| 6 | Alabama A & M University Normal, AL Public · 4-year | $18,634 | $10,024 | $17,621 | 26% | 6,124 |
| 7 | University of South Alabama Mobile, AL Public · 4-year | $19,092 | $10,116 | $17,648 | 53% | 8,879 |
| 8 | Alabama State University Montgomery, AL Public · 4-year | $19,576 | $11,248 | $20,435 | 30% | 3,477 |
| 9 | University of West Alabama Livingston, AL Public · 4-year | $20,090 | $10,990 | $12,684 | 36% | 2,974 |
| 10 | Troy University Troy, AL Public · 4-year | $20,352 | $10,176 | $16,527 | 48% | 9,805 |
| 11 | Auburn University at Montgomery Montgomery, AL Public · 4-year | $20,668 | $9,700 | $13,224 | 34% | 2,542 |
| 12 | University of North Alabama Florence, AL Public · 4-year | $22,320 | $12,120 | $12,170 | 54% | 5,811 |
| 13 | University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL Public · 4-year | $22,562 | $9,098 | $18,749 | 63% | 11,635 |
| 14 | Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL Public · 4-year | $23,334 | $12,894 | $14,279 | 53% | 7,036 |
| 15 | University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL Public · 4-year | $26,408 | $12,132 | $18,796 | 63% | 6,591 |
| 16 | University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL Public · 4-year | $26,968 | $13,948 | $17,683 | 52% | 2,151 |
| 17 | The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL Public · 4-year | $34,172 | $12,180 | $22,420 | 74% | 33,227 |
| 18 | Auburn University Auburn, AL Public · 4-year | $34,922 | $12,890 | $24,323 | 81% | 26,816 |
How to compare these colleges
The ranked column is the out-of-state price. The in-state price is shown for comparison, and net price is the average for students who receive aid, measured mostly for in-state students at public colleges, so it is not a good guide to what a nonresident will pay. Many states cut the non-resident rate through regional exchange programs, reciprocity agreements or merit awards, and residency can change after a year of living in the state, so check each college's non-resident aid page before ruling a school out.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Alabama
Cheapest colleges in Alabama
24 schools
Best value colleges in Alabama
15 schools
Highest graduate earnings in Alabama
22 schools
Same list in nearby states
Cheap colleges in Florida for out-of-state students
33 schools
Cheap colleges in Georgia for out-of-state students
27 schools
Cheap colleges in Tennessee for out-of-state students
23 schools
All 34 colleges in Alabama See the national version of this ranking