Home › Colleges › University of Alabama in Huntsville

College profile

University of Alabama in Huntsville

AL · Public · Mid-size city · 6,074 applicants 2023

R1 Research
74% admit rate SAT 1195–1440 $19K–$27K/yr in-state — aid decides

A parent's read

  • Grades and scores convert directly to dollars here. This college publishes an automatic merit grid — hit the GPA/score tiers and the discount is guaranteed, no negotiation. Check the scholarship table below before assuming the sticker.
  • The payoff holds even at full price: roughly 6× over a decade. With no aid at all — the full in-state ~$27,392/yr — a decade of median earnings (~$61,767/yr) still runs about 6× the four-year cost. This payoff doesn't depend on qualifying for anything. (Out-of-state costs more.)
  • Built for the AI economy. About 1 in 12 degrees here is already in AI, computer science, or data fields. This campus is leaning into the shift, not waiting for it.
  • Ask the submit question deliberately. This college is test-optional — but at many such colleges, applicants who submit strong scores are admitted at meaningfully higher rates. “Optional” is a strategy decision, not a pass.

Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.

Get your child's odds at University of Alabama in Huntsville Free Family Decision Report — Reach / Competitive / Match / Likely + your real net price. University of Alabama in Huntsville starts already on the list. Start →
Odds at University of Alabama in Huntsville

Put in your child's GPA and score — we'll show where they land here. Free, and nothing to sign up for.

Most families report the weighted one — it's the higher number, with honors and AP credit in it.

—

This reads the numbers — admit rate, scores, GPA. The real decision also weighs essays, recommendations, activities, and course rigor.

Get their full list — free Family Decision Report →

The free report adds every college on your list — Reach / Competitive / Match / Likely odds, your real net price, and merit-scholarship eligibility. About a minute.

Live odds from each college's own published admissions data.

Parent/student verdict

Accessible

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable — net price averages ~$18,796/yr among aid recipients. Major value play for in-state residents.

Best for

  • Solid academic profiles — the admitted-student bands above are within reach for strong students
  • Strong test/GPA students chasing merit aid — Juno I or Saturn V on offer (see merit-scholarship tab below)
  • In-state residents (tuition ~$12,132 — major value play)
  • Students focused on Engineering (the school's signature program)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

The reality

  • You'd be near the bottom of their admitted class if: SAT below 1195, or ACT below 25, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (test bands are the school's own; the GPA floor is our estimate, not a published figure)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price with aid and at full price, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

What are your child's odds here?

Enter their numbers once — this and every college page shows their verdict, and the UC campus cards on California school pages light up with it too. Free, no email.

Weighted is the higher GPA, with honors/AP credit in it — pick whichever your school reports. PSAT scores work in the SAT box.

Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Undergraduates
6,591
5,000 - 9,999 including graduate students
In-state tuitionThe published full price before any aid. Families who don't qualify for need-based aid at a given college pay this, minus any merit scholarships — whether you qualify depends on the college's price and policies, not on any fixed income line.
$12,132
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$26,408
+$14,276 vs in-state
Admit rateThe share of applicants a college accepts. Useful context, but your student's odds depend on their own grades and scores, not the average.
74.3%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%The middle half of the enrolled first-years who sent this test scored in this range — a quarter of them scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. At a test-optional college the students who submitted are often a minority of the class, so the range describes them rather than everyone who enrolled. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
1195–1440
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%The middle half of the enrolled first-years who sent this test scored in this range — a quarter of them scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. At a test-optional college the students who submitted are often a minority of the class, so the range describes them rather than everyone who enrolled. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
25–31
composite
Test policyApplicants choose whether to send SAT/ACT scores. At many such colleges, students who submit strong scores are still admitted at higher rates.
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earningsMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$61,767
median, after entry

6% of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score, 58% an ACT — these ranges describe students who submitted, not the whole class.

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$55,610
Earnings, 10 yrs after entryMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$61,767
Graduate within 6 yrsThe share of students who start here and finish a bachelor's within six years — the standard federal measure, and the one College Scorecard publishes. It is not a four-year rate. Read it as the odds of finishing at all: nationally about a third of students who start never do, and an unfinished degree is the most expensive outcome in this decision.
64%
Median debt (completers)The federal-loan balance of the typical graduating borrower. Families who pay cash aren't counted, so read it as "among those who borrowed."
$20,705

The real cost

What University of Alabama in Huntsville actually costs

If you qualify for need aidGrant money based on your family's finances (via FAFSA and the college's own forms), not your student's stats.
$18,796/yr
average among aid-receiving families, all incomes — your number depends on your finances
If you don't
$27,392/yr
the full published price for in-state students — out-of-state runs higher

Which side your family lands on isn't set by any national income line — it's set by University of Alabama in Huntsville's own aid decision: the gap between its price and your family's finances.

Get your family's number — University of Alabama in Huntsville's Net Price Calculator ↗ 10–15 minutes; have a tax return handy. It's still an estimate — but it's this college's own, built from your family's numbers, not anyone's average.
Start your Family Decision Report →

Your odds + estimated cost across your whole college list, side by side.

The payoffTen years of typical graduate pay minus four years of cost — how many dollars ahead a typical graduate runs by year ten. Check both the full-price and with-aid versions to see which applies to you; median pay reflects who a college admits and what they study as much as the college itself., both ways

+$508K ahead at full price +$542K with aid
Full price, no aidThe all-in yearly price — tuition, housing, food, books, fees — before any aid. This is the real "full price," not just the tuition line. (4 yrs, in-state)
$109,568
~$27,392/yr all-in (out-of-state runs higher)
Aid recipients pay (4 yrs)
$75,184
$18,796/yr average
10-yr earnings total
$617,670
$61,767/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup the cost
1.8 yrs
at full price (1.2 with aid), at the median earnings rate

Source: College Scorecard (average net price among Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates who received aid) and each college's published cost of attendance. We don't show the federal net-price-by-income brackets: their categories were fixed in 2008 and never adjusted, and none of the averages is your family's own number — the full story. Payoff = (10-yr median earnings × 10) − (4 years of cost), in dollars — how far ahead a typical graduate runs by year ten; medians travel with the students a college admits and the majors they choose as much as with the college itself. Full price is the published cost of attendance, largely in-state for publics; earnings are 10 years after enrollment, all majors combined.

What students study here

Most popular majors at University of Alabama in Huntsville

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of Alabama in Huntsville actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Engineering
504 degrees · 42.0%
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
2. Business, Management, & Marketing
270 degrees · 22.5%
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
3. Health Professions
176 degrees · 14.7%
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
4. Computer & Information Sciences
165 degrees · 13.8%
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
5. Physical Sciences
84 degrees · 7.0%
Chemistry, physics, geology — strong wages especially in industry roles.

What those majors earn here

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — University of Alabama in Huntsville's own graduates, not national averages.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 71 $83,909 $105,920
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 59 $81,516 $100,296
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 124 $73,984 $95,341
Industrial Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 38 $76,690 $95,153
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 153 $75,159 $95,076
Engineering, General. Bachelor's Degree — — $91,645
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 33 $60,528 $90,681
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 43 $56,584 $89,472
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 121 $70,383 $87,339
Civil Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 34 $64,122 $78,858

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

Merit aidScholarship money awarded for grades or test scores, not financial need — at many colleges it's automatic at certain GPA/score levels.

What your test score unlocks at University of Alabama in Huntsville

Score-or-merit-based scholarships published by the institution. Stackable in most cases — confirm with the financial aid office.

Award Annual award Score gate GPA gate Renewable
Juno I
GPA 4.0+ ACT 31-36 (Full Tuition) · in_state
 Full in-state tuition 1390+ SAT 4.0+ Yes
Saturn V
GPA 4.0+ Test-Optional (OOS) · out_of_state
 $22,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 — 4.0+ Yes
Atlas D
GPA 4.0+ ACT 32-36 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $19,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1420+ SAT 4.0+ Yes
Saturn V
GPA 3.75-3.99 Test-Optional (OOS) · out_of_state
 $19,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 — 3.75+ Yes
Titan III
GPA 4.0+ ACT 25-27 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $16,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1200+ SAT 4.0+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 4.0+ ACT 28-31 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $16,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1300+ SAT 4.0+ Yes
Atlas D
GPA 3.75-3.99 ACT 32-36 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $16,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1420+ SAT 3.75+ Yes
Saturn V
GPA 3.5-3.74 Test-Optional (OOS) · out_of_state
 $16,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 — 3.5+ Yes
Juno I
GPA 4.0+ ACT 22-24 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $13,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1100+ SAT 4.0+ Yes
Titan III
GPA 3.75-3.99 ACT 25-27 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $13,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1200+ SAT 3.75+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 3.75-3.99 ACT 28-31 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $13,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1300+ SAT 3.75+ Yes
Atlas D
GPA 3.5-3.74 ACT 32-36 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $13,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1420+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Saturn V
GPA 3.0-3.49 Test-Optional (OOS) · out_of_state
 $13,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 — 3.0+ Yes
Juno I
GPA 3.75-3.99 ACT 22-24 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $10,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1100+ SAT 3.75+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 3.5-3.74 ACT 28-31 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $10,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1300+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Atlas D
GPA 3.0-3.49 ACT 32-36 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $10,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1420+ SAT 3.0+ Yes
Juno I
GPA 4.0+ ACT 29-30 · in_state
 $8,500/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1330+ SAT 4.0+ Yes
Titan III
GPA 3.75-3.99 ACT 31-36 · in_state
 $8,500/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1390+ SAT 3.75+ Yes
Juno I
GPA 4.0+ ACT 27-28 · in_state
 $7,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1260+ SAT 4.0+ Yes
Titan III
GPA 3.75-3.99 ACT 29-30 · in_state
 $7,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1330+ SAT 3.75+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 3.5-3.74 ACT 31-36 · in_state
 $7,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1390+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Juno I
GPA 4.0+ ACT 21-23 · in_state
 $6,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1060+ SAT 4.0+ Yes
Juno I
GPA 4.0+ ACT 24-26 · in_state
 $6,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1160+ SAT 4.0+ Yes
Titan III
GPA 3.75-3.99 ACT 27-28 · in_state
 $6,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1260+ SAT 3.75+ Yes
Juno I
GPA 4.0+ Test-Optional · in_state
 $5,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 — 4.0+ Yes
Titan III
GPA 3.75-3.99 ACT 21-23 · in_state
 $5,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1060+ SAT 3.75+ Yes
Titan III
GPA 3.75-3.99 ACT 24-26 · in_state
 $5,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1160+ SAT 3.75+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 3.5-3.74 ACT 29-30 · in_state
 $5,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1330+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Juno I
GPA 3.5-3.74 ACT 22-24 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $5,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1100+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Titan III
GPA 3.5-3.74 ACT 25-27 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $5,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1200+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 3.0-3.49 ACT 28-31 (OOS) · out_of_state
 $5,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1300+ SAT 3.0+ Yes
Titan III
GPA 3.75-3.99 Test-Optional · in_state
 $4,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 — 3.75+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 3.5-3.74 ACT 27-28 · in_state
 $4,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1260+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 3.5-3.74 ACT 24-26 · in_state
 $3,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1160+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Atlas D
GPA 3.0-3.49 ACT 31-36 · in_state
 $3,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1390+ SAT 3.0+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 3.5-3.74 Test-Optional · in_state
 $2,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 — 3.5+ Yes
Jupiter C
GPA 3.5-3.74 ACT 21-23 · in_state
 $2,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1060+ SAT 3.5+ Yes
Atlas D
GPA 3.0-3.49 ACT 27-28 · in_state
 $2,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1260+ SAT 3.0+ Yes
Atlas D
GPA 3.0-3.49 ACT 29-30 · in_state
 $2,000/yr
as published, checked 2026-06-06 · source ↗
 1330+ SAT 3.0+ Yes

See all merit scholarships across colleges + 13 national awards on /merit-scholarships →

See which merit tiers your child already clears — free Family Decision Report Start →

Student body & economic mobility

Who attends here — and what the campus adds.

Opportunity Insights data. It measures two things at once: how many lower-income students a college enrols, and how many of them reach the top earnings quintile later. A high rate says the college does both — it does not establish that the campus caused the earnings, because the students it admits differ from the students it doesn't. Read it as a signal about access and destination, not as proof of value added.

Top-1% access
0.8%
from top-1% households
Mobility rateThe share of ALL students who arrived from the bottom 20% of family incomes AND reached the top 20% themselves by their early 30s — access and lift in one number, and a sign the campus itself adds earnings power.
2.4%
bottom 20% → top 20% by age 32
Upward rate
29.6%
of lower-income students who reach the top 20%
Pell recipientsStudents receiving federal Pell grants, which go to lower- and middle-income families — the standard shorthand for a college's economic mix.
25%
on federal need grants — context for these numbers

Full leaderboards: /college-mobility →

Alternatives to University of Alabama in Huntsville

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
30 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
21 stats-based + 2 competitive scholarships
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
18 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
Lower full price
Similar selectivity, but a meaningfully lower full sticker price — the comparison that matters most for families who won't qualify for much need-based aid.
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr full price (in-state) · $18,224 less before aid for NY residents
CUNY Hunter College
NY · Public
$13,905/yr full price (in-state) · $13,487 less before aid for NY residents
CUNY Brooklyn College
NY · Public
$14,151/yr full price (in-state) · $13,241 less before aid for NY residents
Safer in-state options
Same state and similar selectivity, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
88% admit rate (vs 74% here)
More students move up here
Per Opportunity Insights, a larger share of these campuses' lower-income students reach the top earnings quintile than at University of Alabama in Huntsville. That reflects who they admit as well as what they do, so read it as a destination signal rather than proof of value added.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
NY · Public
12.9% mobility rate (vs 2.4% here)
CUNY City College
NY · Public
11.7% mobility rate (vs 2.4% here)
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
NY · Public
9.7% mobility rate (vs 2.4% here)

Or compare any college side-by-side

Deciding on University of Alabama in Huntsville?

Get the full picture in one free report — your child's Reach / Competitive / Match / Likely odds and your real net price, for University of Alabama in Huntsville and every other college on your list.

Get your child's odds at University of Alabama in Huntsville →

Score-odds calculator · Improve the score first

For Parents

Get alerts when University of Alabama in Huntsville's numbers change

New admit rates, costs, and outcomes — a few alerts a year, no spam. Your email also saves your list across devices.

Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.

At a glance

JSON · Using this page with an AI assistant

University of Alabama in Huntsville is a public four-year college in AL. It admitted 74% of applicants (6,074 applied, 2023). Test policy: Test-optional.

Middle 50% of enrolled first-years who submitted that test: SAT 1195–1440, ACT 25–31. 6% of enrolled first-years submitted an SAT score, 58% an ACT — these ranges describe students who submitted, not the whole class.

Cost: about $18,796 a year on average with aid, $27,392 a year at full price for in-state students.

Median earnings ten years after entry: $61,767 a year. Payoff, meaning ten years of that pay minus four years of cost: $542,486 ahead with aid, $508,102 ahead at full price.

Highest median earnings four years after the degree, by program: Computer Engineering ($105,920); Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($100,296); Mechanical Engineering ($95,341).

Economic mobility (Opportunity Insights): 8% of students came from families in the bottom fifth of income, and 30% of those reached the top fifth as adults.

Machine-readable version of this page: https://highschoolreach.com/colleges/university-of-alabama-in-huntsville.json

By major: AccountingAerospace EngineeringArt (Studio)BiologyBusiness AdministrationChemical EngineeringCivil EngineeringComputer EngineeringComputer ScienceElectrical EngineeringFinanceIndustrial EngineeringInformation SystemsKinesiologyLiberal Studies (teacher preparation)MarketingMechanical EngineeringNursing (BSN)Psychology
Get your child's odds →

What families ask next

Can my kid get in? Score odds calculator → See how a higher SAT or ACT changes admit odds — college by college. What will it cost — and pay back? Earnings by major → What graduates actually earn, program by program. What do we do next? Free Family Decision Report Reach / Competitive / Match / Likely for every college on their list, plus the real cost. Start with a 10-second odds check — no email needed. Check odds →