10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$45,572at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Auburn University
Auburn, AL · 84 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 78 · Federal debt reported for 52
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$45,572 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
12.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−16%Estimated return after 10 years
$68,172Observed earnings · year 5
$12,930Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $11,393 per year to reach it.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $15,436 housing and food allowance plus $6,166 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$51,720
$8,000Annual price+$19,720
$16,000Annual price−$12,280
$24,000Current college-wide context−$44,280
$32,000Annual price−$76,280
$40,000Annual price−$108,280
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- Land-grant institution
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
2,138 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Alabama run 11% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$24,323Average net price / year
$34,919Cost of attendance
$21,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$223/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$68,172Median earnings · year 5 after completion
82.0%Completion rate
45.9%Admission rate
1,345Average SAT score
26,816Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Auburn University
What does Auburn University cost?
Auburn University reports an average annual net price of $24,323 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Auburn University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $68,172 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Auburn University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $21,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Auburn University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 84 field-and-degree records for Auburn University; 78 report year-4 earnings and 52 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
37,519Students enrolled at any point
30,306Undergraduate students
7,213Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
69% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
1,657 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
68% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$59,395Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$62,517Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$70,783Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income61%
Middle income72%
Higher income79%
Undergraduate student composition
White83%
Black4%
Hispanic5%
Asian3%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$50,578Year 1
$73,151Year 4
$68,172Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$154,8312Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration · First Professional Degree$136,2943Management Information Systems and Services · Master's Degree$129,1714Veterinary Medicine · First Professional Degree$125,5295Architectural Engineering · Master's Degree$115,9466Industrial Engineering · Master's Degree$113,8667Computer Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$110,9278Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$107,325Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree · $154,831 reported+50%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $83,053 reported+45%vs same-degree national median$23,750federal debt3Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's Degree · $74,392 reported+27%vs same-degree national median$25,750federal debt4Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsBachelor's Degree · $68,939 reported+25%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Management Information Systems and ServicesMaster's Degree · $129,171 reported+22%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementBachelor's Degree · $54,449 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$25,740federal debt
Comparable colleges in AL
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Tuscaloosa, AL
The University of Alabama
- Annual net price
- $22,420
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $62,983
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -33%
University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Annual net price
- $18,749
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $60,738
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -38%
University of Alabama in Huntsville
- Annual net price
- $18,796
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $78,740
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +32%
University of South Alabama
- Annual net price
- $17,648
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,913
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -56%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 84 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $154,831 | Not available | Not reported |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | First Professional Degree | $136,294 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Master's Degree | $129,171 | Not available | Not reported |
| Veterinary Medicine | First Professional Degree | $125,529 | Not available | Not reported |
| Architectural Engineering | Master's Degree | $115,946 | Not available | Not reported |
| Industrial Engineering | Master's Degree | $113,866 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $110,927 | $22,125 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $107,325 | Not available | Not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $106,726 | $23,104 | 1 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Doctoral Degree | $103,093 | Not available | 14 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $102,863 | Not available | 20 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $102,756 | $20,458 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $100,093 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $99,799 | $25,125 | 5 |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $99,441 | $23,250 | 11 |
| Architectural Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $97,759 | $22,000 | 58 |
| Civil Engineering | Master's Degree | $96,904 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Doctoral Degree | $93,737 | Not available | 19 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $93,246 | $24,514 | 1 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $91,087 | $25,000 | 4 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $86,222 | $23,250 | 4 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $84,352 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $83,741 | $19,000 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $83,053 | $23,750 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $80,323 | $22,250 | 36 |
| International Business | Bachelor's Degree | $80,076 | Not available | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $79,778 | $23,375 | 2 |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $74,702 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $74,411 | $25,747 | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Bachelor's Degree | $74,392 | $25,750 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $73,265 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $73,228 | $20,449 | 3 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $72,617 | Not available | 3 |
| Architecture | Bachelor's Degree | $72,420 | $28,000 | Not reported |
| Nutrition Sciences | Master's Degree | $70,100 | Not available | Not reported |
| Interior Architecture | Bachelor's Degree | $69,657 | Not available | Not reported |
| Plant Sciences | Master's Degree | $69,054 | Not available | Not reported |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $68,939 | Not available | Not reported |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $68,658 | $21,875 | Not reported |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $67,413 | $23,250 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every Auburn University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.