10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$141,462at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL · 48 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 46 · Federal debt reported for 33
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$141,462 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
23.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−56%Estimated return after 10 years
$55,913Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
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: $11,456 housing and food allowance plus $5,517 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−$70,870
$8,000Annual price−$102,870
$16,000Annual price−$134,870
$18,000Current college-wide context−$142,870
$24,000Annual price−$166,870
$32,000Annual price−$198,870
$40,000Annual price−$230,870
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
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
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
402 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
$17,648Average net price / year
$25,476Cost of attendance
$24,929Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$264/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$55,913Median earnings · year 5 after completion
52.7%Completion rate
71.0%Admission rate
1,147Average SAT score
23ACT midpoint
8,879Student 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 University of South Alabama
What does University of South Alabama cost?
University of South Alabama reports an average annual net price of $17,648 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do University of South Alabama graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $55,913 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do University of South Alabama graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $24,929. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at University of South Alabama worth the same?
No. The current release contains 48 field-and-degree records for University of South Alabama; 46 report year-4 earnings and 33 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
16,245Students enrolled at any point
10,431Undergraduate students
5,814Graduate 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
47% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
2,077 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
45% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$44,893Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$51,764Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$54,926Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income38%
Middle income51%
Higher income62%
Undergraduate student composition
White60%
Black23%
Hispanic6%
Asian4%
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
$46,120Year 1
$62,459Year 4
$55,913Year 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.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Doctoral Degree$137,5592Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Master's Degree$124,5663Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$122,8514Medicine · Doctoral Degree$114,5065Educational Administration and Supervision · Doctoral Degree$101,1946Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$100,1667Communication Disorders Sciences and Services · Doctoral Degree$94,4638Chemical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$93,943Observed 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.
1Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesDoctoral Degree · $94,463 reported+7%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $51,718 reported+6%vs same-degree national median$23,505federal debt3Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's Degree · $48,956 reported+3%vs same-degree national median$26,000federal debt4Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsMaster's Degree · $73,218 reported+3%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesBachelor's Degree · $61,632 reported+2%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's Degree · $122,851 reported+2%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal 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.
Normal, AL
Alabama A&M University
- Annual net price
- $17,621
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $52,246
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -71%
University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Annual net price
- $18,749
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $60,738
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -38%
Auburn University at Montgomery
- Annual net price
- $13,224
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $54,405
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -60%
Troy University
- Annual net price
- $16,527
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,885
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -76%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 48 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $137,559 | Not available | 149 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $124,566 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $122,851 | Not available | 152 |
| Medicine | Doctoral Degree | $114,506 | Not available | 68 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $101,194 | Not available | 8 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $100,166 | $25,146 | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Doctoral Degree | $94,463 | Not available | 13 |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $93,943 | $24,500 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $89,052 | $26,500 | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Doctoral Degree | $81,627 | Not available | 39 |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $80,317 | $26,750 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $78,187 | $28,000 | 0 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $78,024 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Master's Degree | $73,218 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $69,490 | $29,192 | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Master's Degree | $65,988 | Not available | Not reported |
| Information Science/Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $64,455 | $30,550 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $64,410 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $62,719 | $22,532 | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $62,084 | $28,500 | Not reported |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $61,632 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $61,561 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,602 | $27,000 | 1 |
| Business/Commerce, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,513 | $30,980 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $58,540 | Not available | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $54,379 | Not available | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $54,204 | $22,989 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $54,090 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $53,511 | Not available | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $51,718 | $23,505 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $50,822 | $29,026 | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $50,771 | Not available | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $50,483 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $48,956 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $48,602 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $48,021 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | Bachelor's Degree | $47,019 | $28,995 | Not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $46,912 | $26,750 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $46,828 | $26,000 | Not reported |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | $46,667 | $30,500 | 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 University of South Alabama 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.