College Tuition In Alabama: What In-State Students Are Paying

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Now that the 2017-18 school year is over, and another graduating class of high school students will enter college this fall, but at what cost? College tuition has skyrocketed over the last 20 years, increasing exponentially at a rate far above the rate of inflation.

A new generation of college graduates enters the workforce strapped with enormous student loan debt due to high tuition costs, and hunting for scholarships has become almost a competitive sport. Typically, the most inexpensive avenue to travel as far as college is concerned is to attend a public university within your state. But even now, in-state tuition is not the bargain it once was. In the last 20 years, the average tuition and fees at private national universities have jumped 157 percent. Out-of-state tuition and fees at public national universities have risen 194 percent. And in-state tuition and fees at public national universities have grown the most, increasing at a whopping 237 percent.

What does that mean for Alabama's current and prospective college students? It means finding the best bang for the buck, so to speak. According to CollegeCompare, a research-based website aimed at finding college tuition bargains, the four-year Alabama school with the lowest tuition currently is Athens State University, which posts an in-state tuition of $6,690 per year, or $198 per semester hour. The University of Montevallo is the priciest, with an annual tuition of $12,400, or $391 per semester hour.

Here is how all of Alabama's public four-year colleges rank in regard to tuition and fees:

Athens State University: $6,690/year; $198/hour

University of South Alabama: $7,812/year; $213/hour

Auburn University at Montgomery: $8,020/year; $244/hour

Jacksonville State University: $8,166/year; $247/hour

University of Alabama at Birmingham: $8,328/year; $327/hour

University of North Alabama: $8,480/year; $277/hour

Troy University: $8,692/year; $316/hour

University of West Alabama: $9,204/year; $324/hour

Alabama A&M University: $9,857/year; $279/hour

University of Alabama at Huntsville: $10,280/year; $391/hour

University of Alabama: $10,780/year; $391/hour

Auburn University: $10,968/year; $391/hour

Alabama State University: $11,068/year; $347/hour

University of Montevallo: $12,400/year;$391/hour

Photo by Michael Seale/Patch