State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard

Cheapest Colleges in Alabama

Name: Alabama College Net Price Rankings
Creator: PlainCampus

George C Wallace Community College-Dothan has the lowest average net price in Alabama ($1,170); the widest sticker-to-net gap is at Samford University, not necessarily the cheapest campus.

Compiled by PlainCampus , Independent campus-safety data publisher

$1,170
Cheapest net price: $15,258
Alabama median: 65
Schools ranked

George C Wallace Community College-Dothan has the lowest average net price in Alabama among Scorecard reporters

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, George C Wallace Community College-Dothan posts the lowest average net price in Alabama at $1,170 among 65 ranked schools, with the state median 11% below the $17,124 national median. Net price is what students paid after grant aid, not sticker tuition, and can reflect a narrow enrollment mix at specialty schools.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard

Cheapest net price: $1,170
Alabama median: $15,258
Schools ranked: 65
National median: $17,124

Data updated August 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage

The list in one line

George C Wallace Community College-Dothan has the lowest average net price in Alabama at $1,170/year, and the state's median net price is 11% below the $17,124 national median across 4,965 schools.

$1,170
cheapest ranked net price: $15,258
Alabama median net price: 36 public / 29 private
schools in this ranking: $13,625
avg net price, <$30K income families

Average net price blends every income bracket; families under $30k average $13,625 here. Loans are excluded, open a school profile for the bracket table before treating one average as a personal cost.

Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Samford University, where in-state published tuition of $40,150 falls to an average net price of $32,622 after aid, a $7,528 gap, the widest sticker-to-net gap among ranked Alabama schools.

Across 65 ranked Alabama schools, 36 are public and 29 are private. Sector sits beside every row because a low price at a specialty campus is not the same signal as a low price at a large public college.

The bar to make this top-25 list is $13,644. Here is where that cutoff sits among all 65 Scorecard-reporting Alabama schools:

The bar to make Alabama's top-25 cheapest list

Average net price after aid · 65 Scorecard-reporting schools

$13,644 Among the most affordable more affordable than 62% of 65 Alabama colleges

Show national distribution

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more Alabama colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2022–23

Alabama's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

George C Wallace Community College-DothanDothan, AL · Public

Avg net price: $1,170
Net price (<$30K income): $1,199
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $28,431
Enrollment: 4,044

Reid State Technical CollegeEvergreen, AL · Public

Avg net price: $1,739
Net price (<$30K income): $735
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $28,287
Enrollment: 641

Northeast Alabama Community CollegeRainsville, AL · Public

Avg net price: $2,756
Net price (<$30K income): $1,451
Median debt: $6,100
Median earnings, 6yr: $31,750
Enrollment: 3,208

Lurleen B Wallace Community CollegeAndalusia, AL · Public

Avg net price: $2,792
Net price (<$30K income): $2,054
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $30,010
Enrollment: 2,062

Northwest Shoals Community CollegeMuscle Shoals, AL · Public

Avg net price: $2,838
Net price (<$30K income): $1,356
Median debt: $10,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $31,469
Enrollment: 4,665

Snead State Community CollegeBoaz, AL · Public

Avg net price: $3,249
Net price (<$30K income): $2,256
Median debt: $9,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,858
Enrollment: 2,917

Gadsden State Community CollegeGadsden, AL · Public

Avg net price: $3,515
Net price (<$30K income): $3,438
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $29,795
Enrollment: 5,071

Chattahoochee Valley Community CollegePhenix City, AL · Public

Avg net price: $4,244
Net price (<$30K income): $3,275
Median debt: $10,500
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,196
Enrollment: 1,705

Bishop State Community CollegeMobile, AL · Public

Avg net price: $5,397
Net price (<$30K income): $5,157
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $25,100
Enrollment: 4,001

Bevill State Community CollegeJasper, AL · Public

Avg net price: $5,937
Net price (<$30K income): $5,204
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $31,129
Enrollment: 4,378

J. F. Drake State Community and Technical CollegeHuntsville, AL · Public

Avg net price: $6,005
Net price (<$30K income): $5,916
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $27,211
Enrollment: 1,187

Southern Union State Community CollegeWadley, AL · Public

Avg net price: $6,142
Net price (<$30K income): $3,543
Median debt: $11,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,844
Enrollment: 5,063

Lawson State Community CollegeBirmingham, AL · Public

Avg net price: $6,275
Net price (<$30K income): $6,102
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $27,733
Enrollment: 3,453

John C Calhoun State Community CollegeTanner, AL · Public

Avg net price: $7,660
Net price (<$30K income): $5,217
Median debt: $12,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,579
Enrollment: 9,119

H Councill Trenholm State Community CollegeMontgomery, AL · Public

Avg net price: $8,325
Net price (<$30K income): $7,847
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $28,657
Enrollment: 2,046

Marion Military InstituteMarion, AL · Public

Avg net price: $8,627
Net price (<$30K income): $7,471
Median debt: $9,250
Median earnings, 6yr: $45,043
Enrollment: 332

Jefferson State Community CollegeBirmingham, AL · Public

Avg net price: $9,086
Net price (<$30K income): $6,836
Median debt: $9,689
Median earnings, 6yr: $35,502
Enrollment: 9,240

George C Wallace State Community College-SelmaSelma, AL · Public

Avg net price: $9,272
Net price (<$30K income): $8,948
Median debt: -
Median earnings, 6yr: $25,214
Enrollment: 1,925

University Academy of Hair DesignTuscaloosa, AL · Private for-profit

Avg net price: $12,018
Net price (<$30K income): $12,018
Median debt: $9,833
Median earnings, 6yr: $23,934
Enrollment: 38

University of North AlabamaFlorence, AL · Public

Avg net price: $12,170
Net price (<$30K income): $9,741
Median debt: $22,077
Median earnings, 6yr: $38,295
Enrollment: 10,204

Enterprise State Community CollegeEnterprise, AL · Public

Avg net price: $12,609
Net price (<$30K income): $11,191
Median debt: $7,499
Median earnings, 6yr: $32,883
Enrollment: 2,699

University of West AlabamaLivingston, AL · Public

Avg net price: $12,684
Net price (<$30K income): $12,179
Median debt: $24,944
Median earnings, 6yr: $37,106
Enrollment: 6,820

George C Wallace State Community College-HancevilleHanceville, AL · Public

Avg net price: $13,170
Net price (<$30K income): $11,719
Median debt: $11,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $36,129
Enrollment: 6,424

Auburn University at MontgomeryMontgomery, AL · Public

Avg net price: $13,224
Net price (<$30K income): $11,706
Median debt: $25,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $38,216
Enrollment: 5,217

Coastal Alabama Community CollegeBay Minette, AL · Public

Avg net price: $13,644
Net price (<$30K income): $11,916
Median debt: $11,000
Median earnings, 6yr: $30,808
Enrollment: 7,553

#	College	Avg net price	Net price (<$30K income)	Median debt	Median earnings, 6yr	Enrollment
1	George C Wallace Community College-DothanDothan, AL · Public	$1,170	$1,199	-	$28,431	4,044
2	Reid State Technical CollegeEvergreen, AL · Public	$1,739	$735	-	$28,287	641
3	Northeast Alabama Community CollegeRainsville, AL · Public	$2,756	$1,451	$6,100	$31,750	3,208
4	Lurleen B Wallace Community CollegeAndalusia, AL · Public	$2,792	$2,054	-	$30,010	2,062
5	Northwest Shoals Community CollegeMuscle Shoals, AL · Public	$2,838	$1,356	$10,000	$31,469	4,665
6	Snead State Community CollegeBoaz, AL · Public	$3,249	$2,256	$9,000	$32,858	2,917
7	Gadsden State Community CollegeGadsden, AL · Public	$3,515	$3,438	-	$29,795	5,071
8	Chattahoochee Valley Community CollegePhenix City, AL · Public	$4,244	$3,275	$10,500	$32,196	1,705
9	Bishop State Community CollegeMobile, AL · Public	$5,397	$5,157	-	$25,100	4,001
10	Bevill State Community CollegeJasper, AL · Public	$5,937	$5,204	-	$31,129	4,378
11	J. F. Drake State Community and Technical CollegeHuntsville, AL · Public	$6,005	$5,916	-	$27,211	1,187
12	Southern Union State Community CollegeWadley, AL · Public	$6,142	$3,543	$11,000	$32,844	5,063
13	Lawson State Community CollegeBirmingham, AL · Public	$6,275	$6,102	-	$27,733	3,453
14	John C Calhoun State Community CollegeTanner, AL · Public	$7,660	$5,217	$12,000	$32,579	9,119
15	H Councill Trenholm State Community CollegeMontgomery, AL · Public	$8,325	$7,847	-	$28,657	2,046
16	Marion Military InstituteMarion, AL · Public	$8,627	$7,471	$9,250	$45,043	332
17	Jefferson State Community CollegeBirmingham, AL · Public	$9,086	$6,836	$9,689	$35,502	9,240
18	George C Wallace State Community College-SelmaSelma, AL · Public	$9,272	$8,948	-	$25,214	1,925
19	University Academy of Hair DesignTuscaloosa, AL · Private for-profit	$12,018	$12,018	$9,833	$23,934	38
20	University of North AlabamaFlorence, AL · Public	$12,170	$9,741	$22,077	$38,295	10,204
21	Enterprise State Community CollegeEnterprise, AL · Public	$12,609	$11,191	$7,499	$32,883	2,699
22	University of West AlabamaLivingston, AL · Public	$12,684	$12,179	$24,944	$37,106	6,820
23	George C Wallace State Community College-HancevilleHanceville, AL · Public	$13,170	$11,719	$11,000	$36,129	6,424
24	Auburn University at MontgomeryMontgomery, AL · Public	$13,224	$11,706	$25,000	$38,216	5,217
25	Coastal Alabama Community CollegeBay Minette, AL · Public	$13,644	$11,916	$11,000	$30,808	7,553

Showing the 25 cheapest of 65 Scorecard-reporting Alabama schools. The remaining 40 are ranked in the same net-price order but omitted from this HTML table so the page stays crawlable.

Look up any institution's exact rank via My School Profile, or open its school page for income-bracket net price, debt, and earnings.

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What this means for you

Use Alabama's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.

George C Wallace Community College-Dothan reports the lowest average net price in Alabama, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View George C Wallace
See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. Alabama safety

Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.

Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. This page lists the 25 cheapest; the title count is the full Scorecard-reporting cohort for Alabama. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.

Alabama's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

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