2026 Best Value Finance Schools in Alabama
[Finance](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/finance-financial-management/finance/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools to find the best return on investment for finance students.
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2026 Best Value Finance Schools in Alabama
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in finance, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Finance Schools
University Of North Alabama tops our 2026 list of the best value finance schools in Alabama. Set in the city of Florence, University Of North Alabama is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,120, compared with $22,320 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,250 to complete the finance program here. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from University Of North Alabama generally make around $43,512. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Jacksonville State University earned it the #2 place for finance. Jacksonville State University is a large public school located in the suburb of Jacksonville. In-state tuition and fees average $12,894, with out-of-state students paying around $23,334. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $14,875. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from Jacksonville State University generally make around $39,457. That is a strong return on a $14,875 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Alabama A And M University one of the best values for finance. Alabama A And M University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Normal. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,024, while out-of-state students pay about $18,634. Finance graduates carry a median of $31,896 in student loans. Finance graduates of Alabama A And M University earn a median of $45,909 early in their careers. Set against $31,896 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 58%.
Students looking for strong value in finance will find it at Auburn University At Montgomery, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Montgomery, Auburn University At Montgomery is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,700, with out-of-state students paying around $20,668. Students borrow a median of $33,875 to complete the finance program here. Finance graduates of Auburn University At Montgomery earn a median of $39,183 early in their careers. Set against $33,875 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Auburn University At Montgomery admits about 92% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of South Alabama earned it the #5 place for finance. Set in the city of Mobile, University Of South Alabama is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,116, while out-of-state students pay about $19,092. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $28,500. Soon after graduation, finance degree recipients from University Of South Alabama generally make around $41,657. Set against $28,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Montevallo earned the #6 position for value in finance this year. University Of Montevallo is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Montevallo. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,948, while out-of-state students pay about $26,968. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $25,096. Finance graduates of University Of Montevallo earn a median of $36,673 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 54%.
University Of Alabama At Birmingham earned the #7 position for value in finance this year. University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public school located in the city of Birmingham. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,098, with out-of-state students paying around $22,562. Finance graduates carry a median of $22,500 in student loans. Finance graduates of University Of Alabama At Birmingham earn a median of $50,939 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Alabama At Birmingham admits about 88% of applicants.
University Of Alabama At Huntsville ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value finance schools. University Of Alabama At Huntsville is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Huntsville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,132, while out-of-state students pay about $26,408. Students borrow a median of $24,797 to complete the finance program here. Finance graduates of University Of Alabama At Huntsville earn a median of $56,584 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Alabama earned the #9 position for value in finance this year. Set in the city of Tuscaloosa, The University Of Alabama is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,180, with out-of-state students paying around $34,172. Finance graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Finance graduates of The University Of Alabama earn a median of $55,580 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Auburn University came in at #10 for value in finance this year. Set in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,890, while out-of-state students pay about $34,922. Typical student debt for finance graduates is $20,500. Finance graduates of Auburn University earn a median of $55,875 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 46% of applicants are accepted.
Samford University earned the #11 position for value in finance this year. Located in the suburb of Birmingham, Samford University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,150. Finance graduates carry a median of $19,000 in student loans. Early-career finance graduates make about $53,059. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
