2026 Best Value English Schools in Alabama

[English](/majors/english-language-literature/general-english-language-literature/english/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong english education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 24 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for english students.
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2026 Best Value English Schools in Alabama
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in english, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value English Schools
University Of North Alabama tops our 2026 list of the best value english schools in Alabama. University Of North Alabama is a large public school located in the city of Florence. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,120, compared with $22,320 for out-of-state students. English graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career english graduates make about $26,213. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Alabama admits about 87% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in english will find it at Troy University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Troy, Troy University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,176, while out-of-state students pay about $20,352. English graduates carry a median of $25,924 in student loans. Early-career english graduates make about $25,888. Set against $25,924 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Troy University admits about 96% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Jacksonville State University earned it the #3 place for english. Set in the suburb of Jacksonville, Jacksonville State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,894, while out-of-state students pay about $23,334. Students borrow a median of $23,267 to complete the english program here. Early-career english graduates make about $37,774. That is a strong return on a $23,267 median debt. Jacksonville State University admits about 78% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in english will find it at University Of South Alabama, which ranked #4. University Of South Alabama is a large public school located in the city of Mobile. In-state tuition and fees average $10,116, while out-of-state students pay about $19,092. English graduates carry a median of $23,505 in student loans. Early-career english graduates make about $40,486. Set against $23,505 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of South Alabama admits about 71% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in english will find it at University Of Alabama At Birmingham, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,098 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,562 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for english graduates is $24,946. English graduates of University Of Alabama At Birmingham earn a median of $32,324 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
University Of Alabama At Huntsville earned the #6 position for value in english this year. Located in the city of Huntsville, University Of Alabama At Huntsville is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,132, compared with $26,408 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for english graduates is $24,797. English graduates of University Of Alabama At Huntsville earn a median of $62,903 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
The University Of Alabama placed #7 among the best values for english. Set in the city of Tuscaloosa, The University Of Alabama is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,180 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $34,172. Typical student debt for english graduates is $22,250. English graduates of The University Of Alabama earn a median of $25,045 early in their careers. Set against $22,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Auburn University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value english schools. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,890, while out-of-state students pay about $34,922. English graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. English graduates of Auburn University earn a median of $33,213 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Auburn University admits about 46% of applicants.
Samford University landed the #9 spot for english value this year. Located in the suburb of Birmingham, Samford University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $40,150. English graduates carry a median of $21,039 in student loans. English graduates of Samford University earn a median of $64,132 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,039 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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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 · 24 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.