2026 Best Value Economics Schools in Alabama
[Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong economics education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value economics schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Economics Schools in Alabama
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the economics degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Economics Schools
The University Of Alabama earned the #1 spot for value among economics schools in Alabama. Set in the city of Tuscaloosa, The University Of Alabama is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,180, while out-of-state students pay about $34,172. Typical student debt for economics graduates is $24,496. Soon after graduation, economics degree recipients from The University Of Alabama generally make around $50,740. That is a strong return on a $24,496 median debt. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Students looking for strong value in economics will find it at Auburn University, which ranked #2. Auburn University is a very large public school located in the city of Auburn. In-state tuition and fees average $12,890, while out-of-state students pay about $34,922. Typical student debt for economics graduates is $22,803. Early-career economics graduates make about $55,422. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Auburn University admits about 46% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
