HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Alabama vs Auburn University

Auburn University clears +$2.20M in 30-year net value, University of Alabama +$1.82M — both pay off, Auburn University by +$380K.

Two Alabama public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of Alabama · Tuscaloosa, AL

30-year net value
+$1.82M
Total cost of attendance
$106,960
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$59,200
Breaks even by age
38

Auburn University · Auburn, AL

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.20M
Total cost of attendance
$111,728
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$63,655
Breaks even by age
35
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of Alabama vs Auburn University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/alabama-vs-auburn

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Questions

Is University of Alabama or Auburn University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, Auburn University clears +$2.20M and University of Alabama +$1.82M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Auburn University comes out ahead by +$380K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Auburn University pay off than University of Alabama?
About +$380K over a 30-year horizon (+$2.20M vs +$1.82M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of Alabama?
+$1.82M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $106,960, median earnings ten years out $59,200, breaking even around age 38. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.