Alabama
Student Access & Success
Alabama’s four-year institutions perform poorly in credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates, contributing to the state’s below average performance. Both the state’s four- and two- year institutions are below the national medians for completion and retention rates.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Alabama’s four- and two-year costs per completion ($77,113 and $67,165, respectively) contribute to the state’s below average performance. The state receives middling rankings for state and local funding per completion for both sectors ($48,074 for four-years and $40,956 for two-years).
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of an Alabama bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $20,000 (or 70%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is 5 percentage points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $10,200 (or 36%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 4 percentage points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Alabama’s consumer information site and public accountability report contain limited information on student outcomes. The state neither tracks student labor market outcomes, nor does it measure student learning in any systematic way.
Policy Environment
Alabama’s “Forging Strategic Alliances” plan does not provide hard targets for state goals, although the state aims to improve system efficiency. The state does not have outcomes-based funding. While the articulation policy allows students to transfer individual courses, the Alabama Articulation and General Studies Committee ruled that common course numbering was not needed.
Innovation
Alabama receives a low grade for its support for online learning, with an online portal for four University of Alabama institutions but little for community colleges. Regarding approving new vendors, Alabama has an average financial burden but a highly onerous approval process.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
AL Nat'l| Student Access & Success | D |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 34.9 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 76.3 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 47.4 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 18.3 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $77,113 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $48,074 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $84,936 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | A |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $20,024 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 169.6 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $15,000 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 162.5 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 4.9 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 2.3 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 9.3 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.5 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | F |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
AL Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 64.0 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 55.7 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 19.3 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 13.8 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $67,165 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $40,956 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $54,883 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | A |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $10,233 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 135.6 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $7,900 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 132.9 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 4.0 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 8.1 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.6 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | F |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | false | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
AL Nat'l| Policy Environment | D |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | false | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 51% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 40% | |
| Financial Burden | 73% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 40% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | D |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 28.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 2 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 14
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 19
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 112,902
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 79,903