University of South Alabama
Mobile, Alabama · Public · 8,879 undergraduates · southalabama.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
95%
of 10,360 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1010 to 1200
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$29,490Est.Estimate
$41,600 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at University of South Alabama
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
95% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$41,600
a year in 2027-28, from a $41,600 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1090
Send your score
About 29% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 950, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
Source: Freshmen | Admissions | University of South Alabama · Checked October 17, 2026
Application deadlines
- Jul15Priority deadline · July 15, 2027Apply by this date for the best chance at admission and scholarships.
Who gets in
95%
of applicants were admitted: 9,795 of 10,360 for fall 2025.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 6% of them sent SAT scores and 83% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1010 to 1200
Reading and Writing 520 to 620
Math 488 to 583
ACT composite 20 to 26
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 16004.4%
- 1200 to 139920%
- 1000 to 119951%
- 800 to 99925%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.75
- 4.034%
- 3.75 to 3.9920%
- 3.50 to 3.7417%
- 3.25 to 3.4912%
- 3.00 to 3.2410%
- 2.50 to 2.995.7%
- Below 2.500.7%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$29,490
a year, in state
$41,600
a year, out of state (tuition $23,990)
- Tuition (in state)$11,880
- Fees$1,270
- Food and housing$9,720
- Books and supplies$910
- Transportation and other$5,710
University of South Alabama published $27,855 in state for 2025-26. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$13,027
- $30,001 to $48,000$13,059
- $48,001 to $75,000$13,640
- $75,001 to $110,000$19,814
- Over $110,000$24,768
Financial aid
55%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$9,425
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
29%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $5,755 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
- Aid priority date: 5/31
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
South Alabama Merit Scholarship (USA Merit Scholarship)
$2,000 a year
National Merit
Deadline: Name this college your first choice with NMSC. To keep it: a 3.0 college GPA after each spring semester, pass 30 credit hours at the college each year, and stay a full-time student every fall and spring semester.
Details
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
34 of 34
Earn credit with a score of 3
21 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $1,190Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 | |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 | |
| Art History | 4 | 3 | ARH 100 |
| Biology | 3 | 8 | BLY 121/121L & BLY 122/122L |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 4 | MA 125 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 | MA 125 & MA 126 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 3 | 4 | MA 125 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 4 | CH 131/131L |
| Chemistry | 5 | 8 | CH 131/131L & CH 132/132L |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | LG 121 & LG 122 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 9 | LG 121, LG 122, & LG 221 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 12 | LG 121, LG 122, LG 221, & LG 222 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | PSC 250 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 4 | CSC 120 |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | CSC 108 |
| Drawing | 4 | 3 | |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | EH 101 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | EH 101 |
| European History | 4 | 3 | HY 102 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | LG 111 & LG 112 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 9 | LG 111, LG 112, & LG 211 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 12 | LG 111, LG 112, LG 211, & LG 212 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | LG 151 & LG 152 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 9 | LG 151, LG 152, & LG 251 |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 12 | LG 151, LG 152, LG 251, & LG 252 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEO 114 |
| Latin | 3 | 6 | LG 101 & LG 102 |
| Latin | 4 | 9 | LG 101, LG 102, LG 201 |
| Latin | 5 | 12 | LG 101, LG 102, LG 201 & LG 202 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECO 216 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECO 215 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 | |
| Physics 1 | 4 | 5 | PH 114/114L |
| Physics 2 | 5 | 5 | PH 115/115L |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 4 | PH 202/202L |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 4 | PH 201/201L |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 4 | MA 115 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSY 120 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | LG 131 & LG 132 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 9 | LG 131, LG 132, & LG 231 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 12 | LG 131, LG 132, LG 231, & LG 232 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | ST 210 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | PSC 130 |
| United States History | 4 | 3 | HY 136 |
| United States History | 5 | 6 | HY 135/136 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 3 | HY 101 |
| World History: Modern | 5 | 6 | HY 101/HY 102 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
55%
Come back for a second year
76%
Typical earnings
$53,069
a year, 10 years after starting here
- University of South Alabama$80,960
- All colleges$90,887
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 33 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with University of South Alabama. The University of South Alabama logo is a trademark of the college.