Alabama vs. UCI

Should I go to The University of Alabama or University of California Irvine? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Alabama or UCI is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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The University of Alabama vs. University of California Irvine comparison
The University of Alabama University of California Irvine College 3 College 4
The University of Alabama University of California Irvine
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Overview

 Alabama UCI
Location Tuscaloosa, AL Irvine, CA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 39,622 36,582
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #403 #93
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ua.edu uci.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Alabama UCI
Tuition (In State) $11,100 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $32,400 $42,611
Room & Board $14,840 $18,423
Avg Net Price $21,761 $14,647
Avg Grant Aid $16,394 $21,533
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 65%

Admission

 Alabama UCI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 58,418 121,101
Admitted 44,295 30,962
Acceptance Rate 75.8% 25.6%
Enrolled % 18.7% 21.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.76 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 24/31 26/33
SAT Range 1170/1400 1230/1430
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline May 1, 2026 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 Alabama UCI
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (29%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Work and Family Studies (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)

Outcomes

 Alabama UCI
Graduation Rate 66% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,900 $61,800
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,750 $17,000
Median Loan Payment $245 $175

Diversity

 Alabama UCI
% Men 6% 10%
% Women 10% 10%
Racial Diversity Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 78% 15%
% Black 11% 2%
% Hispanic 4% 25%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 2% 16%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Alabama UCI
% In-State 36% 77%
% Out-of-State 63% 8%

Campus

 Alabama UCI
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • The University of Alabama is larger than than UCI based on total student enrollment (39,622 students vs. 36,582 students)

Alabama vs. UCI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Alabama or UCI?

  • University of California Irvine is 6.6% more expensive to attend than Alabama for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $11,100.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 31.5% higher at UCI than The University of Alabama ($42,611.00 vs. $32,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than Alabama ($14,647 vs. $21,761)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at The University of Alabama are 24.1% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($14,840 vs. $18,423)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at The University of Alabama than University of California Irvine (72% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Irvine students is 31.3% larger than aid received The University of Alabama ($21,533 vs. $16,394)

Alabama vs. UCI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Alabama or UCI? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UCI or Alabama .

  • The average SAT score at The University of Alabama (1181) is 6 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming Alabama students have at the same average ACT score (27) as students at UCI (27)
  • Accepted freshman Alabama students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.76) than students at UCI (3.75)
  • Alabama has a higher acceptance rate (75.8%) than UCI (25.6%)

Alabama vs. UCI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Alabama or UCI? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UCI and Alabama.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than The University of Alabama (85% vs. 66%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $11,900 more per year than Alabama graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $49,900)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $6,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Alabama graduates. ($17,000 vs. $23,750)
  • UCI graduates are paying $70 less per month on federal student loans than Alabama graduates. ($175 vs. $245)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Alabama students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 59%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/