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University or college · Public

Athens State University

Athens, AL2,081 online only

Athens State University is a public university in Athens, AL, with about 874 students on campus and 2,081 more studying only online. Price, graduation and earnings figures on this page count online students too.

Visit www.athens.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
874
plus 2,081 studying only online
Admission rate
Open
open enrollment
Net price a year
—
after grants
Graduation rate
—
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$50,273
higher than at 72% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Athens State University

Most of Athens State University’s students study online

About 2,081 students take classes only online, against 874 on campus. Price, graduation and earnings figures on this page count online students too, so they describe the online college as much as the campus. The students ↓

Many students are adults coming back to school

56% of undergraduates are 25 or older, and 54% study part-time. Graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students, so they leave many of these students out. The students ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Athens State University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, computer science graduates earn a median $102,639 four years out. Psychology graduates earn $34,242. Majors ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students; graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students.

★ What stands out · Who goes there

The students

2,446 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 74%Hispanic 6%Black 14%Asian 1%Two or more 4%

Women and men

Women 73%Men 27%
14 : 1
students per teacher
43%
get Pell grants (lower income)
41%
take federal loans
56%
undergrads 25 or older
54%
study part time
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Athens State University?

Open

anyone with a high school diploma can enroll

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Athens State University is likely test-optional.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
—
within 6 years
Come back for year two
—
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$50,273
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$18,051
about $191 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

5%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$191 a month against about $3,856 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

50%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 60% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$45k
Middle income$30–75k
$52k
Higher incomeover $75k
$59k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 30%Education 28%Liberal arts 12%Health professions 8%Psychology 4%Public safety 4%Everything else 14%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Business Administration, Management and Operations143 graduates a year · typical debt $20,834
$67k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods127 graduates a year · typical debt $17,984
$44k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities68 graduates a year · typical debt $20,832
$56k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services61 graduates a year · typical debt $22,073
$64k4 yrs out
Education, Other45 graduates a year
—not reported
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas41 graduates a year · typical debt $22,366
$49k4 yrs out
Human Resources Management and Services27 graduates a year · typical debt $22,940
$53k4 yrs out
English Language and Literature, General23 graduates a year · typical debt $18,280
$48k4 yrs out
The town around it

Living in Athens

5% of Athens’s 34,209 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Athens pages.

Athens →
AthensAthens, AL
$899/momedian rent · 11% below the state$308Ktypical home valueCSafety Grade31° / 90°January low / July high · 1" of snowCHealth GradeAll colleges in and near AthensCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Athens State University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

John C. Calhoun State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Decatur
11.2 mi5,642 students
Oakwood UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Huntsville
18 mi1,237 students
University of Alabama in HuntsvilleUniversity or college · Public · Huntsville
19.3 mi7,882 students
J. F. Drake State Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Huntsville
22.4 mi890 students
Alabama A & M UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Huntsville
22.5 mi6,208 students
The University of Tennessee SouthernUniversity or college · Public · Pulaski
27.5 mi927 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.