Auburn University vs. The University of Alabama
Once a year these two split the whole state down the middle for the Iron Bowl, so start by picturing which side you'd wake up on. Auburn keeps you in a true college town, where students roll the oaks at Toomer's Corner with toilet paper after a win and the land-grant roots run through engineering, business, and agriculture. The place draws a stronger student on paper and asks more of your transcript, and it will start requiring test scores soon, so plan for that. Alabama plays a bigger game in Tuscaloosa. Denny Chimes rings over a sprawling Quad, the Greek system ranks among the largest anywhere, and aggressive merit money pulls in so many out-of-staters that most of the student body now comes from beyond Alabama. You'd live on campus there, where almost everyone does their first year. Both run on SEC football and sorority bid day, but Auburn feels tighter and more selective while Alabama feels vast and easy to enter. Be honest about which scale fits you.
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Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Action
Auburn offers non-binding Early Action — an earlier decision with no commitment to enroll.
Standardized Tests
Auburn is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Auburn's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 42% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Auburn does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Auburn weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Auburn's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $22,032 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly Admissions
Alabama does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.
Standardized Tests
Alabama is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Alabama's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 37.5% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Alabama does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Alabama weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Alabama's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $22,858 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Auburn vs. Alabama: frequently asked questions
Is it harder to get into Auburn or Alabama?＋
Auburn is the tougher admit by a wide margin, taking about 45.9% of applicants against roughly 71% at Alabama. Auburn's enrolled first-years also post a higher average high school GPA, near 4.09 to Alabama's 3.85, and a higher SAT range. Alabama stays fairly accessible for a flagship and uses rolling admission with a December 5th priority date, so applying early there helps your odds.
Is Auburn or Alabama better for engineering?＋
Engineering runs deeper at Auburn, where it makes up about 16% of bachelor's degrees against roughly 7% at Alabama, sitting second only to business in its land-grant degree mix. Both campuses lead with business and marketing (about 26% of degrees at Auburn, 30% at Alabama), but Auburn's engineering and agriculture base is the stronger draw for a STEM-bound student. Someone aiming squarely at engineering finds more company at Auburn.
Is Auburn or Alabama cheaper for out-of-state students?＋
Out-of-state tuition and fees land close: about $34,922 a year at Auburn and $35,342 at Alabama, with Alabama meeting slightly more demonstrated need on average (63% versus 60%). Alabama tends to close the gap for non-residents through automatic merit scholarships tied to GPA and test scores, and its average need-based package runs larger, near $19,857 to Auburn's $14,687. In-state tuition sits close too, roughly $12,890 at Auburn and $12,484 at Alabama.
What are my chances of getting into Alabama vs Auburn from out of state?＋
Non-residents have a real edge at Alabama: in Fall 2025 it admitted about 70.3% of out-of-state applicants versus 73.6% of in-state ones, and most of its class now comes from outside the state. Auburn publishes no separate out-of-state admit rate in its Common Data Set, so its overall 45.9% rate covers everyone, though it weighs state residency and geographical residence as important factors. For a non-resident, Alabama is both the easier admit and the more out-of-state-friendly campus.
Which is bigger, Auburn or Alabama?＋
Alabama runs larger, enrolling about 35,621 undergraduates to Auburn's 26,816. It also houses far more of its students on campus, about 95% versus 58% at Auburn, since first-years there are largely required to live in. Both field big Greek systems, with sororities drawing 47% of women at Auburn and 44% at Alabama.
Are Auburn and Alabama test-optional?＋
Both are test-optional for now, but Auburn's policy is ending. Auburn stays test-optional only for applicants with at least a 3.6 GPA and will require the SAT or ACT starting with Fall 2027 first-years. Alabama remains test-optional with no announced end date, though strong scores there feed automatic merit scholarships, so submitting can still pay off.
Source: Auburn University Common Data Set 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-10. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Auburn. Banner photo by Vestaviahills, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Source: The University of Alabama Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-08. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Alabama. Banner photo by Carol M. Highsmith, via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).