Accounting at Alabama State University

Alabama State's accounting program produces starting salaries nearly $14,000 below the state median and $7,000 below even the nearest comparable program in Alabama. At $39,762, graduates earn just 84% of what the typical Alabama accounting graduate makes—and only 74% of the national figure. Among the 24 Alabama schools offering accounting degrees, this ranks in just the 25th percentile. Compare this to Auburn ($60,381) or even UAB ($51,640), and the gap becomes stark for what should be a relatively standardized professional credential.

The debt burden of $30,750 compounds the problem. While not catastrophic, it creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.77—meaning nearly 80 cents of debt for every dollar of first-year income. That's manageable but leaves little cushion for graduates entering one of Alabama's most affordable metro areas. The bigger concern is that accounting salaries typically grow predictably with experience and credentials, so starting this far behind peers puts graduates at a long-term disadvantage in a credential-driven field.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift year to year, but the pattern is consistent enough to warrant serious consideration. If your child is set on Alabama State for other reasons—proximity, culture, affordability—an accounting degree won't derail their career. But purely as a return-on-investment decision, nearly any other Alabama accounting program offers better starting prospects for similar or lower debt.