Accounting at Athens State University

Athens State's accounting program sits firmly in the middle of Alabama's options but trails the national market by a meaningful margin. At $46,577 in first-year earnings, graduates earn roughly $7,000 less than the national median for accounting majors—landing in just the 21st percentile nationally. Within Alabama, the picture is less alarming: this program performs at the state's 40th percentile, slightly below the state median of $47,089 but considerably behind flagship options like Auburn ($60,381) and Alabama ($53,452).

The debt load of $30,500 cuts both ways. It's actually higher than most accounting programs nationally (83rd percentile for debt), but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 remains manageable for an accounting career. Graduates should be able to handle monthly payments without financial strain, and the 15% earnings growth to $53,691 by year four shows the credential holds value over time. The moderately sized sample and Athens State's substantial Pell-eligible population (42%) suggest this serves working students and non-traditional learners well, even if it doesn't place graduates at Alabama's top firms.

For families choosing between in-state accounting programs on cost and accessibility rather than prestige, Athens State delivers functional credentials at a reasonable price point. Just understand your graduate will likely start behind peers from Auburn or Alabama, and the higher debt means they won't have the cushion that lower-cost programs provide.