U. Alabama vs. U. Rhode Island · Cost & aid

U. AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL

U. Rhode IslandKingston, RI

Key differences on Cost & aid

1
U. Alabama's grants cover 30% of its full price on average, vs. 26% at U. Rhode Island
Aid generosity
2
U. Alabama costs about $2.2K less per year on average than U. Rhode Island ($32,385 vs. $34,536, all students)
Average cost, all students

Cost & aid

Average cost, aid generosity, net price by family income, sticker prices, and grants.

What students pay

Average cost, all students

U. Alabama$32.4KLowest

U. Rhode Island$34.5K

Aid generosity

U. Alabama30%Most

U. Rhode Island26%

Net price, with grants

U. Alabama$22.6KLowest

U. Rhode Island$24.1K

Grants

First-years receiving grants

U. Alabama80%

U. Rhode Island96%Most

Average grant

U. Alabama$17.5KLargest

U. Rhode Island$12.6K

Aid from the college

U. Alabama76%

U. Rhode Island96%

Sticker prices

On one scale, so the bars read against each other.

Sticker price, in-state

U. Alabama$33.4K

U. Rhode Island$35K

Sticker price, out-of-state

U. Alabama$54.7K

U. Rhode Island$54.4K

Tuition & fees, in-state

U. Alabama$11.9K

U. Rhode Island$16.4K

Tuition & fees, out-of-state

U. Alabama$33.2K

U. Rhode Island$35.8K

First-years paying out-of-state rates

U. Alabama61%

U. Rhode Island60%

What families at each income pay

Up to $110K: the average net price per year for students receiving federal aid, 2023–24; families who didn't file the FAFSA aren't included. Above it the published data end. For your own number, use the college's net price calculator .

Family income per year $150K

U. AlabamaLittle need-based aid above $110K
U. Rhode IslandLittle need-based aid above $110K
Merit possible; averaging $10K

Published (federal figure, up to $110K) EstimateBars share one scale: the largest full price.

Where need-based aid ends, merit, and published promises

Metric	U. Alabama	U. Rhode Island
Need-based aid up to	Little need-based aid above $110K	Little need-based aid above $110K
Merit for students without need	–	31% got merit aid, averaging $10K
Published promise	–	–

A college's own promise is stated for a typical family and changes yearly; where a promise and our estimate disagree, the promise wins. Merit has no income limit, so it can lower the price above the point where need-based aid ends.

Tuition guarantee & Promise program

Metric	U. Alabama	U. Rhode Island
Tuition guarantee	No	No
Promise program	Yes	No

From the colleges' Common Data Sets

Metric	U. Alabama	U. Rhode Island
Aid forms	–	FAFSA
Aid priority date or deadline	–	March 1 (priority)
Need met, first-years	63%	64%
Average aid package, first-years	$19,857	$19,677
College grant dollars given as merit	71%	23%
Aid for international students	213 students, average $33.9K	Offered

All cost numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;The University of Alabama Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;The University of Alabama Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26 (estimated);College Scorecard, most recent release;The University of Alabama (2026–27), 2026–27;Common Data Set, most recent release;University of Rhode Island Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;University of Rhode Island Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26 (estimated);University of Rhode Island Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why