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University of Alaska Fairbanks

Students comparing University of Alaska Fairbanks on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

CompareOfficial site
Fairbanks, Alaska4,207 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 50Public universityResearch universityWashington Monthly ranked

The short answer

University of Alaska Fairbanks: Washington Monthly ranks it #1161 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #299 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026); QS ranks it #942 on World University Rankings (2026). It enrolls 4,207 undergraduates, admits not reported of applicants, and posts a 38.0% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $22,320; aid recipients pay $10,892 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $48,866.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
Not reportedNot reported by University of Alaska Fairbanks in the most recent federal collection.

U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Average net price
$10,892

67% below the $32,910 published price

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$48,866

Below the dataset median of $54,053

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
38.0%

Below the dataset median of 56%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$20,291

Above the dataset median of $23,250

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
Not reportedUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class.

U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Where Alaska Fairbanks ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026National universities, liberal arts, regional and specialty listsNot ranked by this source
Forbes2026America's Top CollegesNot ranked by this source
Washington Monthly2026Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars#1161of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.Not ranked by this source
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)B+#299of 2,605Overall (Niche)
Money2026Best Value CollegesNot ranked by this source
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University Rankings#942of 1,504World (QS)

Methodology sensitivity: Alaska Fairbanks's position moves 66 percentile points depending on which published list you read. That is a wide spread, so which list you consult substantially changes the impression you get. How we compute this

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About Alaska Fairbanks

University of Alaska Fairbanks is a public institution in Fairbanks, Alaska. Federal data show 74.1% first-year retention and a 12:1 student-faculty ratio. Figures on this page come from College Scorecard and IPEDS; publisher rankings shown here are transcribed from named sources and checked in our dataset.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • Cost and outcome metrics on this profile come directly from federal collections, not self-reported marketing sheets.
  • Net price $10,892 reflects what aid recipients actually paid in the most recent federal reporting year.

Considerations

  • This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
  • Compare $32,910 sticker cost against $10,892 net price before ruling a school in or out on price alone.
  • Publishers we have not loaded yet, or lists that omit this school, show as “not ranked by this source” — that is expected.

Who this school genuinely fits

Students comparing University of Alaska Fairbanks on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

In-state tuition & fees
$8,736

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Out-of-state tuition & fees
$22,320

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
$10,590

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly $32,910 a year, but the average family pays $10,892 — a 67% difference. 22.4% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal marker of low family income.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run Alaska Fairbanks's net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Business
  2. 2Biology
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4Computer Science
  5. 5Economics

Standout programs

    Student-faculty ratio
    12:1

    IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

    First-year retention
    74.1%

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Undergraduate enrollment
    4,207

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Alaska Fairbanks: questions families ask

    Out-of-state tuition is $22,320 and on-campus room and board is $10,590, for a published total of $32,910 before aid. The average net price for first-time full-time students receiving aid is $10,892.

    The most recent federal admissions rate reported to the Department of Education is not reported. Test policy as reported in IPEDS: see the admissions section on this page for the institution's own category.

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