Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for University of West Alabama, Alcorn State University, Northeastern Illinois University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | West AlabamaLivingston, AL | Alcorn StateAlcorn State, MS | Northeastern IllinoisChicago, IL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 42.6% | 45.3% | 74.6% |
| SAT middle 50% | 860–1120 | 670–998 | Not reportedNortheastern Illinois University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. |
| Average net price | $12,68458.2% on Pell grants | $13,26569.8% on Pell grants | $14,10955.7% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $10,990 in-state · $20,090 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $8,785 in-state · $8,785 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $12,383 in-state · $22,726 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 34.7% | 57.4% | 21.6% |
| First-year retention | 64.9% | 76.6% | 52.3% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 58.2% | 69.8% | 55.7% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $44,232 | $36,421 | $52,234 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $24,944 | $27,000 | $14,600 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 17:1 | 16:1 | 12:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,974 | 2,363 | 3,982 |
| Consensus percentile | 47Lower is better | 47Lower is better | 46Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 88 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 92 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 76 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | West Alabama | Alcorn State | Northeastern Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #82 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 | #51 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 | #148 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #157 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #680 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #211 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #490 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #497 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #324 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #500 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #181 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #396 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing University of West Alabama on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
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.
Full profileStudents comparing Alcorn State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
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.
Full profileStudents comparing Northeastern Illinois University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
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.
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