Do Kentucky Residents Get In-State Tuition in Alabama? (Undergraduate, 2026)
ACM — in-state rate
Sometimes — Kentucky and Alabama both belong to Academic Common Market, which can bring undergraduate tuition at The University of Alabama down to the in-state rate of about $13,700 from $34,900, but only for approved majors. It is not automatic in-state status.
- You would pay
- $13,700/yr
- Resident pays
- $13,700/yr
- Non-resident rate
- $34,900/yr
- Saved over 4 yrs
- $84,800
Conditional: Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
Tuition and mandatory fees only, compiled from published rates and rounded. Excludes housing, books and course differentials. Eligibility is decided by the institution, not by this page.
Open this pair in the checker to switch level, compare other states, or copy a link to the result.
Academic Common Market covers this pair. The saving is the whole $21,200 gap rather than a fraction of it, which is why the approval gate is as narrow as it is.
The comparison that matters is with home: University of Kentucky charges a Kentucky resident $13,700 a year. 15 other states offer Kentucky residents a reduced undergraduate rate, the lowest being Mississippi at about $9,900.
Before you count on it, check three things with the campus directly: that it participates this year, that your major is covered, and when its award deadline falls. All three change annually and none of them are set by the state.
Every route from Kentucky to Alabama
| Route | What it gives you | Per year | Saving | Guaranteed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Common Market | An approved ACM student pays the receiving institution's full in-state tuition rate. The gate is availability at home: the program must appear on SREB's approved inventory for your state, which in practice means your own state's public universities do not offer that specific degree. You are certified as ACM-eligible by your home state's ACM coordinator before the receiving institution will apply the rate. | $13,700 | $21,200 | Conditional |
Where Kentucky residents pay less
Staying home, a Kentucky resident pays $13,700 a year for in-state undergraduate tuition at University of Kentucky. The cheapest Alabama option for you is $13,700 at The University of Alabama, the same as Kentucky's own in-state rate.
Kentucky belongs to Academic Common Market (ACM) at undergraduate level, so 16 of 50 states offer Kentucky undergraduate students a reduced rate, and Alabama is one of them.
| State | Route | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky to Mississippi | Academic Common Market · University of Mississippi | $9,900 |
| Kentucky to West Virginia | Academic Common Market · West Virginia University | $9,900 |
| Kentucky to Arkansas | Academic Common Market · University of Arkansas | $10,300 |
| Kentucky to Maryland | Academic Common Market · University of Maryland, College Park | $11,900 |
| Kentucky to Indiana | Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements · Indiana University Bloomington | $12,000 |
Kentucky's neighboring states, compared
What a Kentucky resident pays for undergraduate tuition in each state that borders Kentucky, cheapest first:
- West Virginia$9,900/yr · Academic Common Market
- Indiana$12,000/yr · Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements
- Missouri$12,400/yr · Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements
- Ohio$13,200/yr · Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements
- Tennessee$14,100/yr · Academic Common Market
- Illinois$18,000/yr · Kentucky Regional Reciprocity Agreements
- Virginia$22,300/yr · Academic Common Market
Compare all 50 states from Kentucky in the checker. Each figure is one reference campus per state, not a state average.
Alabama residency, in brief
Alabama grants in-state tuition after 12 months of domicile before the term begins (Ala. Admin. Code r. 300-4-1), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile. Moving to Alabama to enroll does not by itself start the clock.
Alabama residency requirements in full · how long every state requires
Step by step
- Check that your chosen Alabama campus participates in Academic Common Market — membership is a state-level agreement, but each campus decides whether to offer it and how many awards to fund.
- Confirm your intended major is on the approved list. Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
- Apply for the award at the same time as admission, and well before the campus deadline — most participating institutions award on a first-come basis and close early.
- Keep your Kentucky residency documentation current; the program is only open to residents of a member state.
- Compare the result against the residency route: Alabama grants in-state status after 12 months of domicile, currently $13,700 a year.
Official links
Related
Asked and answered
›Do Kentucky residents get in-state tuition in Alabama?
Effectively yes, through Academic Common Market, but it is not residency. You pay the in-state rate of about $13,700 while remaining a Kentucky resident for every other purpose, and the benefit ends if you leave the approved program.
›How long does it take to get in-state tuition in Alabama?
Alabama requires 12 months of domicile before the term begins (Ala. Admin. Code r. 300-4-1), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile.
›How much would undergraduate study in Alabama actually cost a Kentucky resident?
About $13,700 a year in tuition and mandatory fees under Academic Common Market, against $34,900 at the published non-resident rate and $13,700 for an Alabama resident. Over 4 years that is roughly $84,800 saved. Figures are compiled 2025–26 published rates and exclude housing, books and course-specific differentials.
›Where can Kentucky residents get reduced undergraduate tuition?
In 16 states at undergraduate level. Outside Alabama, the lowest are Mississippi ($9,900), West Virginia ($9,900), Arkansas ($10,300). Each figure is one reference campus, and awards are made campus by campus.
›Is studying in Alabama cheaper than staying in Kentucky?
On tuition it is a wash: $13,700 a year in Alabama against the same $13,700 in-state rate at University of Kentucky.
Sources
Every eligibility rule on this page is checked against the operating compact commission or the state's own residency authority. Last verified 2026-08-07.
Tuition figures on this page are compiled 2025–26 published rates (basis: published compiled), rounded to the nearest $100 and refreshed each June. Eligibility rules are checked against the cited compact commission or residency authority.
- Alabama Commission on Higher Education — residency for tuition purposes ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- The University of Alabama — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- University of Kentucky — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
How this page was made
Compiled and checked by Billy Reiner, editor of In-State Check. Last verified 2026-08-07.
- Compiled from published rate pages
- The in-state and non-resident figures are tuition and mandatory fees for one full-time year, read from The University of Alabama’s own 2025–26 rate page and rounded to the nearest $100. Housing, books, travel and course-specific differentials are not included in them.
- Checked against the administering body
- Compact membership at this level was checked against the commission that runs the program (SREB). The residency test — the durational requirement, the domicile evidence and the dependent-student rule — was checked against Alabama Commission on Higher Education, Ala. Admin. Code r. 300-4-1. Nothing here is taken from another comparison site.
Not advice. In-State Check is independent of every college, compact and state agency named here. Residency classification and award decisions are made by the institution you apply to. Found an error? Send the page URL and the source that contradicts it to [email protected], and the page is corrected and re-dated. Full methodology.