Auburn University

Public · Selective · AL

Photo: dregsplod (CC BY 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationAL · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads26,816

Student:faculty21:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate60.7%

6-yr grad rate82%

Drop-out rate5.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$13k

Out-of-state tuition$35k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity17.2%

Gender diversity50.6%

International1.6%

Identity—

Overview

Auburn is Alabama's land-grant university, set in a classic college town on the plains of east Alabama that many students describe as inseparable from the university itself. It combines a serious research and engineering profile with an unusually tight-knit campus culture, captured in the phrase "Auburn Family," and SEC football is woven so deeply into the university's identity that game days function as something close to a shared civic ritual for the entire town, not just the student body.

Academics

Engineering is one of Auburn's clear strengths, with well-regarded programs across aerospace, civil, mechanical, and industrial and systems engineering that draw recruiters from major national employers. Agriculture and veterinary medicine reflect the university's land-grant roots and remain genuinely strong, with the College of Veterinary Medicine carrying a solid national reputation. Architecture, with deep ties to Southern design traditions, is also well regarded, as is the business school's supply chain management program, one of the more distinctive niches among large public universities. The university balances large lecture courses in early undergraduate years with more specialized, hands-on work in upper-level and professional programs.

Campus & student life

Auburn's small-town setting makes the campus itself the center of student and community life, with traditions like the Tiger Walk before football games and the call-and-response "War Eagle" cheer reinforcing a strong sense of shared identity that extends well beyond the football stadium itself. Greek life and football weekends dominate the social calendar, and school spirit here is famously intense, sustained year-round rather than just in the fall. Toomer's Corner, where fans traditionally roll the oak trees after big wins, is a campus landmark in its own right.

Getting in

Auburn's process is holistic but handles a large applicant pool, so a solid academic record in a rigorous curriculum is the baseline expectation rather than a differentiator on its own. Essays and demonstrated interest carry secondary but real weight, particularly for competitive programs like engineering and architecture, which sometimes involve additional review. The university also draws a substantial out-of-state applicant pool given its national athletic and academic profile.

After graduation

Engineering and agriculture graduates place strongly with employers across the Southeast and in national industries like aerospace, defense, and manufacturing, and veterinary medicine graduates are well regarded nationally, often pursuing competitive residencies after graduation. The alumni network is unusually loyal and active, consistent with the "Auburn Family" culture, and it functions as a genuine professional resource in fields like engineering and business well beyond Alabama's borders.

Worth knowing

The intensity of Auburn's community identity, especially around football and the Auburn Family ethos, is a real and defining part of student life here, not just marketing language, and students should expect campus rhythms to follow the football season closely. The small-town setting means students who want a major city nearby should weigh that trade-off against the strength of the campus community itself.

auburn.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate45.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1260–1390 · ACT 26–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionDec 1

Regular decisionFeb 1

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or Own application.

Auburn's Early Action is nonbinding and runs in multiple rounds from mid-September through Dec. 1; completing your application file by an Early Action round deadline is required for merit scholarship consideration. There is no binding early decision plan.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗