Alabama
 

Auburn University

Address: Quad Center Auburn, AL 36849
Phone: 800-282-8769
E-mail address: admissions@auburn.edu
Web site URL: www.auburn.edu
Year Founded: 1856
Private or Public: Public
Religious Affiliation: None
Location: Suburban
Number of Applicants: 17,798
Percent Accepted: 69%
Percent Accepted who enroll: 34%
Number Entering: 4,160
Number of Transfers Accepted each Year: 1,980
Middle 50% SAT range: M: 520–630, CR: 500–610, Wr: Unreported
Middle 50% ACT range: 22–27
Early admission program EA/ED/None: None
Percentage accepted through EA or ED: NA
EA and ED deadline: NA
Regular Deadline: Rolling
Application Fee: $40
Full time Undergraduate enrollment: 19,812
Total enrollment: 23,187
Percent Male: 52%
Percent Female: 48%
Total Percent Minority or Unreported: 15%
Percent African American: 9%
Percent Asian/Pacific Islander: 2%
Percent Hispanic: 2%
Percent Native American: <1%
Percent International: 1%
Percent in-state/out of state: 69%/31%
Percent from Public HS: 86%
Retention Rate: 86%
Graduation Rate 4-year: 34%
Graduation Rate 6-year: 62%
Percent Undergraduates in On-campus housing: 14%
Number of official organized extracurricular organizations: 300
3 Most popular majors: Business, Education, Engineering
Student/Faculty ratio: 18:1
Average Class Size: 25
Percent of students going to grad school: 35%
Tuition and Fees: $18,260
In-State Tuition and Fees if different: $6,500
Cost for Room and Board: $8,260
Percent receiving financial aid out of those who apply, first year: 64%
Percent receiving financial aid among all students: 54%
Less than an hour’s drive east of Montgomery, the plains of Alabama give rise to Auburn University. The school, whose athletics department has produced stars like Charles Barkley and Bo Jackson, boasts some of the region’s top veterinary and engineering programs. But it is the student body that will most likely catch the eye of a passerby, especially if he or she hails from more northern lands. “Southern hospitality is alive and well here,” students declare, and this charm mixed with fun and academics keeps Auburn students smiling.
Bed and Breakfast (and Lunch and Dinner)
Auburn students electing to live on campus can choose from four clusters of residence halls, but the housing is not guaranteed to anyone, even freshmen. The more popular living areas are the Hill and the Quad, and dorms are either women-only or coed by floor. Many in-state students and upperclassmen choose to live off campus in one of the several apartment complexes near campus. Since many students opt not to live in dorms, Auburn provides an apartment guide and some helpful tips for students shopping the off-campus market. Tiger Transit is available to get students from point A to point B, and the Off Campus Association “gets you a good deal on utilities.”
There is no shortage of food options on campus. The two main dining areas, Terrell Dining Hall and War Eagle Food Court, are located at the southern and northern ends of the campus, respectively. Both have an assortment of fast food and local restaurants that cater to students on the go. Auburn offers a variety of meal plans to meet a wide range of needs, and the Tiger Card can be used “like a debit card” at local eateries and grocery stores. Students deposit funds into the account and use the swipes until the balance dwindles down again.
Students choosing to eat on campus can get all the basic sandwiches and burgers, or they can go for a smoothie at Chillers in War Eagle Court. The town of Auburn offers the traditional fare of Ruby Tuesday and family dining along with some establishments appealing to the younger crowd. Students frequent the Mellow Mushroom for a more gourmet pizza and head to Moe’s for “the best burritos in town.”
Cracking the Books
Auburn University was the first land-grant college in the Southeast (a result of the Morrill Act), and to this day its engineering and agriculture departments remain strong. But the University has become more diverse in its faculty and currently offers undergraduate degrees in 12 schools—agriculture, architecture, business, education, engineering, forestry and wildlife, human sciences, liberal arts, nursing, pharmacy, science and mathematics and veterinary medicine. Moreover, the University recently began a Bachelor of Wireless Engineering program which represents the first degree of this type in the nation. Students select their majors at the end of the second year, but changing majors is not difficult with the help of Auburn’s advising system.
“Most professors are more than willing to help you out. All you have to do is ask.”
The University offers plenty of options for study abroad. Auburn itself has a growing number of distinct programs, or students can participate in approved programs from other universities. One student who returned from a summer in Florence, a popular destination for art students, said “transferring credits was really easy.”
While Auburn students put in their time in Draughton Library (open 24 hours a day during finals), they do not often complain of being tremendously overworked. “Some students skip classes and don’t work that hard,” but workload largely depends on the course of study. If an Auburn Tiger is having some difficulties in the classroom, he or she can usually find plenty of support. “Most professors are more than willing to help you out. All you have to do is ask.”
Auburn professors have earned a reputation for being accessible and invested in their students’ educations, but the same cannot always be said about teaching assistants, especially in math and science courses. Students said some TAs have problems speaking clear English, which can make learning more difficult.
In preparation for life after graduation, Auburn provides advice and information for students interested in graduate or professional school. A senior in the College of Sciences and Mathematics said her adviser has helped her not only navigate Auburn’s undergraduate curriculum, but also apply to graduate schools. The University brings in representatives from schools throughout the region to speak to students about opportunities after graduation.
Frivolity, Fraternities, and Football
The social scene is alive and well at Auburn no matter what time of year, but students have different preferences for the seasons. During the fall, students don their best orange and blue to support their Tigers on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The on-campus stadium is regularly filled to...