Alaska Fairbanks: the complete school report for parents
Alaska Fairbanks puts the most weight on GPA. It does not consider legacy, demonstrated interest and the interview, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. With a 64.2% admit rate and 59% of enrolled students at a 3.50 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong.
Alaska Fairbanks is officially University of Alaska Fairbanks, also known as UAF. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is Alaska Fairbanks a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Alaska Fairbanks against the figures above. No account needed.
What does Alaska Fairbanks actually weigh in admissions?
Alaska Fairbanks rates 1 of the 18 factors "Very Important": GPA. It does not consider 16 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Alaska Fairbanks's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Alaska Fairbanks rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Not Considered |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Not Considered |
| extracurricular activities | Not Considered |
| recommendations | Not Considered |
| personal qualities | Not Considered |
| talent | Not Considered |
| class rank | Not Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Not Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Not Considered |
| geography | Not Considered |
| state residency | Not Considered |
| volunteer work | Not Considered |
| work experience | Not Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider how hard my child’s courses were?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider the application essay?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider extracurricular activities?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider recommendation letters?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider character and personal qualities?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider a special talent or ability?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider class rank?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it. A school that does not rank its students is not a disadvantage.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider demonstrated interest?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider an interview?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it. There is no interview to prepare for.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider legacy status?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider being first-generation?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider where we live?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider state residency?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider volunteer work?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider work experience?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
Does Alaska Fairbanks consider religious affiliation?
No. Alaska Fairbanks does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
59% of enrolled students had a 3.50 GPA or above. The average was 3.48 on a 4 scale, reported for 66.67% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 3.18% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 36.45% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 18.9% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 11.54% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 9.53% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 16.39% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 3.85% |
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Alaska Fairbanks admitted 62.6% of 910 transfer applicants, against 64.2% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Alaska Fairbanks offers neither Early Decision nor Early Action, so there is no early round to strategize about and every applicant is read in one pool.
| Regular application deadline | June 15 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | January 1 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | Not reported |
| Early Decision offered | No |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | $50 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What does my child need to take in high school?
Alaska Fairbanks requires 16 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 years | Not stated |
| Mathematics | 3 years | Not stated |
| Science | 3 years | Not stated |
| of which lab science | 1 year | Not stated |
| Foreign language | Not stated | 2 years |
What will Alaska Fairbanks actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $10,892 a year at Alaska Fairbanks after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $8,940. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 64.9% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 234 merit awards averaging $5,302 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
What families at each income level actually paid:
| Family income | Average net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $7,992 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $6,065 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $11,323 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $15,526 |
| Over $110,000 | $17,512 |
27% of Alaska Fairbanks graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $21,451 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $215 a month in repayment. Alaska Fairbanks’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Alaska Fairbanks pay off?
Graduates earn a median $48,866 ten years after entering, and $40,746 at six years. 70% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 55% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:
| Family income | Four-year net cost | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $31,968 | 6.6 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $24,260 | 5.0 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $45,292 | 9.3 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $62,104 | 12.8 |
| Over $110,000 | $70,048 | 14.4 |
A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.
$94,625 to $39,830, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Alaska Fairbanks:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering | $94,625 | 26 |
| Civil Engineering | $92,380 | 16 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $73,629 | 16 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $68,416 | 53 |
| Biology, General | $47,069 | 35 |
| Social Work | $42,999 | 24 |
| Psychology, General | $39,830 | 33 |
College Scorecard, by field of study.
Will my child actually graduate?
74% of first-years return for a second year. 41% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 25.3% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 49.3% of everyone else, a gap of 24.0 points.
How big are the classes?
76% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 1% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 62% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
What is life at Alaska Fairbanks like?
6,209 undergraduates, 20% of first-years from out of state. 54% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 17% across all undergraduates. 40% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $65,084.
What this means for your student
- 59% of enrolled students are at a 3.50 GPA or above, averaging 3.48. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- Its highest-earning major returns $94,625 five years out against $39,830 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Alaska Fairbanks
What GPA do you need for Alaska Fairbanks?
59% of enrolled students at Alaska Fairbanks had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.48, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
What do Alaska Fairbanks graduates earn?
Alaska Fairbanks graduates earn a median $48,866 ten years after entering, and 70% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Alaska Fairbanks
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Alaska Fairbanks’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.
How to read these numbers · Back to the Alaska Fairbanks profile