Alabama’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
What are the best colleges and universities in Alabama if you reward schools for making the best use of their limited resources? Academic Stewardship asks how effectively schools manage their financial and human resources to gain the influence that makes them academically excellent. Schools that are exemplary in Academic Stewardship are doing everything in their power to help students and faculty achieve their full potential.
Colleges and universities in Alabama deserve to be recognized when they do more with less. It’s impressive when a large wealthy school can spend money lavishly on expensive buildings and programs. But it’s even more impressive when a small school with limited means is able to train and inspire students that the larger wealthier schools tend to ignore.
The American Association of Colleges and Universities reported in late 2021 that almost 75 percent of higher-education professionals at US colleges and universities felt financial constraints prevented their schools from effectively attracting students. Distracted by the size and amenities of larger schools, prospective students tended especially to be overawed by the big research universities.
Alabama’s smaller colleges, especially its liberal arts colleges, need effective ways of communicating their value to a world that celebrates “bigger is better” and “you need the best.” Unfortunately, most college ranking companies, such as U.S. News & World Report, define “best” in a way that devalues schools with smaller budgets and fewer students even when these schools do remarkable work in advancing their students’ education. By and large, college rankings penalize schools that serve underserved populations.
Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell, who for years now has criticized conventional college rankings for misrepresenting what’s good and valuable in education, we decided to construct a new ranking metric that highlights those schools that do more with less. That metric—called the Academic Stewardship metric—takes away both the size and the wealth advantage of schools, and focuses instead on how well schools use the resources available to them to advance the education of their students.
How We Measure the Academic Stewardship of Alabama’s Colleges and Universities
As a metric, Academic Stewardship is defined by a precise mathematical formula, which can be found in our Academic Stewardship white paper. Measuring the Academic Stewardship of Alabama’s colleges requires measuring two forms of stewardship: 1) Stewardship of financial resources (using the money they have responsibility without waste) and 2) Stewardship of human resources (doing their best to help students, faculty, and administration to flourish). Together, these two types of stewardship form what we call Academic Stewardship. If you want to learn more about the factors involved in Academic Stewardship, click the more button below.
- Stewardship of financial resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of financial resources, we factored in its undergraduate size, budget, endowments and reserves, as well as tuition and fees. All these data are available from the National Center for Educational Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. In addition, we factored in a school’s financial responsibility as gauged by the Federal Student Aid Office at the US Department of Education through its financial responsibility composite scores.
- Stewardship of human resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of human resources, we used our InfluenceRanking engine to track the influence of the school’s faculty and alumni but also to control for size of the undergraduate student body. We’ve found that measuring a school’s influence based on the contributions of faculty and alumni make in their fields of study but then also controlling for size of the undergraduate population is the single best indicator of academic excellence. We call this Concentrated Influence. Schools that rank highly in Concentrated Influence are schools that, given their available human resources, invest heavily in their students and faculty, and the results are demonstrable.
- We measure the influence of colleges and universities based on the publications and citations of the schools’ faculty and alumni who are teaching in and working in areas related to their degrees. To do this, we take publicly available databases, such as Semantic Scholar, Crossref, and Wikipedia and use these to measure the influence of academics in their disciplines. Having measured the influence of persons, we then identify the schools that they’re affiliated with, adding up the influence scores of the faculty and alumni to measure the influence of the schools and their disciplinary programs. Finally, we control these influence scores by size of undergraduate student body so that schools do not score high in influence simply because of a size advantage. We lay out these methodological considerations on our methodology page.
- Academic Stewardship: Having measured a school’s stewardship of financial and human resources in the two previous points, we now divide the second measure by the first to define the Academic Stewardship metric. This metric spotlights smaller schools, with fewer financial resources and people, that invest wisely and do proportionately better in building influence than large wealthy schools. Many of these smaller, less wealthy schools are incentivized to make better use of their resources but would never get recognized in conventional school rankings, which directly or indirectly put a premium on the wealth of schools.
Academic Stewardship as so defined is connected to keeping tuition and other costs down, but it should not be confused with affordability or frugality. The schools that this metric ranks as exemplary academic stewards tend to be all over the map when it comes to tuition and other costs. At issue is the influence of schools given the financial and human resources they have on hand. If a school is going to charge more for tuition, then that needs to be reflected in the school having proportionately greater influence.
Why Academic Stewardship Matters to Students and Their Families
The benefits of attending a school with strong academic stewardship include:
- A clear reason for why students are at the school in the first place. Without the distraction of amenities and luxuries, these schools are at once unpretentious but also passionately committed to their educational mission. The schools in this ranking are financially efficient and academically rigorous. By avoiding frills, these schools take the most direct path to accomplishing their mission of educating students.
- Valuing character over prestige and self-indulgence. A school that’s a good steward of its resources doesn’t instill shame in its students over what they are missing (such as elite cuisine) but rather pride in what they have and making the most of it. These schools exhibit a culture of good stewardship, which tends to build good character in the students that attend these schools.
- Avoiding the spoiled-student syndrome. It’s easy to think that offering students endless options and opportunities will enrich their time at school in every way. But spoiling people—whether in business, sports, or academics—has the opposite effect, causing people to take their advantages for granted and in the end achieving less than they might otherwise, a point well-documented in Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code. Schools exhibiting academic stewardship avoid this pitfall.
- The best schools vs. the schools that help students to be their best. Students at schools demonstrating outstanding academic stewardship aren’t so much concerned about being at the “best” school, whatever that may mean, as about being at a school that helps them to be their best. These schools pay attention to their students, hoping that any glory goes to them rather than to the school. Small schools, and especially liberal arts colleges, help themselves by communicating this advantage to prospective students.
- Emphasizing development over talent and achievement. Schools like Harvard and Stanford have their pick of academic talent, and their students have a long record of achievement even before they apply to such elite schools. But if a school doesn’t have the resources of a Harvard or Stanford, how does it build a great team of students? In that case, it must focus on student development. Colleges exemplifying academic stewardship emphasize student growth and development, ensuring that the schools are doing everything in their power to help students reach their full potential and thereby become their best selves.
Alabama’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
- #5 Best Christian Colleges in Alabama 2024 #6 Best Private Colleges in Alabama 2024 #8 Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2024 #10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Alabama 2024
Tuition + fees
$13K
Graduation
26%
Student body
2K
Career Outlook for degree at Miles College
Cost of Degree: $12,714Expenses: $10,430Starting Salary: $29,500Cost Recoup Time: 14 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Miles College known for?
Miles College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- #20 Best HBCU Online Master's Programs #9 Best Christian Colleges in Alabama 2024 #2 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024 #11 HBCU MBA Programs Online
Tuition + fees
$14K
Graduation
35%
Student body
1K
Career Outlook for degree at Talladega College
Cost of Degree: $13,886Expenses: $13,834Starting Salary: $23,900Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Talladega College known for?
Talladega College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Talladega College’s Online Degrees
BA in Computer Information System
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Psychology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Organizational Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #4 Best Christian Colleges in Alabama 2024 #5 Best Private Colleges in Alabama 2024 #7 Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2024 #9 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Alabama 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$22K
Acceptance
73%
Graduation
62%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1170/21
Career Outlook for degree at Spring Hill College
Cost of Degree: $21,732Expenses: $17,140Starting Salary: $51,300Cost Recoup Time: 14 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Spring Hill College known for?
Spring Hill College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Religious Studies
- Communications
- Education
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- History
- Business
- Chemistry
- Literature
Most Influential Alumni
- #17 Best CCCU Colleges and Universities 2024 #2 Best Christian Colleges in Alabama 2024 #3 Best Private Colleges in Alabama 2024 #4 Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2024
Other Rankings
- #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Alabama 2024
- #10 Best Grad Schools in Alabama 2024
- #2 Best Online Associate Degrees in Alabama 2024
- #3 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024
- #6 Best Online Associate in Liberal Arts
- #7 Best Online Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies
- #9 Best Online Bachelor’s of Counseling Degree Programs for 2024
- #10 Best Online Master's Programs in Alabama 2024
- #11 Best Online Master's in Biology
- #12 Best Online MBA Programs in Alabama
- #15 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024
- #17 Best Online Master’s in Biblical Studies
- #25 Best Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities Degree Programs for 2024
Tuition + fees
$24K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
33%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1040/20
Career Outlook for degree at Faulkner University
Cost of Degree: $23,920Expenses: $14,420Starting Salary: $40,700Cost Recoup Time: 15 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Faulkner University known for?
Faulkner University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Law
- History
- Education
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
Faulkner University’s Online Degrees
BS in Business
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Human Resource Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Forensic Psychology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Christian Ministry
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Humanities
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Biblical Studies
- Required Credits: 122
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Health And Rehabilitation Psychology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Counseling Psychology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in General/Clinical Psychology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #1 Best HBCU Online Master's Programs #6 Most Influential HBCUs in the US Ranked for 2024 #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Alabama 2024 #2 Best Private Colleges in Alabama 2024
Other Rankings
- #2 Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2024
- #4 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
- #6 Alabama's Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024
- #6 Best Grad Schools in Alabama 2024
- #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Nursing Degrees
- #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Social Work Degrees
- #21 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Education Degrees
- #24 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Engineering Degrees
- #2 Best HBCU Online Programs
- #6 Best Online Master's Programs in Alabama 2024
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
30%
Graduation
67%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1092/21
Career Outlook for degree at Tuskegee University
Cost of Degree: $22,614Expenses: $19,310Starting Salary: $42,200Cost Recoup Time: 16 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Tuskegee University known for?
Tuskegee University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #20 Most Influential HBCUs in the US Ranked for 2024 #3 Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2024 #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Alabama 2024 #8 Most Affordable Colleges in Alabama 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
28%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
934/18
Career Outlook for degree at Alabama State University
Cost of Degree: $11,068Expenses: $11,042Starting Salary: $30,600Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Alabama State University known for?
Alabama State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Engineering
- Education
- Medical
- History
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #4 Best CCCU Colleges and Universities 2024 #11 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Doctoral Degrees #1 Best Christian Colleges in Alabama 2024 #1 Best Private Colleges in Alabama 2024
Other Rankings
- #1 Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2024
- #4 Alabama's Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024
- #4 Best Grad Schools in Alabama 2024
- #4 Best Research Universities in Alabama 2024
- #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
- #1 Best Online MBA in Data Analytics Ranked for Students in 2024
- #1 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024
- #3 Best Online Master's in Healthcare Administration
- #4 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024
- #4 Best Online Master's Programs in Alabama 2024
- #5 Best Online MBA Programs in Alabama
- #5 Fastest Accelerated Online Doctorate of Nursing Programs (PhDs)
- #11 Best Online Master's in Sports Management
- #13 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Master's Degrees
- #14 Best Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities Degree Programs for 2024
- #15 Best Online Master’s in Health Informatics
- #18 Best Online Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs
- #18 Top 20 Best Online Accredited Doctorate Degree Programs (PhDs) 2024
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
78%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1175/26
Career Outlook for degree at Samford University
Cost of Degree: $36,725Expenses: $17,209Starting Salary: $59,800Cost Recoup Time: 15 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Samford University known for?
Samford University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Samford University’s Online Degrees
BA in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 128
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Organizational Leadership
- Required Credits: 128
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Alabama 2024 #4 Best Public Colleges in Alabama 2024 #5 Alabama's Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #5 Best Grad Schools in Alabama 2024
Other Rankings
- #5 Best Research Universities in Alabama 2024
- #2 Best Online Master's in Biology
- #5 Best Online Master's Programs in Alabama 2024
- #6 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024
- #7 Best Online MBA Programs in Alabama
- #8 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Information Technology
- #11 Best Online Master’s in Engineering Management
- #14 Best Online Master’s in Information Technology
- #20 Best Online Master's in Computer Science Degree Programs
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
63%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1328/27
Career Outlook for degree at University of Alabama in Huntsville
Cost of Degree: $11,878Expenses: $18,000Starting Salary: $52,000Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Alabama in Huntsville known for?
University of Alabama in Huntsville’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Online Degrees
BS in Nursing
- Required Credits: 26
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS/BA in Professional Studies
Degree Concentrations
- Engineering Technology
- Organizational Studies
- Leadership Strategies and Dynamics
- Technology
- Science and Society
- General Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Alabama 2024 #6 Most Affordable Colleges in Alabama 2024 #6 Best Public Colleges in Alabama 2024 #8 Alabama's Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024
Other Rankings
- #4 Best Online MBA Programs in Alabama
- #6 Top 10 Best Online Counseling PhD Degree Programs (Doctorates)
- #8 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024
- #8 Best Online Master's Programs in Alabama 2024
- #9 Best Online Bachelor's in Human Development Degree Programs for 2024
- #10 Best Online Master’s in Emergency Management
- #12 Most Affordable Online Criminology Doctorate Programs (PhDs)
- #15 Most Affordable Online PhD Programs Ranked for Students in 2024
- #16 Best Online Bachelor’s of Homeland Security Degree Programs for 2024
- #16 Best Online Master's in English
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
52%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1070/19
Career Outlook for degree at Jacksonville State University
Cost of Degree: $11,952Expenses: $12,038Starting Salary: $38,100Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Jacksonville State University known for?
Jacksonville State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- History
- Nursing
- Literature
- Political Science
- Social Work
- Business
- Chemistry
- Economics
Most Influential Alumni
Jacksonville State University’s Online Degrees
BS in Criminal Justice
Degree Concentrations
- Law Enforcement
- Offender Rehabilitation
- Corrections
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Family and Consumer Sciences
Degree Concentrations
- Human Sciences
- Child Development
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Integrated Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Nursing
- Required Credits: 129
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Emergency Management with a Minor in Public Safety Telecommunications, Homeland Security
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #18 Best HBCU Online Master's Programs #1 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024 #11 Best Online Colleges in Alabama 2024 #12 Best Online Master's Programs in Alabama 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
68%
Graduation
27%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
931/17
Career Outlook for degree at Alabama A&M University
Cost of Degree: $10,024Expenses: $14,210Starting Salary: $35,500Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Alabama A&M University known for?
Alabama A&M University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Mathematics
- Social Work
- Engineering
- Physics
- Education
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Communications
- Computer Science
Most Influential Alumni
Alabama A&M University’s Online Degrees
BS in Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Alabama’s Best Colleges in Your Area of Interest
Colleges and Universities in Alabama
Online students and traditional students alike have a lot of options in the state of Alabama. The 54 colleges and universities in Alabama allow students to pursue associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in many fields all over the state, as well as through a variety of excellent online degree programs. Some of the most notable degree areas include law, nursing, biology, history, engineering, and religious studies.
Students in Alabama can study any of these subjects either online or through online courses. If you’re looking for educational flexible education, Alabama has over 20 colleges and universities offering online degree programs.
Find college admissions consultants in your state.
Students hoping to obtain a four-year degree at a larger university can attend one of the two largest - as well as rivalry - schools, the University of Alabama and Auburn University. Both schools’ tuition is about $11,000, though the University of Alabama’s student population, at nearly 36,000 students, is larger than Auburn’s.
Students also have the option of attending one of Alabama’s 18 private higher education institutes, many of which have religious affiliations. Tuition costs vary widely, from $4,000 per year to $36,000 per year. Student populations also vary widely, from less than 100 students to as many as 15,000 students.
Additionally, students who need more flexibility can take advantage of the satellite campuses, like at the University of North Alabama. Alabama also has a larger number of online college offerings. With 70 online degree programs offered at the University of Alabama alone, in-state residents have a lot of degree options, both for a traditional and online education.
For die-hard football fans and lovers of sweet tea, obtaining a higher education degree in Alabama can seem like an obvious choice. The Yellowhammer State, however, is also home to a unique mixture of coastal, mountainous, and swamp environments, making it a great choice for students who love soaking up the outdoors.
And if you’re looking for a mix of the campus experience and online education, many schools in Alabama have hybrid programs. With a hybrid program, you can take both online courses and classes on campus.
What are Alabama’s Colleges & Universities?
- 7 Research Universities
- 20 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 16 Graduate Schools
- 14 Public Colleges & Universities
- 13 Private Colleges & Universities
- 12 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 18 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 20 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 23 Community Colleges
- 20 Online Colleges Undergrad
- 21 Online Master’s Programs