Here are the best colleges and universities in Alabama, categorized into two lists – research universities and liberal arts colleges – to help you find the right kind of school for you.
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.
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
We’ve identified 28 colleges and universities in Alabama that meet our criteria. This list of the top colleges in Alabama below focuses on schools that offer bachelor’s degrees. The ranking features fully accredited public and private colleges and universities in Alabama.
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
80%
Graduation
72%
Student body
35K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/27
University of Alabama’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
79%
Student body
28K
Median SAT/ACT
1235/28
Auburn University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
61%
Student body
19K
Median SAT/ACT
1227/25
University of Alabama at Birmingham’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$35K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
77%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1160/26
Samford University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
57%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1363/28
University of Alabama in Huntsville’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
52%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
989/20
Tuskegee University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
73%
Graduation
45%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1125/23
University of South Alabama’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
64%
Graduation
46%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/21
Jacksonville State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
92%
Graduation
50%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1010/21
Troy University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
99%
Graduation
32%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
950/17
Alabama State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
27%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1080/20
Faulkner University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
96%
Graduation
30%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1035/21
Auburn University at Montgomery’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
50%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1097/23
University of North Alabama’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$20K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
71%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/25
Birmingham–Southern College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
57%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1112/22
Spring Hill College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$13K
Graduation
24%
Student body
1K
Miles College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
90%
Graduation
29%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
925/17
Alabama A&M University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$20K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
50%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
980/19
Oakwood University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
30%
Student body
15K
Columbia Southern University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
42%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1107/20
Huntingdon College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$14K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
54%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1135/22
University of Montevallo’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
22%
Student body
<1K
Stillman College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$14K
Graduation
30%
Student body
1K
Talladega College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
40%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
940/20
University of West Alabama’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$25K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
49%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1085/23
University of Mobile’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$8K
Student body
2K
Athens State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$10K
Graduation
25%
Student body
<1K
Amridge University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
37%
Graduation
32%
Student body
<1K
Judson College ’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utiulized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
Alabama’s Research Universities
Alabama’s Liberal Arts Colleges
