Best Community Colleges in Alabama 2023
The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Alabama offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.
10 Best Community Colleges in Alabama
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
Alabama’s Best Overall
We’ve identified 23 community colleges in Alabama. The following list shows the best community colleges and primarily associate degree granting colleges in Alabama.
If you’re interested in an online associate degree, visit our best online associate degrees in Alabama page.
Best Community Colleges in Alabama
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
45%
Graduation
35%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1200/22
What is Marion Military Institute known for?
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
21%
Student body
5K
What is Jefferson State Community College known for?
Jefferson State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
30%
Student body
1K
What is Enterprise State Community College known for?
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
45%
Student body
4K
What is Wallace State Community College known for?
Wallace State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
28%
Student body
2K
What is Bishop State Community College known for?
Bishop State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
25%
Student body
2K
What is Lawson State Community College known for?
Lawson State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
32%
Student body
6K
What is Calhoun Community College known for?
Calhoun Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
27%
Student body
3K
What is Gadsden State Community College known for?
Gadsden State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
37%
Student body
2K
What is Bevill State Community College known for?
Bevill State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
16%
Student body
3K
What is Southern Union State Community College known for?
Southern Union State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
25%
Student body
5K
What is Coastal Alabama Community College known for?
Coastal Alabama Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
27%
Student body
3K
What is Shelton State Community College known for?
Shelton State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
16%
Student body
1K
What is Chattahoochee Valley Community College known for?
Chattahoochee Valley Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
26%
Student body
3K
What is Wallace Community College known for?
Wallace Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
50%
Student body
2K
What is Northeast Alabama Community College known for?
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
41%
Student body
1K
What is Lurleen B. Wallace Community College known for?
Lurleen B. Wallace Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
46%
Student body
2K
What is Snead State Community College known for?
Snead State Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
27%
Student body
<1K
What is Reid State Technical College known for?
Reid State Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
22%
Student body
<1K
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
26%
Student body
2K
What is Northwest–Shoals Community College known for?
Northwest–Shoals Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
14%
Student body
<1K
What is J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College known for?
J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
23%
Student body
1K
What is H. Councill Trenholm State Community College known for?
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
35%
Student body
<1K
What is Wallace Community College Selma known for?
Wallace Community College Selma’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized 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.
- Marion Military Institute
- Bishop State Community College
- Chattahoochee Valley Community College
- Jefferson State Community College
- Calhoun Community College
- Southern Union State Community College
- Shelton State Community College
- Bevill State Community College
- Lurleen B. Wallace Community College
- Enterprise State Community College
- Gadsden State Community College
- Central Alabama Community College
- Coastal Alabama Community College
- Snead State Community College
- Wallace Community College
- Wallace Community College Selma
- J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College
- Northwest–Shoals Community College
- Northeast Alabama Community College
- Wallace State Community College
- Reid State Technical College
