Best Private Colleges in Alabama 2023

Published: Feb 15, 2021
Updated: May 22, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Alabama.

10 Best Private Colleges in Alabama

47%

44%

31%

30%

29%

27%

26%

Birmingham–Southern College

25%

25%

23%

84%

76%

72%

72%

69%

Birmingham–Southern College

66%

Faulkner University

65%

University of Mobile

64%

Tuskegee University

34%

Columbia Southern University

39 to 1

23 to 1

18 to 1

15 to 1

14 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

12 to 1

$35,360

$27,900

$24,855

$23,490

$22,614

$21,100

Birmingham–Southern College

$20,100

$19,990

$13,886

$12,714

$22,500

$20,935

$20,378

$16,000

$13,680

$11,260

$10,800

$10,374

$7,704

Columbia Southern University

$3,900

Amridge University

17%

University of Mobile

19%

Columbia Southern University

20%

Stillman College

23%

Oakwood University

25%

Birmingham–Southern College

25%

26%

27%

29%

30%

34%

64%

65%

Birmingham–Southern College

66%

69%

72%

72%

76%

84%

Birmingham–Southern College

10 to 1

10 to 1

11 to 1

12 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

14 to 1

15 to 1

Columbia Southern University

$5,775

$9,000

$11,392

$12,714

$13,886

$19,990

Birmingham–Southern College

$20,100

Spring Hill College

$21,100

Tuskegee University

$22,614

Faulkner University

$23,490

Columbia Southern University

$3,900

$7,704

$10,374

$10,800

$11,260

$13,680

$16,000

$20,378

$20,935

$22,500

Table of Contents

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?

Alabama’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

How do we determine Alabama's best private colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 14 private universities in Alabama. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Alabama, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.