Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2024

Badge for BEST IN ALABAMA SMALL COLLEGES

Published: Mar 3, 2021
Updated: Mar 25, 2024

Small colleges in Alabama are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.

Tuskegee University
Samford University
Alabama State University
Spring Hill College
Miles College
Faulkner University
Huntingdon College
Auburn University at Montgomery
Talladega College
Oakwood University

Alabama State University 97%
Auburn University at Montgomery 92%
University of Mobile 84%
Samford University 83%
Faulkner University 82%
Spring Hill College 73%
University of West Alabama 69%
Oakwood University 68%
Huntingdon College 66%
Stillman College 65%

Talladega College 22 to 1
University of West Alabama 18 to 1
Auburn University at Montgomery 15 to 1
Stillman College 15 to 1
Huntingdon College 14 to 1
University of Mobile 14 to 1
Miles College 14 to 1
Samford University 14 to 1
Alabama State University 14 to 1
Athens State University 14 to 1

Samford University $36,725
Huntingdon College $28,350
University of Mobile $25,880
Faulkner University $23,920
Tuskegee University $22,614
Spring Hill College $21,732
Birmingham–Southern College $21,250
Oakwood University $20,040
Talladega College $13,866
Miles College $12,714

Huntingdon College $22,500
Samford University $21,265
Tuskegee University $20,378
Talladega College $16,000
Faulkner University $15,325
Oakwood University $13,680
University of Mobile $13,405
Amridge University $10,800
University of Montevallo $10,512
Athens State University $8,352

Amridge University
Athens State University
University of Mobile
University of West Alabama
Talladega College
Stillman College
University of Montevallo
Huntingdon College
Oakwood University
Miles College

Amridge University
University of Mobile
Athens State University
University of West Alabama
Stillman College
University of Montevallo
Birmingham–Southern College
Oakwood University
Talladega College
Auburn University at Montgomery

Tuskegee University 30%
Birmingham–Southern College 57%
University of Montevallo 60%
Stillman College 65%
Huntingdon College 66%
Oakwood University 68%
University of West Alabama 69%
Spring Hill College 73%
Faulkner University 82%
Samford University 83%

Tuskegee University 7 to 1
Birmingham–Southern College 10 to 1
Oakwood University 11 to 1
Amridge University 12 to 1
University of Montevallo 12 to 1
Spring Hill College 12 to 1
Faulkner University 13 to 1
Huntingdon College 14 to 1
University of Mobile 14 to 1
Miles College 14 to 1

Athens State University $7,230
Auburn University at Montgomery $8,232
Alabama State University $8,328
Amridge University $9,000
University of West Alabama $9,100
Stillman College $11,392
University of Montevallo $12,090
Miles College $12,714
Talladega College $13,866
Oakwood University $20,040

University of West Alabama $6,678
Spring Hill College $7,329
Alabama State University $7,416
Auburn University at Montgomery $7,812
Athens State University $8,352
University of Montevallo $10,512
Amridge University $10,800
University of Mobile $13,405
Oakwood University $13,680
Faulkner University $15,325

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

The following list of the best small colleges and universities in Alabama is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 18 small colleges in Alabama. The list below of the best small colleges in Alabama. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.

How do we determine Alabama's best small 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.

Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2023

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Alabama’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest

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.

Many states have great small colleges. If you’re interested in looking into what other states have to offer, check out the best small colleges in New Jersey and Maine.

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Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2024

10 Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2024

Colleges and Universities in Alabama

What are Alabama’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Small Colleges in Alabama 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Samford University

Most Influential Alumni

Samford University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Tuskegee University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Alabama State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Faulkner University

Most Influential Alumni

Faulkner University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Auburn University at Montgomery

Most Influential Alumni

Auburn University at Montgomery’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Birmingham–Southern College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Spring Hill College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Miles College

Career Outlook for degree at Oakwood University

Most Influential Alumni

Oakwood University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Huntingdon College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Montevallo

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Stillman College

Most Influential Alumni

Stillman College’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Talladega College

Most Influential Alumni

Talladega College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of West Alabama

Most Influential Alumni

University of West Alabama’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at University of Mobile

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Athens State University

Most Influential Alumni

Athens State University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Amridge University

Amridge University’s Online Degrees

Alabama’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest