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Alabama Colleges

Alabama has more than 75 accredited colleges and universities, but sorting the choices can be easy. Use our search tool to list Alabama colleges by tuition, graduation rates and other important statistics.

Find the Best Colleges in Alabama

Find your best college in Alabama! Alabama is rich with opportunities for affordable college degrees and professional certificates. The state has 25 public community colleges, 14 four-year colleges and universities, and dozens of accredited private schools for higher education at every level. On average Alabama schools are more affordable than out-of-state alternatives too.

Our college search tool makes it easy to list Alabama schools according to price, traditional and online degree programs, school size and other statistics. You can focus on Alabama community colleges, state universities, law schools, medical schools or whatever is a “best Alabama college” for your goals and lifestyle.

Alabama College Education Overview

In Alabama, college education is within everyone’s reach. The state is among the top 10 for investing public funds in higher education, and more than 300,000 students attend Alabama colleges and universities every year. Here are details that might be useful as you search for certificate programs or degree programs in Alabama.

  • The most populated college campus in Alabama is the University of Alabama (UA) in Tuscaloosa. About 36,000 students attended during the 2014-2015 school year. This school is well respected nationwide and about half its students are from out of state. The University of Alabama awards degrees at the bachelor level and higher. It has the state’s only publicly funded law school. UA also offers graduate programs that aren’t available anywhere else in the state; some examples are doctoral programs in anthropology, social work and music.
  • Troy University, a state school with its flagship campus in the city of Troy, is the Alabama university with the largest enrollment across all its campuses. These include four campuses in Alabama and 60 learning centers in other states and countries. Troy University awards associate degrees through doctoral degrees.
  • Interested in studying medicine? As of 2015 Alabama had four medical schools, two veterinary schools, a dental school, an optometry college and two pharmacy schools.
  • The Alabama Community College System is designed for accessibility statewide. You can choose from about 20 physical campuses or earn college credits online.

Check out our list of top Alabama Colleges below.

Rank School Name City State Net Cost School Level Retention Rate Distance Learning
1

Alabama A & M University

Normal

AL

$14,746

4 year

65.95%

Yes

2

Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dothan

AL

N/A

4 year

N/A

No

3

Alabama Southern Community College

Monroeville

AL

$4,842

2 year

58.78%

Yes

4

Alabama State College of Barber Styling

Gardendale

AL

N/A

Vocational

62.5%

No

5

Alabama State University

Montgomery

AL

$10,905

4 year

57.25%

Yes

6

Amridge University

Montgomery

AL

$

4 year

0%

Yes

7

Athens State University

Athens

AL

N/A

4 year

N/A

Yes

8

Auburn University

Auburn University

AL

$18,500

4 year

90.52%

Yes

9

Auburn University at Montgomery

Montgomery

AL

$12,827

4 year

65.2%

Yes

10

Bevill State Community College

Jasper

AL

$8,707

2 year

61.09%

Yes

11

Birmingham Southern College

Birmingham

AL

$

4 year

83.71%

No

12

Bishop State Community College

Mobile

AL

$5,144

2 year

40.84%

Yes

13

Blue Cliff Career College

Mobile

AL

N/A

Vocational

85.53%

No

14

Brown Mackie College-Birmingham

Birmingham

AL

N/A

4 year

50%

No

15

Cardiac and Vascular Institute of Ultrasound

Mobile

AL

N/A

2 year

N/A

No

16

Central Alabama Community College

Alexander City

AL

$6,544

2 year

49.15%

Yes

17

Chattahoochee Valley Community College

Phenix City

AL

$1,342

2 year

53.15%

Yes

18

Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach

AL

N/A

4 year

42.97%

Yes

19

N/A

N/A

N/A

No

20

Concordia College Alabama

Selma

AL

$

4 year

52.38%

Yes

21

Enterprise State Community College

Enterprise

AL

$3,426

2 year

50.29%

Yes

22

Faulkner University

Montgomery

AL

$

4 year

60.28%

Yes

23

Fortis College-Dothan

Dothan

AL

N/A

Vocational

50%

No

24

Fortis College-Foley

Foley

AL

N/A

Vocational

52.63%

No

25

Fortis College-Mobile

Mobile

AL

N/A

2 year

40.68%

No

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Living in Alabama: College Stats & Trivia

How much does college cost in Alabama? What should you know about the state more generally? Here’s a mix of trivia and education statistics.

  • Nicknames for Alabama include “The Cotton State” and “The Yellowhammer State.” (Cotton is a major export and the Yellowhammer is the state bird.) The state is also known as “The Heart of Dixie.”
  • Can you take the heat? Alabama has a humid subtropical climate. Generally the summers are very hot and the winters are mild.
  • Affordable bachelor degrees! Four-year universities and colleges in Alabama are competitively priced. For the 2012-2013 academic year the tuition at public institutions was about $8073 for in-state students while the national average for state schools was $8070. As for private four-year schools in Alabama, the average tuition was $13,983 in 2012-2013. The national average was $24,525.
  • Community colleges in Alabama charged an average tuition of $4048 per year in 2012-2013. That’s a bit high — the national average was $2792 — but most community college students in Alabama receive financial aid. In any case, associate degrees tend to pay off quickly! Community college graduates have significantly higher income than people who only finish high school.
  • What percentage of Alabama college students graduate within six years? The rates vary wildly; at CollegeStats we’ve seen numbers as low as 5 percent and as high as 68% for bachelor degree programs. (Nationwide the average was 59% in 2013.) Use our search tool to compare the graduation rates for any Alabama colleges you’re considering.
  • Which industries are strong in Alabama? The state has a diverse economy and its employment rate tends to mirror the national average. Agriculture is strong; cotton, fruit and peanuts are some top exports. The steel industry is also robust and Alabama is a leading manufacturer for the automobile industry. Hydroelectric power and coal mining also employ many Alabamans. Some other major industries are apparel, textiles and rubber.
  • Football is a big part of Alabama college culture. This is especially true at the University of Alabama and Auburn University. Their teams (the Crimson Tide and the Tigers, respectively) are major rivals in the Southeastern Conference. The schools’ stadiums are regularly filled to capacity — and at the University of Alabama, there’s room for more than 101,000 fans.

Build your list of best Alabama colleges! Find and sort Alabama schools with the free CollegeStats search tool.