There are 60 colleges and universities in the U.S. state of Alabama. The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa is the largest university in the state with 38,100 enrolled for fall 2019. [1] Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, Alabama is the largest two-year college, with an enrollment of just over 8,000. The smallest institution is Heritage Christian University, a Churches of Christ-affiliated seminary, with an enrollment of 86 students. The oldest institution is Athens State University in Athens founded in 1822. [2] There are also 8 four-year and 3 two-year historically black colleges and universities which is more than any other state. [3]
The majority of Alabama's colleges and universities are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), [4] although several are accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), [5] the Council on Occupational Education (COE), [6] or the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).
The University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of South Alabama, the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine feature the only medical schools in the state. [7] The University of Alabama School of Law, the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, and the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University are American Bar Association-accredited law schools. [8] The Birmingham School of Law and Miles Law School (unaffiliated with Miles College) are state accredited law programs. [9]
There are four institutions of higher learning in Alabama that are listed among Tier 1 national universities by U.S. News & World Report - The University of Alabama (UA), Auburn University (AU), the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).
These four universities are also classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity: "The University of Alabama, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Auburn University as of February 2022.
Institution | Location(s) [10] | Control | Accreditation [10] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia College Missouri | Redstone Arsenal [75] | Private | HLC | |
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine | Auburn | Private | AOA's COCA | VCOM-Auburn is located on the Auburn University campus. [76] |
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Huntsville, Fort Novosel, Mobile | Private | SACS | ERAU has four instructional sites in Alabama: one in Huntsville, [77] one at Fort Novosel, [78] and two in Mobile. [79] [80] |
Florida Institute of Technology | Huntsville [81] | Private | SACS | |
Southeastern University | Birmingham, Cullman, Florence, Huntsville | Private (Assemblies of God) | SACS | Students are able to pursue a degree from Southeastern University while dually-enrolled at Highlands College in Birmingham. [82] Additionally, SEU has instructional sites at four churches in Birmingham, Cullman, Florence, and Huntsville. [83] |
United States Army Command and General Staff College | Redstone Arsenal [84] | Public (Army) | HLC |
Additionally, several for-profit colleges and universities based in other states have campuses in Alabama:
Institution | Location(s) | Control | Type | Founded | Closed | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama Presbyterian College | Anniston | Private | Baccalaureate college | 1906 | 1918 | [85] |
Concordia College Alabama [lower-alpha 3] | Selma | Private (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod) | Baccalaureate college | 1922 | 2018 | [86] |
Daniel Payne College | Birmingham | Private (AME) | Baccalaureate college | 1889 | 1979 | [87] |
Judson College | Marion | Private (Southern Baptist Convention) | Baccalaureate college | 1838 [88] | 2021 | [89] |
Southeastern Bible College | Birmingham | Private (Interdenominational) | Special-focus institution (Bible college) | 1934 [90] | 2017 | [91] |
Southern Benedictine College | Cullman | Private (Catholic) | Baccalaureate college | 1929 | 1979 | [92] |
Virginia College | Birmingham [lower-alpha 35] | Private (for-profit) | Baccalaureate/Associate's college | 1983 | 2018 | [94] |
Birmingham–Southern College | Birmingham | Private (United Methodist Church) | Baccalaureate college | 1856 [95] | 2024 | [96] |
Alabama is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama is the 30th largest by area and the 24th-most populous of the 50 U.S. states.
Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the county seat of Madison County with portions extending into Limestone County and Morgan County. It is located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama south of the state of Tennessee.
Auburn University is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a total enrollment of more than 33,000 students with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second-largest university in Alabama. It is one of the state's two flagship public universities. The university is one of 146 U.S. universities classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity".
The University of Alabama is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the public universities in Alabama as well as the University of Alabama System. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".
The University of Alabama System is a public university system in Alabama that coordinates and oversees three research universities: University of Alabama (UA), University of Alabama at Birmingham, and University of Alabama in Huntsville. These universities enroll more than 70,000 students. The system employs more than 45,000 employees at its three campuses and health system making it one of the largest employers in the state.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1969 and part of the University of Alabama System, UAB has grown to be the state's largest employer, with more than 24,200 faculty and staff and over 53,000 jobs at the university. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".
The Alabama–Auburn football rivalry, better known as the Iron Bowl, is an American college football rivalry game between the University of Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn University Tigers, both charter members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and both teams are located in the state of Alabama. The series is considered one of the most important football rivalries in American sports. The rivalry, which started in 1893, was played for many years at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. In the early 20th Century, Birmingham was the leading industrial city of the South, rivaling Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the production of pig iron, coke, coal and the manufacture of steel. Thus, the term "Iron Bowl" came to represent the rivalry. Auburn Coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan is credited with actually coining it—when asked by reporters in 1964 how he would deal with the disappointment of not taking his team to a bowl game, he responded, "We've got our bowl game. We have it every year. It's the Iron Bowl in Birmingham."
Berry College is a private university in the Mount Berry community adjacent to Rome, Georgia. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Berry College was founded on values based on Christian principles in 1902 by Martha Berry.
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is a public research university in Huntsville, Alabama. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and comprises eight colleges: arts, humanities & social sciences; business; education; engineering; honors; nursing; science; and graduate. The university's enrollment is approximately 10,000. It is part of the University of Alabama System and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity".
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1875, it took its present name in 1969. It was one of about 180 "normal schools" founded by state governments in the 19th century to train teachers for the rapidly growing public common schools. It was one of 23 established to train African Americans to teach in segregated schools. Some closed but most steadily expanded their role and became state colleges in the early 20th century and state universities in the late 20th century. AAMU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Historic District, also known as Normal Hill College Historic District, has 28 buildings and four structures listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places.
Alabama State University is a public historically black university in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, during the Reconstruction era, it was one of about 180 "normal schools" established by state governments in the 19th century to train teachers for the rapidly growing public common schools. It was one of 23 established to train African Americans to teach in segregated schools. Some of the 180 closed but most steadily expanded their role and became state colleges in the early 20th century and state universities in the late 20th century. ASU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
Oakwood University is a private, historically black Seventh-day Adventist university in Huntsville, Alabama. It is the only HBCU owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) is a private osteopathic medical school on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, with branch campuses in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Auburn, Alabama, and Monroe, Louisiana. VCOM also recently added Bluefield University to its list of campuses. Founded in 2002, VCOM graduated its first class of 139 students in June 2007.
St. John Paul II Catholic High School is a coed grades 9-12 college preparatory school, located in Huntsville, Alabama. St. John Paul II Catholic High School is the only Catholic parochial high school in the greater Huntsville area. It was founded in 1996 on 4810 Bradford Drive, previously known as Catholic High School. A new 55-acre (220,000 m2) campus was completed in late 2010 in Thornton Research Park. The new campus includes a chapel, academic wings, auditorium, gymnasium, and athletic fields.
Virginia College was a private for-profit college located primarily in the southeastern United States. It offered classes, certificates, diplomas, and degrees related to specific professions such as health sciences, information technology, business, office management, and criminal justice. It also offered online degree programs.
The state of Alabama has invested in aerospace, education, health care, banking, and various heavy industries, including automobile manufacturing, mineral extraction, steel production and fabrication. By 2006, crop and animal production in Alabama was valued at $1.5 billion. In contrast to the primarily agricultural economy of the previous century, this was only about 1% of the state's gross domestic product. The number of private farms has declined at a steady rate since the 1960s, as land has been sold to developers, timber companies, and large farming conglomerates.
J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College is a public, historically black community and technical college in Huntsville, Alabama. The college was founded as Huntsville State Vocational Technical College in 1961. Drake State is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and offers associate degrees, certificates and non-credit courses through its 16 programs.