Alabama is home to a number of colleges and universities.
Alabama is home to 72 accredited colleges and universities, offering students numerous options for advanced study toward an associate's degree, a bachelor's degree or a graduate degree. Prospective students can choose from 39 public colleges or 33 private colleges. Colleges in Alabama are in urban, suburban and rural settings. The cities in Alabama with the largest number of colleges and universities are Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery.
University of Alabama
U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa as the top college in the state in 2011 in the National Universities category, with a national ranking of 79. In the fall of 2010 the University of Alabama reached a record high 30,232 students. The University of Alabama is also one of the top five public flagship universities in the nation in the enrollment of African-American students.
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university in Auburn, Ala., and is one of the few land, sea and space grant institutions in the country. U.S. News and World Report ranked Auburn University as the No. 2 college in the state in 2011 in the National Universities category, with a national ranking of 85.
Students can choose from more than 140 degrees in 13 schools and colleges within the university. Degrees are offered at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels.
Samford University
Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., is the largest private college in Alabama with a fall 2010 enrollment of 4,715 students. U.S. News and World Report ranked Samford University as the No. 3 college in the state in 2011 in the National Universities category, with a national ranking of 104.
The university has a focus on quality teaching, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1 and no classes taught by research assistants. Samford University offers students the option of 138 undergraduate majors, minors and concentrations.
Birmingham Southern College
Birmingham Southern is a private institution in Birmingham, Ala. U.S. News and World Report ranked Birmingham Southern College as the top college in the state in 2011 in the National Liberal Arts category, with a national ranking of 93.
Birmingham Southern is also one of the nation's 286 "Greenest Colleges," according to The Princeton Review. Birmingham Southern was recognized for its Urban Environmental Studies major, as well as its Urban Environmental Park that serves as a recreational area for students and a laboratory for the study of environmental issues. The college was also recognized for its Southern Environmental Center, which offers an award-winning museum and interactive EcoScape.
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