Why This Matters
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37 FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN ALABAMA
According to College Navigator, the four-year colleges in Alabama include 18 public and 19 private non-profit options.
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$11,618 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES
For the 2022-23 school year, the average in-state tuition for public four-year colleges in Alabama is $11,618, according to College Board.
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$15,330 AVERAGE FINANCIAL AID
In the U.S., full-time undergraduate students attending college in 2021-22 received an average of $15,330 per year in financial aid.
Our Research
This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar colleges in Alabama. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The colleges on our list are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — this organization examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of higher education programs in the southern United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission standards, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the resources and services provided for on-campus students. Then, we used this information to calculate the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Online College Programs That Might Interest You
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Top 50 Colleges in Alabama
Discover More Options
What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Alabama
If you’re still undecided on your major, you should consider the jobs with the most career potential in the state. As of May 2022, the five Alabama industries with the highest number of employees are office and administrative support occupations, transportation and material moving, production, sales, and food preparation and serving.
According to CareerOneStop, the five fastest-growing careers for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Alabama are information security analysts, medical and health services managers, data scientists, financial examiners, and logisticians.
You should also become familiar with the top employers in Alabama so that you’ll have a good starting point for your job search. These include Redstone Arsenal, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama Power Company, Honda, and Austal.
What’s Next?
Students who need assistance paying for an undergraduate degree in Alabama have access to several forms of financial aid. Here’s a list of federal and state resources with grants, scholarships, and financial aid opportunities:
- Alabama Commission on Higher Education. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education provides an overview of financial aid programs for students applying for degree programs in the state. The commission also offers information on specialized funding for teacher’s education programs and assistance for those in military service.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, FAFSA is the main form students use to apply for financial aid for college. To determine if you’re eligible for aid, submit a completed FAFSA form online.
- CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder. This tool will show you available scholarships, grants, and loans and can be filtered by state and degree type. It includes information such as dollar amounts, how to apply, qualifications, deadlines, and contact details.