Best colleges in Birmingham

Sweet Home Birmingham

Diversity is key in this southern city built from steel

The SEC rivalry is alive and well in Birmingham. So is the educational system. Birmingham is Alabama’s largest city with 10 universities and colleges to choose from. These schools offer degrees ranging from medicine to engineering and law. Government, trade & transportation, education, and healthcare are the largest industries in the city, employing 49% of the Birmingham workforce.* That’s a lot of people when you realize the Birmingham area has a population that accounts for 1/4th of the entire state of Alabama.* And with an average weekly wage of $946 and an unemployment rate of 6.6%, right on par with the national average, you could have some promising career prospects after graduation.*

When you get a chance to wander off campus, Birmingham has plenty to offer in terms of the outdoors, cultural arts, and quality of life. Thanks to its competitive salaries and low living expenses, Birmingham is one of the best cities for college and post-collegiate life. With the world’s best motorcycle collection, the Barber Motorsports Museum, and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Birmingham has grown into one of the cultural hubs of the Southeastern United States. In addition, the city has plans to add more green space per capita than any other US city, so the outdoor lovers will be in Heaven. And with an average temperature of 63◦ and only 2 inches of snowfall a year, the climate couldn’t get any better for walking to class or cheering on your school’s football team.* So change things up, and bloom in Birmingham.

Click Here to See the Best Colleges in the US*Bureau of Labor Statistics *Wikipedia, “Birmingham” *www.usclimatedata.com *www.birminghamal.org

Best Four Year Universities in Birmingham

Samford University
Birmingham, AL

Samford University offers 170 degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2023, 1,631 students graduated with students earning 836 Bachelor's degrees, 426 Doctoral degrees, 344 Master's degrees, and 25 Certificates.

University of Alabama at Birmingham offers 214 degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2023, 6,576 students graduated with students earning 2,897 Bachelor's degrees, 2,664 Master's degrees, 692 Doctoral degrees, and 323 Certificates.

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Birmingham-Southern College offers 31 degree programs. It's a very small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2023, 273 students graduated with students earning 273 Bachelor's degrees.

University of Montevallo
Montevallo, AL

University of Montevallo offers 42 degree programs. It's a small, public, four-year university in a outlying town. In 2023, 605 students graduated with students earning 440 Bachelor's degrees, 147 Master's degrees, and 18 Certificates.

Miles College
Fairfield, AL

Miles College offers 28 degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2023, 145 students graduated with students earning 145 Bachelor's degrees.

Herzing University-Birmingham offers 77 degree programs. It's a very small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2023, 212 students graduated with students earning 112 Certificates, 84 Associate's degrees, 11 Bachelor's degrees, and 5 Master's degrees.

Strayer University-Alabama offers 70 degree programs. It's a small, private for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2023, 231 students graduated with students earning 108 Bachelor's degrees, 62 Master's degrees, 54 Associate's degrees, and 7 Certificates.

Best Community Colleges in Birmingham

Bevill State Community College offers 57 degree programs. It's a small, public, two-year college in a faraway town. In 2023, 700 students graduated with students earning 493 Associate's degrees, and 207 Certificates.

Lawson State Community College offers 67 degree programs. It's a small, public, two-year college in a midsize city. In 2023, 466 students graduated with students earning 320 Associate's degrees, and 146 Certificates.

Fortis Institute-Birmingham offers 8 degree programs. It's a very small, private for-profit, two-year college in a midsize city. In 2023, 188 students graduated with students earning 154 Certificates, and 34 Associate's degrees.

Jefferson State Community College offers 48 degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, two-year college in a midsize city. In 2023, 1,234 students graduated with students earning 1,031 Associate's degrees, and 203 Certificates.

List of all colleges in Birmingham

School Average Tuition Student Teacher Ratio Enrolled Students
Samford University Logo Samford University Birmingham, AL
5/5
16 : 1 5,791
University of Alabama at Birmingham Logo University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
3/5
22 : 1 21,160
Birmingham-Southern College Logo Birmingham-Southern College Birmingham, AL
4/5
9 : 1 731
University of Montevallo Logo University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL
3/5
19 : 1 2,942
Bevill State Community College Logo Bevill State Community College Jasper, AL
2/5
40 : 1 3,946