State Hub

Colleges in Alabama

CampusPin tracks 58 colleges in Alabama, 33 universities and 25 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

58

Universities

33

Community colleges

25

Avg. in-state tuition

$11k

About college search in Alabama

How Alabama's higher-education landscape shapes a search

Alabama’s public higher-education sector is anchored by two flagships: the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) and Auburn University (Auburn). The state has an unusually deep HBCU bench, Alabama State, Alabama A&M, Tuskegee University, Miles College, Stillman College, Talladega College, and Oakwood University, more than most U.S. states. UAB (Birmingham) and UAH (Huntsville) anchor the state’s major urban metros. The Alabama Community College System runs 24 community and technical colleges with formalized transfer agreements via the Statewide Transfer and Articulation Reporting System (STARS).

Two flagships: Alabama and Auburn

The University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) and Auburn University (Auburn) are the state’s two major public research universities.

Seven four-year HBCUs

Alabama has seven four-year historically Black colleges and universities, Tuskegee, Alabama State, Alabama A&M, Miles, Stillman, Talladega, and Oakwood, plus several federally designated HBCU community colleges, giving Alabama one of the highest total HBCU counts in the country.

24 community / technical colleges

The Alabama Community College System operates 24 institutions with transfer paths to public four-year universities through STARS.

UAB anchors Birmingham

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is the state’s major urban research university and medical center.

Public university system

Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) coordination

Alabama’s 14 public four-year universities are individually governed but coordinated by ACHE for transfer, state aid, and statewide policy.

Community college network

Alabama Community College System (24 colleges)

The ACCS operates 24 two-year colleges with formal transfer agreements via the Statewide Transfer and Articulation Reporting System (STARS).

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

Alabama in-state public tuition is in the lower-middle nationally; out-of-state rates are substantially higher. Verify residency rules directly with the institution.

Top metros for college search

Where Alabama's higher-education density concentrates

  • Birmingham

    Birmingham hosts UAB, Samford (private), Birmingham-Southern, Miles College (HBCU), and Jefferson State Community College.

  • Tuscaloosa

    Tuscaloosa is built around the University of Alabama; Stillman College (HBCU) is also in the city.

  • Auburn / Montgomery

    Auburn is home to Auburn University; Montgomery (the state capital, ~50 miles southwest) hosts Alabama State (HBCU), Auburn at Montgomery, and Huntingdon.

  • Huntsville

    Huntsville hosts the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Alabama A&M (HBCU), and Calhoun Community College.

  • Mobile

    Mobile hosts the University of South Alabama, Spring Hill (private), and Bishop State Community College.

What Alabama actually costs

Median net price after grants
$12,859 for families under $30,000
$17,577 at $110,000 or more
Across 40 Alabama colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$22,189 with 45.6% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
24% of Alabama students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in Alabama

Filter all Alabama schools

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South region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in Alabama

Across Alabama (AL), CampusPin currently indexes 58 institutions: 37 public and 21 private, split between 33 universities and 25 community colleges. Students often compare fast-growing metros, flagship publics, regional campuses, and cost-sensitive pathways across a wide mix of institutions.

Run one search for broad public options and another for community-college or commuter-oriented pathways.
Check campus setting and support services early because regional fit can vary more than names alone suggest.
Keep cost, transfer, and online flexibility visible if location is important but not completely fixed.

Browse by major

Alabama colleges by program

Jump straight to Alabama colleges and universities that offer a specific major. Each page compares tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment for that program across Alabama.

Fields with a distinct set of Alabama colleges

64 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in Alabama are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. Showing the 36 with the most colleges. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the Alabama hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to Alabama so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for Alabama

Explore all colleges in AlabamaView community colleges in AlabamaView online programs in AlabamaRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in Alabama

Which is the public flagship university in Alabama?
Alabama has two major public flagships: the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) and Auburn University (Auburn). UA is the older institution and tends to be associated with the state’s primary flagship identity, but Auburn is the land-grant.
How many HBCUs are in Alabama?
Alabama has seven four-year HBCUs: Tuskegee University, Alabama State University, Alabama A&M University, Miles College, Stillman College, Talladega College, and Oakwood University. Including federally designated HBCU community colleges (Bishop State, Drake State, Trenholm State, Lawson State, Gadsden State, Shelton State, and others), Alabama has one of the highest total HBCU counts in the U.S.
How does Alabama’s STARS transfer system work?
The Statewide Transfer and Articulation Reporting System (STARS) is Alabama’s formal articulation tool. Students transferring from an Alabama community college to a public four-year university can generate a STARS Guide that locks in transfer credit for a specific major path.
What is the difference between UA, UAB, and UAH?
They are three separate campuses of the University of Alabama System. UA is the original campus in Tuscaloosa (the system’s flagship). UAB is in Birmingham and is the state’s major medical research center. UAH is in Huntsville and focuses on engineering and aerospace.
How many Alabama colleges are flagged for lower earnings on the FAFSA?
9 schools in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 66 Alabama schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release flagged 13: 5 came off and 1 was added. Every one is named in the Alabama section of CampusPin's FAFSA lower earnings list. The notice is informational and does not affect financial aid, and it describes a whole school, not a program.
How many Alabama colleges cost more than a family can borrow from the federal government?
For families earning under $30,000, 0 of the 40 Alabama colleges reporting the complete federal net-price series charge more after grants than the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026; the median college there charges $12,859. For families earning $48,001–$75,000 it is 2 (median $15,132). Net prices are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any family, and Parent PLUS requires no adverse credit history.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a Alabama search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in Alabama

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with Alabama in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes Alabama.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore Alabama

More ways to explore Alabama colleges

By city

Colleges in Alabama cities

CampusPin publishes a directory for 3 cities in Alabama, every one where federal data reports at least five colleges.

Browse colleges by city nationwide

What this count of 58 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for Alabama, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
33 listed as universities and 25 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
37 public and 21 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for Alabama are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in Alabama. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/alabama