State Rankings

Best Colleges in Alabama

Top colleges in Alabama ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes, updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 50

Avg grad earnings: $42,160

Public / Private: 36 / 14

Top Colleges in Alabama

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Auburn University Auburn#74 national	Public	$65,337	50.5%	1,318	79.2%	$33,944
2	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa#200 national	Public	$59,221	75.8%	1,287	73.7%	$33,200
3	Samford University Birmingham#361 national	Private	$58,469	82.2%	1,203	79.9%	$38,144
4	University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville#387 national	Public	$61,767	74.3%	1,321	61.9%	$24,662
5	Birmingham-Southern College Birmingham#598 national	Private	$59,481	51.9%	1,197	64.2%	$22,750
6	University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham#725 national	Public	$54,501	88.4%	1,251	62.6%	$21,864
7	University of South Alabama Mobile#888 national	Public	$49,379	65.5%	1,119	52.6%	$18,652
8	Tuskegee University Tuskegee#971 national	Private	$49,641	31.4%	1,121	57.1%	$23,440
9	Enterprise State Community College Enterprise#1058 national	Public	$42,572	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,850
10	Spring Hill College Mobile#1072 national	Private	$51,500	59.1%	1,090	56.1%	$23,270
11	University of North Alabama Florence#1248 national	Public	$45,415	96.5%	N/A	54.0%	$22,190
12	Jefferson State Community College Birmingham#1372 national	Public	$40,719	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,850
13	University of Montevallo Montevallo#1473 national	Public	$42,957	53.9%	N/A	49.4%	$26,730
14	John C Calhoun State Community College Tanner#1552 national	Public	$38,192	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,870
15	Northeast Alabama Community College Rainsville#1558 national	Public	$34,913	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,790
16	Huntingdon College Montgomery#1599 national	Private	$49,601	70.8%	1,148	46.9%	$28,650
17	Jacksonville State University Jacksonville#1645 national	Public	$45,235	76.2%	1,055	51.1%	$22,716
18	Snead State Community College Boaz#1676 national	Public	$35,735	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,536
19	University of Mobile Mobile#1708 national	Private	$43,611	72.5%	1,220	55.5%	$26,120
20	Chattahoochee Valley Community College Phenix City#1727 national	Public	$36,438	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,850
21	Bevill State Community College Jasper#1741 national	Public	$34,107	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,234
22	Gadsden State Community College Gadsden#1752 national	Public	$32,937	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,080
23	Northwest Shoals Community College Muscle Shoals#1782 national	Public	$33,828	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,881
24	George C Wallace State Community College-Selma Selma#1795 national	Public	$31,598	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,490
25	George C Wallace Community College-Dothan Dothan#1805 national	Public	$31,399	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,730
26	George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Hanceville#1807 national	Public	$39,842	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,790
27	Southern Union State Community College Wadley#1812 national	Public	$36,597	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,790
28	Lurleen B Wallace Community College Andalusia#1824 national	Public	$32,307	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,790
29	Bishop State Community College Mobile#1912 national	Public	$29,916	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,090
30	H Councill Trenholm State Community College Montgomery#1949 national	Public	$32,183	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,700
31	Coastal Alabama Community College Bay Minette#1975 national	Public	$34,894	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,790
32	Lawson State Community College Birmingham#2013 national	Public	$31,701	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,790
33	J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College Huntsville#2048 national	Public	$28,281	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,940
34	Shelton State Community College Tuscaloosa#2097 national	Public	$35,014	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,877
35	Oakwood University Huntsville#2138 national	Private	$42,488	50.5%	N/A	48.9%	$21,838
36	Troy University Troy#2182 national	Public	$42,062	92.6%	1,086	46.8%	$19,584
37	Talladega College Talladega#2206 national	Private	$32,229	99.3%	N/A	65.0%	$15,650
38	Faulkner University Montgomery#2269 national	Private	$43,457	66.1%	1,016	37.7%	$23,920
39	Central Alabama Community College Alexander City#2274 national	Public	$33,506	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,850
40	University of West Alabama Livingston#2321 national	Public	$44,232	87.1%	899	38.0%	$20,090
41	Auburn University at Montgomery Montgomery#2329 national	Public	$44,391	92.6%	1,090	35.7%	$20,092
42	Alabama A & M University Normal#2371 national	Public	$40,628	66.2%	947	28.7%	$18,634
43	Stillman College Tuscaloosa#2380 national	Private	$35,421	74.2%	N/A	41.0%	$11,392
44	Alabama State University Montgomery#2595 national	Public	$34,502	95.6%	977	30.2%	$19,576
45	Miles College Fairfield#2598 national	Private	$32,627	N/A	N/A	25.7%	$12,714
46	Marion Military Institute Marion	Public	$59,644	59.2%	1,043	N/A	$15,538
47	United States Sports University Daphne	Private	$55,257	35.3%	N/A	N/A	$18,900
48	Athens State University Athens	Public	$50,273	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
49	Columbia College - Redstone Arsenal Redstone Arsenal	Private	$45,378	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,304
50	Heritage Christian University Florence	Private	$42,597	100.0%	N/A	50.0%	$11,982

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

Compare any two colleges

Use CollegeBound's interactive compare tool to see admissions, costs, and outcome data side by side for any schools in Alabama or beyond.

Open Compare Tool

Best Colleges in Other States

Alaska→Arizona→Arkansas→California→Colorado→Connecticut→Delaware→District of Columbia→

← National Rankings