With multiple universities ranking among the best in country, along with many other colleges of excellent quality, Alabama is a great place to focus your college search. Whether you're in-state or out-of-state, looking for a public or private school, Alabama has something for you.
If you haven't visited before, you might think of the South as just quiet and sleepy, but the region has experienced a powerful economic transformation.
This is an important factor to consider, since once you graduate, you'll probably be looking for a job. And it's good to have developed networks to help you find a job in a place with a robust economic climate.
And that describes Alabama.
Related: Best Online Colleges in Alabama
According to the Center for Business and Economic Research, business leaders in the state are growing increasingly optimistic about the local economy. Their confidence has been on a dramatic upswing for the past few years, which bodes well for future job-seekers: confident executives means lots of hiring opportunities.
So there's reason for optimism about the economy. But will you enjoy yourself while you're there?
Well, if you're into college football, then it's hard to see how you couldn't. The SEC is a football powerhouse, and in Alabama you're perfectly placed to take advantage.
But the state isn't all football. If you're of a more literary cast of mind, you'll be in good company. The late Harper Lee, famous author of To Kill a Mockingbird, was from the state, as is three-time National Book Award nominee Gail Godwin. So if you could imagine yourself becoming the next great Southern novelist, go ahead and check out the Alabama Writers' Forum, an organization that puts on programs to "support established, novice, an student writers."
Or perhaps you're more interested in music? Then the bluegrass, roots, and country scenes might be for you. Whatever it is, Alabama schools and Alabama culture offer a lot.
What are the best colleges in Alabama?
On to our list of the best colleges in Alabama—but first, a word about how we got our rankings.
In order to determine the best colleges in Alabama, we took a look at every school offering four-year bachelor's degrees, and then compared them on the lines of academic quality, student body diversity, and return on investment.
That means we're looking at things like test scores and tuition rates, along with endowment size and the expected early career salary of graduates. All of our data comes from the IPEDS database, courtesy of the National Center for Education Statistics. And now, on to our ranking of the best colleges in Alabama!
Top 10 Best Colleges in Alabama
See our rankings methodology page.
