by our College Data Analytics TeamWith all of the options you have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its Top Alabama Colleges ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Our analysis looked at 42 schools in Alabama to determine which ones were the best in terms of overall quality. To come up with this ranking, we look at more than 20 factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include freshman retention, graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, and post graduate earnings, among other things.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location or field of study and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
We've created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Columbia Southern University to be the best school for overall quality in Alabama in this year’s ranking.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Columbia Southern University go into careers with an average salary of $63,534 during the early years of their career.
A rank of #2 on our Best Colleges in Alabama list means Auburn University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Auburn is $65,337 during the early years of their career.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at The University of Alabama helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Alabama.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UA is $59,221 during the early years of their career.
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges in Alabama list means University of Alabama at Birmingham is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree.
During the early years of their career, graduates from UAB make an average of $54,501 a year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Samford University. The school came in at #5 in Alabama on this year’s overall quality ranking.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Samford is $58,469 during the early years of their career.
Wallace Community College, Dothan came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Wallace, Dothan is $31,399 during the early years of their career.
Bishop State Community College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking, coming in at #7.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Bishop State Community College make an average of $29,916 a year.
Shelton State Community College landed the #8 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Shelton State Community College go into careers with an average salary of $35,014 during the early years of their career.
Lurleen B Wallace Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Lurleen B. Wallace Community College make an average of $32,307 per year during the early years of their career.
Bevill State Community College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking, coming in at #10.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $34,107 during the early years of their career..
With a ranking of #11, University of South Alabama did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama list.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from USA make an average of $49,379 per year during the early years of their career.
Gadsden State Community College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking, coming in at #12.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from GSCC go into careers with an average salary of $32,937 during the early years of their career.
John C Calhoun State Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges in Alabama list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Calhoun Community College is $38,192 during the early years of their career.
Marion Military Institute came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Marion Military Institute is $59,644 during the early years of their career.
Wallace Community College, Selma came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from WCCS go into careers with an average salary of $31,598 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #16, Lawson State Community College - Birmingham Campus did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama list.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from LSCC - Birmingham Campus make an average of $31,701 per year during the early years of their career.
University of Alabama in Huntsville landed the #17 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UAH make an average of $61,767 per year during the early years of their career.
Athens State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $50,273 during the early years of their career..
Coastal Alabama Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Coastal Alabama Community College make an average of $34,894 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #20, Wallace State Community College, Hanceville did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama list.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Wallace State, Hanceville go into careers with an average salary of $39,842 during the early years of their career.
Enterprise State Community College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking, coming in at #21.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Enterprise-Ozark Community College make an average of $42,572 per year during the early years of their career.
University of North Alabama landed the #22 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UNA is $45,415 during the early years of their career.
Jefferson State Community College landed the #23 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Jeff State make an average of $40,719 a year.
Troy University landed the #24 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from TROY make an average of $42,062 a year.
Jacksonville State University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in Alabama ranking, coming in at #25.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $45,235 during the early years of their career..
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.