Colleges

The University of Montevallo, founded in 1896, offers students from throughout the state and region an educational experience of high quality, with a strong emphasis on undergraduate liberal studies. Located in the town of Montevallo, 35 miles south of Birmingham, the University is spread out across a 160-acre main campus, surrounded by lawns, groves, and flower beds.

In 1995, Montevallo was invited to join the prestigious Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, a consortium of 25 institutions that share a commitment to undergraduate liberal arts education, high achievement by students, high retention and graduation rates and high levels of placement in graduate and professional schools.

Today, undergraduate programs are offered in more than 70 academic areas, but the full-time student-to-faculty ratio is only about 16-to-1. Members of the faculty come from prestigious institutions from across the United States, with a large percentage holding terminal degrees in their respective academic disciplines.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the University as a Tier One master’s-level institution, giving UM the distinction of being the highest ranked public master’s-level university in Alabama. UM, in its division, posted a No. 2 ranking in the South in a category called “Great Schools-Great Prices,” (called “Best Colleges: Best Values” online) noting schools that are the best values, in the 2009 edition. Among public master’s-level schools in the South, Montevallo moved up one place, from 20th in 2008 to 19th in 2009.

Visit Montevallo University.

Founded in 1961 and affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State
Convention, the University of Mobile provides a unique combination of academic excellence and personal attention in a distinctively Christian environment.

Serving more than 1,600 students from over 30 states and 24 nations, the University of Mobile offers more than 40 areas of study in the College of Arts & Sciences; the schools of Business, Christian Studies, Education and Nursing; the Center for Performing Arts and the Center for Adult Programs. The University of Mobile’s commitment to integrating Christian faith and learning, personalized attention, and academic excellence are the cornerstones that provide our students with a solid foundation for success throughout their lives.

UM’s beautiful 880-acre campus is located 10 minutes north of historic downtown Mobile, Alabama and about an hour from sunny Gulf Coast beaches.

Visit University of Mobile.

In 1896, Miles College was founded by the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, now the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (C.M.E.) and chartered by the State of Alabama in 1905 as Miles Memorial College to educate African-American young people. The college is still supported by and affiliated with the CME Church, although the faculty and student body represent many religions and cultures, national and international. For over 100 years of survival in a difficult environment, Miles College has held steadfast in its goal of providing a quality college education while challenging and molding the minds of future leaders. During our centennial celebration, we observed our rich heritage as Metropolitan Birmingham’s only senior Historically Black College and the impact it has made in the lives of more than 8,000 alumni of Miles College including two mayors of Birmingham, judges, physicians, business leaders, legislators and teachers.

Miles College is physically located within the city limits of Fairfield, Alabama and is just two blocks from the western-most city limit of Birmingham. Throughout its history, Miles has maintained and continues to maintain an ‘open’ admissions policy that invites all students with a high school education who demonstrate the potential for and commitment to earning a baccalaureate degree.

While many smaller colleges have faced declining enrollment, Miles College has been ranked as the fastest growing United Negro College Fund (UNCF) member in the nation. The geographic diversity among our students: 36% of our first time students are residents of Alabama, 14% from Georgia, 7% from each of Illinois and Florida, 6% from California and the remaining 30% from 27 additional states.

Alumni of Miles College number 5,200 in the state of Alabama and 4,600 of those live in greater Birmingham contributing to its progress as leading educators, preachers, business executives, entrepreneurs, politicians and community leaders. The mobility of our alumni is evidenced by the growing demographic diversity of our students and leads to the belief that the impact of a Miles College education is widening the scope of enriched contributions throughout society. We are proud to continue a long standing tradition to educate students who otherwise could not attend college because of their lack of academic preparation, test scores or their lack of funds while also providing an honors curriculum for academically gifted students.

Visit Miles College