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Alabama Colleges: A Profile of College Degree Programs & Post-Secondary Education in Alabama
Looking for career advancement? Find a degree program in your subject area.
There's a reason so many great writers are from Alabama. The state's unique culture breeds creativity. It also produces some fantastic cultural landmarks, such as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the sixth-largest Shakespeare festival in the world, which Variety called "an oasis of optimism and growth." It is the place to be, especially for young students. People can just kick back on the white sands. Charter a boat. Visit a bustling water park. There's no shortage of things to do. In short, it's paradise. There's plenty of outdoor activities in the rest of the state. Alabama offers literally every type of outdoor adventure imaginable, from hiking, camping, cycling, canoeing and kayaking to horseback riding, fishing, scaling boulders and rappelling down canyons.
Alabama offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 200 fields of study, with a student/faculty ratio that averages 19:1. To appeal to your special interests and enhance your educational experience, they also offer a variety of special programs and activities ranging from freshmen learning communities, to Honors College, to international seminars, to programs for students with disabilities.
Professional programs include law and rural medicine. Also, the state of Alabama is a home to The University of Alabama. U.A. has consistently been ranked among the nation's top 50 public universities by U.S. News & World Report for the last several years. With seven USA Today Academic All-Americans this year, a six-year total of 31 tops all other colleges and universities. Sixty-eight institutions throughout the state have signed a participation agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to participate in the IV federal financial-aid programs. The national average is 85.
Financial Aid and Scholarships for Alabama Colleges
• Student Loans: Many students also receive assistance through the Universities and colleges student financial aid office. Alabama participates in the Federal Direct Lending Program for federally guaranteed student loans. This means that students borrow directly from the government as opposed to using a private lender.
• A Childcare Allowance can be added with documentation provided each year by the student for day care or after school care expenses.
• A one-time allowance for a laptop computer is added for incoming first-year students as long as the student has not reached the maximum federal loan amount.
• The maximum Stafford Loan amount for the academic year is $20,500.00.
• Scholarships: Despite the reasonable cost of tuition, Alabama provides a significant amount in scholarships. School applicants are considered automatically for first-year scholarships, which are awarded based on criteria established by the donors and the Scholarship Committee.
• Alabama has a long-standing commitment to public service. Numerous Alabama graduates have chosen a career serving their community and their country. As part of our continued dedication to public interest work, the state of Alabama awards Public Interest Scholarships to incoming students who have excelled academically and have shown a devotion to public interest.
Total Number of Students Enrolled in Alabama Colleges
• Total Number of Alabama Undergraduate Students Enrolled 2007-2008: 229,431
(National Average – 305.956)
• Total Number of Alabama Graduate Students Enrolled 2007-2008: 34,181
(National Average – 44,972)
• Total number of Alabama First-Professional Degree Students Enrolled 2007-2008: 4,571
(National Average – 6,877)
Total Number of Degrees Awarded by Alabama Colleges
• Average Number of Alabama Bachelor’s/Undergraduate Degrees Awarded: 21,981
(National Average – 29,884)
• Average number of Alabama Master’s/Graduate Degrees Awarded: 9,757
(National Average – 11,855)
• Average Number of Alabama Doctor’s First Professional Degrees Awarded: 728
(National Average – 1,188)
These figures combined mean, the state of Alabama produces an average of 47,220 degree-holders per completions component (i.e. July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008), while the national average is 68,322 total degrees awarded per completions component.
Alabama’s more than 700,000 students are enrolled at the State’s:
• 39 public institutions
• 18 private, not-for-profit schools
• 11 private, for profit schools
Of these 68 public and private institutions, 40 are four year-colleges and universities (the national average is 52 per state), 28 are two year institutions (the national average for two-year institutions is 32 per state). The national average for public institutions is 33 per state. The national average for private not-for-profits is 31 per state and for private for-profits the average per state is 31.
The national average for public two-year institutions is $2,063 per academic year, while Alabama averages $2,814 per academic year. For public four-year institutions the national average amounts to $5,950 per academic year and Alabama averages to $4,907 per academic year. While the national average for private four-year institutions is at $21,588 per academic year, Alabama averages $14,116 per academic year.