Why choose an Alabama independent college?

Obtaining a college degree provides substantial benefits for the future. It reaps economic returns — average earnings for college graduates are now nearly twice the average earnings of high school graduates. An education from one of Alabama’s fourteen independent colleges and universities does even more. It broadens horizons, sharpens communication and decision-making skills, and equips students for participating in and adapting to a changing world.

There are many other good reasons for students to consider one of our colleges or universities:

Choose urban or rural, single-sex or coeducational, church-affiliated or non-denominational. Degree programs are available in the physical sciences, math, the arts, business, languages, health and human services, information technology, education and more.

Alabama Independent colleges have an average of one professor for every 13 students and an average class size of 18 students. Courses are taught by highly qualified faculty, not teaching assistants.

The stated price does not necessarily represent what students and families actually pay. Over 90% of our students receive financial aid. Of the 90%, over two-thirds is need-based aid.  It also includes merit-based grants and scholarships that do not have to be repaid.

At Alabama’s private colleges, fall 2005 enrollment of full-time undergraduate students ranged from 292 to 4665 students. Students on our campuses engage in a profound learning experience in which:

• They take many small discussion courses in which they are expected to articulate and defend their interpretation of extensive required readings
• Evaluation is based primarily on essay exams and written reports, rather than multiple-choice exams that test students’ memorization
• Professors — not graduate students — teach most courses. They work closely with students on their writing and lab activities, challenging them to take learning one step further
•  Faculty make themselves available outside of class and take an active personal interest in their students, often serving as mentors and role models
• And, according to the reports of thousands of college graduates, those who had these kinds of academic experiences more often reported that they were better prepared for life after college, equipped with effective communication, problem-solving and other career skills - - skills that are considered to be "most important" to future employers.

Alabama’s small, private colleges also offer each student more extracurricular and co-curricular opportunities than are found on big campuses. Far fewer students are competing for spots on the baseball or debate teams, the college newspaper or concert choir, or professional internships.

Social connections

When it comes to making friends, many people assume that it’s easier at a large university. In fact, research shows the exact opposite is true. Smaller, residential colleges — with classes in which students actively discuss the material — offer an environment where students from all kinds of backgrounds can get to know each other, and their professors, comfortably.