University of Alabama

Quick Stats

Box 870100 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487: [map]

2010-2011 Tuition

$7,900: in-state

$20,500: out-of-state

Students

23,700: enrolled

48%: male /

52%: female

Admissions

rolling admission

57.4%: accepted

More Information

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U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

U.S. News rank	Category Name
#79	National Universities

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Summary

University of Alabama is a public institution that was founded in 1831. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 23,700, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 1,000 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Alabama's ranking in the 2011 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 79. Its in-state tuition and fees are $7,900 (2010-11); out-of-state tuition and fees are $20,500 (2010-11).

As the flagship campus of the University of Alabama system, the UA campus is often referred to as “The Capstone.” UA students have more than 250 student organizations to get involved in on campus—and freshmen have to live there, too. There are close to 60 fraternities and sororities in the school’s influential Greek system, which comprises about 6,000 students. The Alabama Crimson Tide sports teams are notorious competitors in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, cheered on by an costumed elephant mascot named Big Al. There is also a men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball program, one of four in the country. The university is located in Tuscaloosa, and students can boat and fish in the nearby Black Warrior River. For a road trip, the city of Birmingham is about 60 miles away.

The university has a highly ranked School of Law in Tuscaloosa and School of Medicine in Birmingham. As a research institution, UA offers opportunities for all students to get involved in projects. There is an annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference that showcases individual work. Undergraduates can get a leg up on networking, too, through the Future Alumni for Tradition and Excellence, or FATE. And speaking of alumni, notable UA graduates include legendary football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, New York Yankees sportscaster Mel Allen, and Forrest Gump author Winston Groom.

School mission (as provided by the school):

The University of Alabama is a major, comprehensive, student-centered research university founded in 1831 as the first public college in Alabama. Dedicated to excellence in teaching, research and service, we provide a creative, nurturing campus environment where our students can become the best individuals possible, learn from the highly qualified faculty, and make a positive difference in the community, the state and the world. On a typical day on our beautiful and historic southern campus, an undergraduate student works side by side with a top molecular biologist, researching Parkinson's disease; students openly debate controversial topics at the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, and volunteers tutor in local schools through the Community Service Center. Fall weekends are alive with the excitement of Alabama football-and 'Roll Tide, Roll' echoes across the campus. Ranked 10th in the nation among public universities in the enrollment of National Merit scholars, UA's rising tide of academic excellence is attracting the best and brightest students from across the nation. Our 2009 freshman class was the largest and best qualified in UA history, with one in five freshmen enrolling in Honors College. UA's graduates and students include numerous Rhodes, Goldwater, Truman and Hollings Scholars. Participation in original research and creative activities is becoming a hallmark of the undergraduate experience at UA, with students working closely with faculty on a wide variety of challenging and innovative projects. In addition to equipping our students to succeed academically, The University of Alabama's programs set the bar high for character, service and citizenship. Students are encouraged to participate in one or more of 250 campus organizations. Campus ministries are thriving. At The University of Alabama, our students are members of a proud family that's more than 175 years old. That's why we treat them as if they were our own sons and daughters.

General Information

School type	Public
Year founded	1831
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	semester
Setting	urban
2009 Endowment	$508,933,888

Applying

When applying to University of Alabama, it's important to note the application deadline is rolling. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due April 1. The application fee at University of Alabama is $40. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 57.4 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	more selective
Fall 2009 acceptance rate	57%
Application deadline	rolling
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	April 1

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at University of Alabama is 20:1, and the school has 43.4 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Alabama include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; EDUCATION; Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences; and Health Professions and Related Programs. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 85.0 percent.

Class sizes

Student-faculty ratio

20:1

4-year graduation rate

38% - Medium

Five most popular majors for 2009 graduates

Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services	27%
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs	11%
EDUCATION	7%
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences	8%
Health Professions and Related Programs	9%

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Student Life

University of Alabama has a total undergraduate enrollment of 23,700, with a gender distribution of 47.6 percent male students and 52.4 percent female students. 29.4 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 70.6 percent of students live off campus. University of Alabama is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

See what students are saying about life at University of Alabama.

Total enrollment	28,699
Student gender distribution

Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity

Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority

Collegiate athletic association	NCAA I

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Campus Info & Services

University of Alabama offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. University of Alabama also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). 80 percent of students have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at University of Alabama.

Students who have cars on campus	80% - Medium
Health insurance offered	Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer	No

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Paying for School

At University of Alabama, 38.9 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $6,419.

Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

In-state tuition and fees	$7,900 (2010-11)
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$20,500 (2010-11)
Room and board	$10,044 (2010-11) - Medium
Financial aid statistics

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Student Reviews Ratings data provided by Unigo

The absolute best thing about Alabama is Alabama football! The energy of the campus is phenomenal and being in the stadium with 96,000 other Crimson Tide fans is life changing! If I could change anything about the University I would do away with the Greek organizations. They provide a segregation between blacks and whites, upper class whites and lower class whites, as well as many in-state and out-of-state students. Many people join to meet new people which end up being the new people they spend the rest of their collegiate careers with. The Greek system is the beginning of the tensions that arise on campus. They receive special privileges. They are isolationists and if you can't beat them, most people just join them out of desperation. The school itself is tidy in size. By that I mean, you will know a lot of people just from commonalities, such as being at the Recreation Center at the same time, or being in the cafeteria around the same time, etc. So you will recognize faces and get an occasional hello. The interesting thing is wherever you go people always assume the University of Alabama is in Birmingham. Too often I have to clarify that the University of Alabama is in Tuscaloosa, and is not UAB, or Alabama State. Others who are familiar with the school though, instantly strike up a conversation about football, which is good that you can relate in some aspect, but begin to wish that there was more to Alabama than football. I spend most of my time at the Rec which is the greatest way to meet and interact with people. Often times, you are competing against people so often you develop a respect for one another. Other times, people in there see how committed you are to your workout program and ask questions or help. I love being in the Rec sometimes just to people watch. Or in my case girl watch. Tuscaloosa is the definition of a college town. There are two malls that are both one story and a Wal Mart. Other than that, you may have to travel to Northport which is two minutes away, or to Birmingham, a more healthy commute of about 45 minutes. The University of Alabama's administration is absolutely useless! Often times, I have sought an answer to a problem and have been sent to three different people only to be told to call back tomorrow. It is so frustrading dealing with people in the offices here, and it seems at times that some of the administrators simply don't want to help you, are distracted by something more important, or just don't care about your problem. The biggest recent controversy on campus is the idea of "a machine", a political regime organized by the Greek system to hold power in the Student Government Association. It is only a theory. The actual existence of this Machine has not been confirmed but there are conspiracy theories that the reason the past 50 or so SGA presidents have been members of predominately white Greek letter fraternities is mindboggling. This is backed by shady polling activities, intimidation methods of minority candidates, and unusual backing out of other candidates that may have a viable chance of winning to allow a lesser qualified candidate to take the position. There are a lot of questions surrounding whether "A Machine" exists to keep the power in place but nothing has solidified. UA is bountiful with school pride. Hate does not even describe what is felt about that other school in Alabama often referred to as the Cow College. UA used to have a real prevalent squirrel army in the summer and fall semesters, but they have declined in recent history. One experience I'll always remember is the day Coach Saban was announced as the new head coach at the basketball game. The place erupted so much so that they had to delay the game from all the people who stormed the court. The most frequent complaints at the school are the lack of parking and the even greater parking fines, the school store charging horrendous prices for books and giving nearly nothing back in return for them, and lighting in some places of the university.

C.Jay Sophomore

UA is a great college. Tuscaloosa is definately a college town. The whole city revolves around the college. Everyone that goes to UA and everyone that has graduated take a lot of pride in their school. The quad is a nice play to go on campus. People go there to play football, walk, jog, or study. One of the most frequent complaints is parking, but this year, UA got a trolley system. I'm not sure how that is working out, though, because I graduated in May.

Andrea Alum

For me, the best thing about UA is that I have met so many people from a lot of different places. I have definitely learned to appreciate the fact that I am getting a chance to see what type of people I may be working with on a daily bases. If you don't like to be surrounded by a lot of people all the time then UA is not the place for you. The enrollment is increasing every year and I don't think it is slowing down anytime soon. But the very good thing about the school is that the buildings are not that far apart from each other. Your freshmen year you may find yourself trucking from Ten Hoor to Shelby Hall in ten minutes, BAD IDEA, but for the most part once you get in your major you really won't have that big of a problem. For me this was a big deal, because where I am from most people don't attend big universities like UA. So for me it has always been a positive response. At work, lol, I work on campus. But a lot of people chill on the quad or at the Ferguson Center where the food court is. But it really depends on the person. Tuscaloosa is definitely a college town. If you come here during the summer, there is nobody here and you are always bored because fun events are centered around it. Depends on what you are talking about. In my opinion, UA have made some dumb decisions about how they have spent their money in the past year, but they have made some good ones also. Particular the Crimson Ride, transit system, has made it a lot easier for students to study late and night and have rides back to their dorms and feel safe. Gay rights. In the fall there was a lot of talk about whether or not gay rights should be added to our constitution since we were one of the only schools in the Southeast not to have it. The administration added them at the end of Fall '07 or the beginning of Spring '08. YESSSSSS...I don't know of too many places that top UA pride. It is amazing "Roll Tide" is used in place of "Hello" sometimes. Unusual, I don't know. This is the only school I know so I really can't answer that question. It would have to be my first UA football game my freshman year marching in the band. The crowd noise as I was marching in the band is the best feeling in the world as they await to hear "Yea, Alabama" for the first time in Bryany-Denny each season. It was amazing. Most complaints are about money. UA have taken a lot of "give ins" away the past couple of years but those complaints only come from upperclassmen since they are the only ones to have them.

Latrisa Junior

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* Overview details based on 2009 data

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Summary

General Information

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