Alabama ranking · Clery-reported enrollment 2024

The Largest Universities in Alabama

The 50 largest of the 72 Alabama colleges and universities that report an enrolment to the U.S. Department of Education, ranked biggest first. Total enrolment counts online and distance students, so an institution with a large virtual programme can outrank a bigger physical campus.

40,846
Largest in Alabama
72
Institutions reporting
2,046
Median Alabama institution
#24
of 51 states by enrolment

The University of Alabama is the largest institution in Alabama with 40,846 students

According to U.S. Department of Education campus-safety enrollment filings for 2024, The University of Alabama leads Alabama at 40,846 students, and the five largest hold 40.7% of state enrollment. This list covers the 50 largest of 72 reporting institutions. Totals include online learners, so a large virtual programme can outrank a bigger physical campus.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey

Largest in Alabama
40,846
Institutions reporting
72
State students in top 5
40.7%
Median Alabama institution
2,046

Alabama in one line

The University of Alabama is the largest institution in Alabama with 40,846 students, about 20x the 2,046 of the median institution in the state. The five largest hold 40.7% of the state's students, a middling concentration: large institutions matter here without crowding out the rest.

40,846
students at The University of Alabama
40.7%
of state students, in the top 5
313,719
students enrolled across Alabama
613
the #50 cutoff

Enrollment is total students reported in the OPE campus-safety disclosure for 2024, including online and distance learners. IPEDS supplies institution location and sector. The incident column is reported on-campus Clery Act incidents per 1,000 enrolled students.

Size joined to safety

These 50 largest institutions enroll 98.8% of Alabama's students; the other 22 reporting institutions hold the remaining 1.2%. Among the 36 mid-to-large campuses on this list, 25 sit below the 1.58 national median incident rate, and 1 also appear in the national safest-50.

98.8%
of state students, in these 50
25
below 1.58 national median /1k
1
also in national safest-50
2.91
The University of Alabama rate /1k

Incident rates are on-campus Clery Criminal Offenses and VAWA reports per 1,000 enrolled students for campuses with enrollment ≥ 2,000 and a national safety rank. A lower rate is not a personal safety verdict, reporting culture and online enrollment dilute raw counts. See /rankings/safest-campuses for the size-fair national list.

Showing the top 50 of 72 Alabama institutions by enrollment (309,949 of 313,719 students, 98.8%). The remaining 22 reporting institutions enroll 1.2% of the state total and are omitted from this capped ranking, not from the underlying federal tables.

What this ranking shows about Alabama

Alabama ranks 24th by total enrolment among the states and DC, roughly mid-table nationally. 37 of the 72 institutions reporting enrolment here are public, an unusually public-heavy sector, so the top of this list is largely a map of the state's public systems.

Ranking by total enrolment puts institutions with large online programmes above institutions with larger physical campuses, because a virtual student body is not limited by classrooms or housing. A list of the biggest campuses by students physically present would order differently, and neither list is more correct, because they answer different questions. Enrolment here is the total headcount an institution reported to the federal OPE reporting cohort, which counts undergraduate and graduate students together and makes no distinction between full-time and part-time study. A university with a very large part-time or continuing-education population can therefore outrank one with more students on campus on any given weekday.

The incident-rate column is here because institution size changes how a raw incident count should be read, not because a larger university is more or less safe. Two institutions with the same number of reported incidents are not comparable if one enrols five times as many students, so the column expresses incidents per thousand enrolled. A rate still reflects reporting practice as much as underlying risk: an institution that encourages reporting and investigates thoroughly can record more incidents than one that does neither, and that is the opposite of what a naive reading suggests. Institutions where most students study online show diluted rates, because the denominator counts students who never set foot on a campus. Read the column as context for the size ranking, never as a safety verdict, and see our methodology for how both figures are assembled. For the same institutions ranked by cost rather than size, see the cheapest colleges rankings, or browse every institution we hold a record for.

Comparing states? See the 50 largest universities in the US, or this state's campus safety profile.

The bar to make Alabama's top-50 list is 613 students. Here is where that cutoff sits among all 72 Alabama institutions reporting enrollment:

The bar to make Alabama's top-50 list

Clery-reported enrollment · 72 Alabama institutions · 2024

613 Top 69% higher than 31% of 72 Alabama institutions

Show national distribution 0–5,000: 53 Alabama institutions (74%). This entry sits in this band. 5,000–10,000: 12 Alabama institutions (17%). Above this entry. 10,000–15,000: 3 Alabama institutions (4%). Above this entry. 15,000–20,000: 1 Alabama institutions (1%). Above this entry. 20,000–25,000: 1 Alabama institutions (1%). Above this entry. 25,000–30,000: 0 Alabama institutions (0%). Above this entry. 30,000–35,000: 1 Alabama institutions (1%). Above this entry. 35,000–40,000: 0 Alabama institutions (0%). Above this entry. 40,000–45,000: 1 Alabama institutions (1%). Above this entry. #50 cutoff 0 45,000 every Alabama institution, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more Alabama institutions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey · 2024

The 50 largest of Alabama's 72 institutions

6
Troy University Troy, AL · Public
Enrollment
13,658
Incidents /1k
0.37
16
Samford University Birmingham, AL · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
6,097
Incidents /1k
0.98
30
Faulkner University Montgomery, AL · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
3,086
Incidents /1k
0.00
41
Oakwood University Huntsville, AL · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
1,226
Incidents /1k
3.26
43
Miles College Fairfield, AL · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
1,180
Incidents /1k
13.56
45
Huntingdon College Montgomery, AL · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
892
Incidents /1k
1.12
47
Talladega College Talladega, AL · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
760
Incidents /1k
6.58
48
Stillman College Tuscaloosa, AL · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
731
Incidents /1k
13.68
# Institution EnrollmentIncidents /1k
1 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL · Public 40,846 100% of the leader · rank #1 2.91
2 Auburn University Auburn, AL · Public 34,145 84% of the leader · rank #2 4.04
3 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL · Public 20,905 51% of the leader · rank #3 9.66
4 Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL · Private for-profit 17,763 43% of the leader · rank #4 0.00
5 University of South Alabama Mobile, AL · Public 14,003 34% of the leader · rank #5 3.21
6 Troy University Troy, AL · Public 13,658 33% of the leader · rank #6 0.37
7 University of North Alabama Florence, AL · Public 10,204 25% of the leader · rank #7 3.04
8 Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL · Public 9,955 24% of the leader · rank #8 2.61
9 Jefferson State Community College Birmingham, AL · Public 9,240 23% of the leader · rank #9 0.11
10 John C Calhoun State Community College Tanner, AL · Public 9,119 22% of the leader · rank #10 0.00
11 University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL · Public 8,564 21% of the leader · rank #11 1.87
12 Coastal Alabama Community College Bay Minette, AL · Public 7,553 18% of the leader · rank #12 0.79
13 Alabama A & M University Normal, AL · Public 7,295 18% of the leader · rank #13 5.62
14 University of West Alabama Livingston, AL · Public 6,820 17% of the leader · rank #14 1.17
15 George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Hanceville, AL · Public 6,424 16% of the leader · rank #15 0.31
16 Samford University Birmingham, AL · Private nonprofit 6,097 15% of the leader · rank #16 0.98
17 Auburn University at Montgomery Montgomery, AL · Public 5,217 13% of the leader · rank #17 2.11
18 Gadsden State Community College Gadsden, AL · Public 5,071 12% of the leader · rank #18 0.00
19 Southern Union State Community College Wadley, AL · Public 5,063 12% of the leader · rank #19 0.20
20 Northwest Shoals Community College Muscle Shoals, AL · Public 4,665 11% of the leader · rank #20 0.00
21 Shelton State Community College Tuscaloosa, AL · Public 4,601 11% of the leader · rank #21 0.00
22 Bevill State Community College Jasper, AL · Public 4,378 11% of the leader · rank #22 0.23
23 Alabama State University Montgomery, AL · Public 4,081 10% of the leader · rank #23 5.15
24 George C Wallace Community College-Dothan Dothan, AL · Public 4,044 10% of the leader · rank #24 0.00
25 Bishop State Community College Mobile, AL · Public 4,001 10% of the leader · rank #25 0.00
26 Lawson State Community College Birmingham, AL · Public 3,453 8% of the leader · rank #26 0.87
27 Northeast Alabama Community College Rainsville, AL · Public 3,208 8% of the leader · rank #27 0.31
28 Tuskegee University Tuskegee, AL · Private nonprofit 3,121 8% of the leader · rank #28 2.88
29 University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL · Public 3,088 8% of the leader · rank #29 0.32
30 Faulkner University Montgomery, AL · Private nonprofit 3,086 8% of the leader · rank #30 0.00
31 Athens State University Athens, AL · Public 2,986 7% of the leader · rank #31 0.00
32 Snead State Community College Boaz, AL · Public 2,917 7% of the leader · rank #32 0.00
33 Enterprise State Community College Enterprise, AL · Public 2,699 7% of the leader · rank #33 0.37
34 Central Alabama Community College Alexander City, AL · Public 2,140 5% of the leader · rank #34 0.00
35 Lurleen B Wallace Community College Andalusia, AL · Public 2,062 5% of the leader · rank #35 0.97
36 H Councill Trenholm State Community College Montgomery, AL · Public 2,046 5% of the leader · rank #36 0.49
37 George C Wallace State Community College-Selma Selma, AL · Public 1,925 5% of the leader · rank #37 0.00
38 Chattahoochee Valley Community College Phenix City, AL · Public 1,705 4% of the leader · rank #38 0.00
39 University of Mobile Mobile, AL · Private nonprofit 1,545 4% of the leader · rank #39 0.00
40 Strayer University-Alabama Birmingham, AL · Private for-profit 1,329 4% of the leader · rank #40 0.00
41 Oakwood University Huntsville, AL · Private nonprofit 1,226 4% of the leader · rank #41 3.26
42 J. F. Drake State Community and Technical College Huntsville, AL · Public 1,187 4% of the leader · rank #42 0.00
43 Miles College Fairfield, AL · Private nonprofit 1,180 4% of the leader · rank #43 13.56
44 Spring Hill College Mobile, AL · Private nonprofit 919 4% of the leader · rank #44 13.06
45 Huntingdon College Montgomery, AL · Private nonprofit 892 4% of the leader · rank #45 1.12
46 Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine Dothan, AL · Private nonprofit 778 4% of the leader · rank #46 0.00
47 Talladega College Talladega, AL · Private nonprofit 760 4% of the leader · rank #47 6.58
48 Stillman College Tuscaloosa, AL · Private nonprofit 731 4% of the leader · rank #48 13.68
49 Reid State Technical College Evergreen, AL · Public 641 4% of the leader · rank #49 0.00
50 Fortis Institute-Birmingham Birmingham, AL · Private for-profit 613 4% of the leader · rank #50 0.00

What to do with this

Size is a starting filter for Alabama, not a verdict on any institution.

Institutions below the reporting floor, or without enrolment in the Campus Safety and Security Survey cohort for 2024, do not appear on this list. IPEDS supplies classification and location.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education Campus Safety and Security Survey (enrollment and Clery disclosures), joined to the IPEDS institutional directory (location and classification)

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every figure on this page is computed at request time from the federal source tables; no ranking position or count is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-10-26.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.