Coastal Alabama Community College
The largest community college in the state by geographic coverage, Coastal Alabama has campuses in six counties. In Baldwin County, the campus coverage includes:
Bay Minette Campus — Coastal’s main branch offers training in education, health care, industry, manufacturing and construction. In addition, science technology, engineering and math, social sciences and tourism, and service industry training also are included.
Academy at the Fairhope Airport — The Academy at Fairhope Airport, which is a collaboration including Coastal Alabama Community College, the Baldwin County Public School System and the Fairhope Airport Authority, is a technical training center. It offers dual-enrollment for high school students and programs for adult learners. Its hands-on training readies students for high-demand careers in welding, electrical and instrumentation, industrial maintenance and aviation technology.
Coastal Online — Distance education is a popular choice for college students and Coastal continues to expand its offerings to provide flexible, comprehensive online courses. Pathways and programs online include arts, humanities, design and business.
Fairhope Campus — The Fairhope Campus provides general education courses for Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees, and for technical programs aligned with local workforce needs. It includes nursing, advanced EMT, graphic arts, computer animation and virtual and dynamic realities. The campus houses the Center for Professional Development, which delivers business and industry training and continuing education in health sciences and the arts. Free GED preparation is offered through the Adult Education Department. Halstead Amphitheater — funded by community donors and Coastal Alabama Community College — features a brick-and-stone stage designed to complement Fairhope’s arts-focused atmosphere and supports music, film and theater events.
The Foley Career and Technical Facility — Housed within the 36,000-square-foot Baldwin Center for Business Development, the Foley Career and Technical Facility occupies 4,000 square feet and features two classrooms, a flexible lab and a learning resources area with digital and print materials. The facility supports two new credit-bearing certificate programs — building maintenance and marine technology — designed to meet local business and industry needs. Each classroom seats about 20 students.
Gulf Shores Campus — This Coastal campus offers extensive instruction within the tourism and service industry that compliments other educational and career-ready opportunities. All are located within a few miles of the Gulf. Because of its hospitality and event planning courses, students have the opportunity to enjoy events such as luaus and fall festivals, plus a focus on cultural enrichment that gives people the chance to travel to destinations such as New Orleans and Disney World. The reach of the Gulf Shores campus includes the Foley site, where programs in marine engineering and building maintenance are becoming more popular.
Columbia Southern University
During its October 2025 graduation ceremonies, Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach welcomed a record-breaking 1,200 graduates and their families to Baldwin County.
CSU offers more than 200 certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs entirely online, including business administration, human resources, information technology, nursing, and occupational safety and health.
The university has 1,300 employees.
In July 2025, CSU announced all seven of the university’s nursing programs (launched in December 2024) were granted pre-accreditation candidacy by the National League for Nursing. The university also announced a partnership with the American Nurses Association to provide scholarship opportunities and tuition discounts to its members and their immediate families.
The university celebrated an enrollment milestone in December 2025 with 180,000 course starts for the year.
CSU is constantly releasing new degree and certificate programs to meet industry and career demands. In 2025, the university added 30 new academic programs including the Bachelor of Science in Space Operations in December.
“With the U.S. Space Command headquarters scheduled to move to Huntsville, the state of Alabama is on the ground floor for developing the future of space operations,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. (Ret.) Mike Perry, dean and assistant provost of the university’s College of Space, Intelligence and Military Operations. “Our community has a tremendous opportunity to create economic growth through innovation in the space operations industry.”
University of South Alabama Baldwin Campus (USABC)
The University of South Alabama Baldwin Campus in Fairhope combines the extensive resources of a major university with the benefits of a close-knit, personalized setting. Serving approximately 1,500 students, USABC offers on-site amenities including a fitness center, academic advising, a student lounge and multiple computer labs.
USABC provides college-level courses, educational outreach, continuing and professional education opportunities and degree-completion pathways. The expanded curriculum includes bachelor’s degrees in interdisciplinary studies, communication, criminal justice and elementary education, as well as an accelerated nursing program. Many courses are designed to transfer seamlessly into other degree programs.
The University of South Alabama is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degrees, and may also offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. It also offers non-credit courses in foreign language and personal enrichment, as well as continuing education and professional training opportunities.
Auburn University Educational Complex in Gulf Shores
A branch of Auburn University, the Gulf Shores site delivers regional veterinary care, aviation training and research partnerships. Its centerpiece is the Auburn Veterinary Specialists referral center, a satellite of Auburn’s Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital, offering ophthalmology, dermatology, internal medicine and surgical services. Fourth-year Auburn veterinary students complete elective two-week clinical rotations there.
The complex also houses the Auburn University Aviation Center, which provides unmanned aircraft systems courses that prepare students for careers in mapping and surveying, precision agriculture and public safety.
In addition, the Gulf Shores facility supports regional economic development by providing collaborative space for business and industry leaders to work with Auburn experts on priorities such as health and wellbeing, resilient communities, intelligent solutions and enhanced security.
United States Sports Academy
The United States Sports University (USSU) is based in Daphne. The facility’s offerings include a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. Training provides comprehensive knowledge of human movement, physical fitness, sport performance, and strength and conditioning. Students gain hands-on experience through internships, community engagement and research opportunities.
Graduate programs include M.S.S. degrees in sports management, sports coaching, sports studies and exercise science. The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in sports management delivers in-depth expertise in sport business management, leadership, legal aspects of sport and research methods.
In addition, USSU offers an advanced educator certificate in sports education and coaching leadership. The course is for teachers and coaches who already hold master’s degrees and wish to enhance their professional expertise and career opportunities.
The inaugural baseball season for the United States Sports University began in February 2025.
This article appears in the May 2026 issue of Business Alabama.
