Spotlight on Jefferson County: Higher Education

From community colleges to nationally and internationally renowned universities, Jefferson County is blessed with institutions of higher learning that are advancing scholarship, scientific research and medicine, and changing the landscape in the communities where they stand.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an internationally renowned research university that offers more than 180 degree programs.

U.S. News & World Report international rankings listed UAB in the top 6% among global universities at No. 164 out of 2,459 schools. It is Alabama’s highest ranked school in the global university category. 

Other rankings by U.S. News & World Report for 2025 include the following:

• The UAB School of Health Professions’ Master of Science in Health Administration program is No. 1 in the nation for health care management.
• The UAB School of Nursing’s Master of Science in Nursing program ranked No. 11 out of 130 ranked schools.
• UAB also ranks No. 15 both for Health Policy and Management and for Public Health
• No. 17 for Physical Therapy and No. 17 for Social and Behavior Sciences
• No. 18 for Biostatistics in the School of Public Health

Fortune also honored the school for its computer science and cybersecurity master’s programs.

In the fall of 2024, UAB welcomed 20,905 students to a campus busy with construction projects.

UAB has taken down several older buildings this year, including Denman Hall and the old Humanities Building.

The university demolished the Education Building in 2023 to make room for the new Science and Engineering Complex. This new complex consists of two buildings, East and South Science Hall and Gorrie Hall, that is a launching pad for students in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering. 

And recently, UAB added or renovated several student spaces, including Ryals School of Public Health that is scheduled for completion this fall.

Meanwhile, renovation of the Susan Mott Webb Nutrition Sciences Building was completed this summer.

In 2024, the university wrapped up construction of the new Student Assembly Building, and the 14th Street Parking Deck.

Construction on the $190 million UAB Biomedical Research and Psychology Building is expected to be complete by Spring 2027. The eight-story building will house the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine and the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Psychology. The project is supported with $152 million in federal funding.

The Biomedical Research and Psychology Building project is supported by $152 million in federal funding and the Heersink School of Medicine and College of Arts and Sciences.

The Altec Styslinger Genomic Medicine & Data Sciences Building and the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation Conference Center, completed spring 2025, involved a renovation of the Lyons-Harrison Research Building. The renovation provides more space for computational research and other work.

A ribbon cutting for the Altec Styslinger Genomic Medicine & Data Sciences Building is scheduled for October.

Another UAB building that is getting a renovation is Bartow Arena — a $14.6 million project to improve seating, lighting and other facilities.     

Samford University

Open since 1841, Samford University is a private institution in Homewood, just outside of Birmingham.

Samford has 6,101 students from 45 states and Puerto Rico and 16 countries.

The Wall Street Journal this year ranked Samford No. 8 in the nation for career preparation, offering networking opportunities and career support.

Some Samford schools are gaining recognition for student achievement.

Samford’s accounting candidates in the Brock School of Business, for example, achieved the highest first-time pass rate in Alabama on the Certified Public Accountant exam and is ranked among the top 5% in the nation.

In addition, Samford’s Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing’s fourth consecutive BSN cohort achieved a 100% first-time pass rate on the NCLEXRN licensure exam in 2024.

And last year, Samford opened its new $85 million, 165,000-square-foot Campus Recreation, Wellness and Athletics Complex. The facility features basketball, racquetball and pickleball courts and other amenities.

Lawson State Community College

Lawson State Community College first opened in 1949 as Wenonah State Technical Institute. Today, the college is a two-year HCBU institution with campuses in two locations in Jefferson County — Birmingham and Bessemer. 

The college offers academic programs and career-track programs in nursing, manufacturing, logistics and supply chain management, cosmetology and hospitality management, to name a few.

Lawson State reports that in FY 2023-2024 its enrollment was 4,739 for credit students and 2,624 non-credit students.

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing recently granted Lawson State Community College continued accreditation for its associate degree and practical nursing programs.

Lawson State also recently entered a partnership with Birmingham City Schools, allowing qualified high school students to work simultaneously on high school and college credit.

Miles College

Established in 1898, Miles College is a private, historically Black, liberal arts institution in Fairfield, with a student enrollment of approximately 1,500. 

Miles College’s six academic divisions offer close to 30 bachelor’s degree programs, and the college ranks No. 83 in the nation for Regional Colleges in the South on U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges list.

Last year, Miles College announced several new degree programs in artificial intelligence, sports management and interdisciplinary studies.

And now, for the first time, Miles is offering master’s degree programs. The first is a Master of Arts in religious studies. The second is a Master of Science in management. In addition, students in this graduate program who are interested in a sports-related career can pursue a concentration in sports management.

Jefferson State Community College

Jefferson State Community College is a public, two-year community college with campuses in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair and Chilton counties.

The college had 12,736 for-credit students and 8,749 non-credit students in 2023-2024.

This July, Jefferson State Community College’s Culinary and Hospitality Institute announced a new degree option, Catering and Event Planning.

Jefferson State also began offering a new Customer Service Professional Program this spring at its Shelby-Hoover Campus. Students in the program learn communications, customer relationship sales, problem-solving and cultural competence.

Faulkner University

Faulkner University is a private, Christian liberal arts university based in Montgomery with additional campuses in Birmingham and Huntsville.

Faulkner University launched its new Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program in August.

In addition, this summer, Faulkner University and Thompson Insurance Inc., signed two agreements to launch new scholarship and internship opportunities for students studying for a bachelor of science degree in risk management and insurance through Faulkner’s Harris College’s Business Stumbaugh School of Risk Management & Insurance.

Highlands College

Highlands College is a private, four-year Christian institution dedicated to preparing students for leadership in ministry.

In 2024, the college announced the completion of Phase 1 of The Village at Highlands College, providing on-campus housing for more than 100 students.

This article appears in the October 2025 issue of Business Alabama.