Spotlight on Mobile County: Higher Education

University of South Alabama

The University of South Alabama and USA Health, with nearly 12,000 employees combined, represent the largest employer in the region. Jo Bonner, formerly the U.S. Representative from Southern Alabama, took office in 2022 as the university’s fourth president.

USA’s highlights over the past two years includes:

• USA purchased Ascension Providence Hospital in October 2023 for $85 million.
• Enrollment has increased in each of the past two years, reaching more than 14,000 students in fall 2024.
• Construction is underway on the 250,000-square-foot Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine Building, which is scheduled for completion in January 2027. The $200 million state-of-the-art facility will allow USA to increase medical school graduates from 80 to 100 annually, with the capability of increasing to 125 in the future.
• In December 2024, USA purchased a 156-unit apartment complex across the street from campus for $20.2 million to help meet increasing demand for on-campus housing.
• The university is building a $10 million facility that will house the Jaguar Marching Band. The indoor-outdoor facility will include a full-sized lighted practice field identical to the Abraham A. Mitchell field at Hancock Whitney Stadium. It will allow the marching band to increase from its current 250 members to 350.
• Initiated in 2022, enrollment in USA’s Marine and Environmental Sciences undergraduate program has increased more than four-fold to 186 students in the last two years.
• Among other programs, USA has added numerous academic initiatives, including an aerospace engineering degree, and strengthened support for active-duty military and their dependents through the new Office of Military Services.

Spring Hill College

Spring Hill College is the oldest college in Alabama, the oldest Catholic college in the Southeast and among the oldest Jesuit institutions in the country. With a 13:1 student to faculty ratio, the college prides itself on offering an exceptional, well-rounded education rooted in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis — care for the whole person.   

Students are encouraged to grow intellectually, morally and spiritually, developing the skills needed for success in the classroom and beyond. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and is in the process of building a $35 million Health and Science Innovation Center where nursing and STEM students will take their classes.

In addition to its on-campus offerings, Spring Hill College also has online bachelor’s degrees and master’s programs in business administration, nursing and theology with flexible online learning options for inquisitive minds at any stage of life.

Bishop State Community College

Bishop State Community College is a state-supported, open-admission, urban community college located in Mobile, with four campuses serving residents of Mobile and Washington counties.

Bishop State is part of the Alabama Community College System, the state-supported network of two-year community, junior and technical colleges that serves the residents of Alabama. Bishop State offers university transfer programs for students wanting to continue their education at a four-year school, or for those who seek to start careers right away, the college’s one and two-year career programs can put students on the fast track to rewarding jobs. Career programs are tailored to labor-market trends and job requirements.

Recent updates include:

Bishop State’s fall 2024 enrollment has reached 4,107 students, a 15% increase over fall 2023.

Students and alumni of Bishop State Community College contributed $263.8 million to the state’s economy, an amount equal to about 1.0% of the region’s total gross regional product, according to an independent report.

Earlier in 2025, the school celebrated the opening of the $10.6 million Carver Instructional Site. The facility is home to welding, culinary, arts, barbering, hairstyling and other adult education training.

The culinary arts program qualified for a five-year reaccreditation by the American Culinary Federation Educational Foundation.

University of Mobile

With an enrollment of 1,989, from 34 states and 23 countries, the University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences university, integrating faith and learning.

The 880-acre campus has more than 75 academic programs. In addition, UM’s 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio offers small class sizes for more personal attention and mentoring for students. Programs of study are organized into the Alabama School of the Arts, College of Arts & Science, College of Health Professions, School of Business, School of Christian Studies and the School of Education.

Charles W. Smith Jr. was named the sixth president of the University of Mobile  in 2024. He succeeded Lonnie Burnett, who served from 2019 until he retired in 2024. During Burnett’s tenure, the school added the J.L. Bedsole Sports Performance Complex and the Lonnie & Lynne Burnett Event Center, a new performance and conference venue.

Coastal Alabama Community College

 CACC, part of the Alabama Community College System, has 12 locations on the Gulf Coast, including The Alabama Aviation Center at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. Established January 2001, students experience hands-on instruction in airframe technology and powerplant technology. With 15 courses focused on aircraft maintenance, students can choose the program that suits their career goals. The curriculum prepares students to take the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification.

Faulkner University

Faulkner University offers more than 60 on-campus majors and more than 23 online majors. The school has maintained a Mobile campus for more than 30 years.

Scholastic offerings at the Mobile site include four associate degrees — liberal arts, science, computer and information science and legal studies.

Twelve bachelor’s degrees also are offered at the Mobile campus.

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