Find a Job You Really Want In
One of the biggest things that incoming college freshmen consider when they’re thinking about what school to attend is the likelihood that a school will improve their job prospects.
Jobs are hard to come by nowadays, after all, and the everyday expenses of living in a country like America aren’t cheap.
Compared to a lot of other states, Alabama has some unique advantages as far as attending college here goes. There are impressive research universities, quality state schools, and the ability to study majors that will prepare you well for the job market.
All that made us curious — with so many good colleges to attend in AL, which ones, in particular, were most likely to help their graduates land a job? Using data from IPEDS as well as College Scorecard as a baseline, we created this list of some of the best colleges for jobs in Alabama.
The full list can be found further down, but first, here’s a look at the top ten best colleges for jobs in Alabama:
- Auburn University
- Birmingham Southern College
- The University of Alabama
- Tuskegee University
- Spring Hill College
- University of West Alabama
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of Montevallo
- Athens State University
- University of Mobile
If you go to one of these schools, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you — keep reading and we’ll get to just why these schools have some of the best programs the state of Alabama has to offer.
How We Determined The Best Schools In Alabama For Jobs
Using the College Scorecard Data, we searched for the college in each state with the highest listed job placement ratings, looking specifically at employment levels at year 10 after students have graduated.
We limited the analysis to the 28 public and non-profit, four year institutions colleges in Alabama that offer at least a bachelors degree.
Then, we ranked each college from best to worst on the percentage of graduates with jobs. For the purposes of readability, each school’s rating was then rounded down to the last two decimal places.
The school with the highest percentage of grads with jobs, Auburn University, earned the distinction of being the ‘Best College For Jobs in Alabama.’
1. Auburn University
Location: AuburnEmployed: 90.74%
2. Birmingham Southern College
Location: BirminghamEmployed: 90.26%
3. The University of Alabama
Location: TuscaloosaEmployed: 89.92%
4. Tuskegee University
Location: TuskegeeEmployed: 89.82%
5. Spring Hill College
Location: MobileEmployed: 89.12%
6. University of West Alabama
Location: LivingstonEmployed: 88.34%
7. University of Alabama at Birmingham
Location: BirminghamEmployed: 88.08%
8. University of Montevallo
Location: MontevalloEmployed: 88.08%
9. Athens State University
Location: AthensEmployed: 88.05%
10. University of Mobile
Location: MobileEmployed: 87.92%
There You Have It — The Best Colleges For Jobs In Alabama
If you’re looking to have a career after college, you should consider applying to any one of the universities and colleges on this list. They have some of the highest rates of employment for not only Alabama, but the entire country.
Here’s a look at the full list of colleges in Alabama by their employment rates 10 years after college.
Best Colleges For Getting A Job In Alabama
| Rank | College | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auburn University | 90.74% |
| 2 | Birmingham Southern College | 90.26% |
| 3 | The University of Alabama | 89.92% |
| 4 | Tuskegee University | 89.82% |
| 5 | Spring Hill College | 89.12% |
| 6 | University of West Alabama | 88.34% |
| 7 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | 88.08% |
| 8 | University of Montevallo | 88.08% |
| 9 | Athens State University | 88.05% |
| 10 | University of Mobile | 87.92% |
| 11 | University of Alabama in Huntsville | 87.86% |
| 12 | Auburn University at Montgomery | 87.84% |
| 13 | Alabama A amp; M University | 87.62% |
| 14 | Samford University | 87.56% |
| 15 | Huntingdon College | 87.5% |
| 16 | Alabama State University | 87.4% |
| 17 | Oakwood University | 87.22% |
| 18 | Jacksonville State University | 86.73% |
| 19 | Stillman College | 86.59% |
| 20 | University of South Alabama | 85.59% |
| 21 | University of North Alabama | 85.28% |
| 22 | Faulkner University | 85.28% |
| 23 | Troy University | 85.14% |
| 24 | Miles College | 84.3% |
| 25 | Talladega College | 82.98% |
| 26 | Judson College | 79.39% |
| 27 | Concordia College Alabama | 76.92% |
| 28 | Amridge University | 74.67% |
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
