It is no surprise that Alabama colleges and universities are reaching distance learners both within state boundaries and nationwide. The state education system cultivates a culture of online learning through ACCESS Virtual Learning. The Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide program offers Alabama public school students opportunities to attend virtual classes online. This initiative provides access to courses and advanced placement electives otherwise unavailable to many. This appreciation for distance learning continues into upper education, with colleges and universities across the state offering a wealth of online programs.
But before we look at the very best online colleges in Alabama, let's start with the state of higher education and online education in particular in Alabama today.
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Overview of Online Colleges in Alabama
A Brief Overview of Higher Education in Alabama
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Alabama is home to 77 higher education institutions that grant degrees, and including online colleges in Alabama, 304,052 students attend college in the state. Of those schools, 39 are public, and among the public institutions, 14 grant four-year degrees and 25 are community colleges. The Heart of Dixie also has 21 private nonprofit higher-learning institutions. The final 17 are for-profit organizations.[dataviz-stats public="39" non-profit="21" for-profit="17"]Each of Alabama's schools charges different tuition rates and fees. However, the averages can help prospective students think about their budgets. The College Board collects information from public schools and finds averages for each state. For the 2018-19 school year, the average in-state public, two-year college charged $4,760 for tuition and fees. In-state students at public, four-year universities paid an average $10,870 per year for these expenses. Cheap online colleges in Alabama charge much lower rates: The University of Alabama charges just under the mean for in-state students at $10,780 per year. Learners from other states pay about $29,230 annually for tuition and fees.Degree candidates often do not cover these fees on their own or with only their family contributions. In the 2015-16 school year, the Alabama Student Assistance Program awarded $2,597,122 to 3,980 learners who demonstrated financial need. Another 524 students got $675,105 from other need-based grants. Degree candidates do not always need to show financial need to receive aid. In the same year, the state awarded $4,276,115 to more than 5,000 students without considering financial need.
Higher Education in Alabama
Featured Online Programs
The State of Online Higher Education in Alabama
Students who want the Alabama higher learning experience with the convenience of distance learning can choose among the best online colleges in Alabama. A recent online learning survey found that 111,146 of the state's postsecondary, degree-seeking students took at least one class online in the 2015-16 school year. This figure accounts for 36.7% of the student body, and the percentage is trending upward. 58,262 of these learners, or 19.2% of all higher education students in Alabama, took classes exclusively online. 37,749 of these online-only degree candidates were in graduate-level programs.[dataviz-nces online="19.2" undergrad="35.2" in-state="56"]Since learners can take online courses from anywhere, a significant number of online-only students came from outside of Alabama; 25,621 exclusively online learners were nonresidents, which is 44% of all of such students. In total, the percentage of students who take some courses on-campus fell 3.1% from 2012 to 2015. This decline in on-campus enrollment is much faster than the national 1.7% decrease. It's clear that online colleges in Alabama are not just trendy; they are here to stay.
Tuition Breaks for Out-of-State Students
Some schools in Alabama have unique programs that few universities offer. Luckily, learners who want to attend these programs do not have to be in-state residents to afford the tuition. Alabama is part of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). As such, it participates with 15 other states in the Academic Common Market (ACM). This market helps students from each of the member states can attend programs in other member states.The other SREB states are Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Students from any of these states can attend any of Alabama's approved programs and pay in-state tuition. Between all of the states, the SREB supports at least 1,900 plans for the ACM. However, students pursuing their first professional degrees, such as law or medical doctorates, do not qualify for the ACM.The ACM Electronic Campus (ACM/EC) plan brings the basic ideas of the ACM to accredited online colleges in Alabama. Neither the ACM or ACM/EC have additional merit requirements. Instead, students choose an approved program from the SREB website. They must be accepted by the university and program based on the school's needs. Applicants must also meet residency requirements for one of the member states.
Best Online Colleges in Alabama
Below, you will find our rankings of the best online four-year programs in Alabama. Our profiles look at how schools approach online education and then list out their services for distance students and their popular, fully online degrees. After reviewing the best online schools in AL, explore our state resources, like a database of every college and university in Alabama or our index of popular in-state scholarships.
Ranking Methodology
To determine the best online colleges in each state, we examined the factors most important to prospective students: Academic quality and reputation, online program strength, and cost and student aid. At the most basic level, we use the following formula to determine the best online colleges: Academic Quality + Online Offerings + Cost and Student Aid = Final Score. Of course, there's more to these calculations than meets the eye. Visit our methodology page to discover the data points that shape our formula and to learn more about the process we use to rank schools.
Most Affordable Online Colleges in Alabama
Below you'll find the best online education programs in Alabama, sorted by affordability.
Affordability Methodology
Our list of the most affordable online colleges is based on in-state yearly tuition, or annual tuition rates if a school does not differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition rates are based on a full course load each semester or term. All colleges on the list offer at least one bachelor's degree completion program available entirely online.Those institutions with the lowest tuition are ranked highest, providing prospective students with a true list of the most affordable online colleges in their state.
College Graduate Outlook in Alabama
Job Outlook for College Graduates in Alabama
Programs at online colleges in Alabama can often lead to stable, high-earning careers for graduates. Students who want to stay in Alabama after graduation can choose programs based on their interests and the projected job market. As of September 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the unemployment rate in the state is 4.1%. This percentage is slightly higher than the national average of 3.7%. On average, Alabama workers across all industries make $20.76 per hour or $43,170 per year. While these figures give prospective students insights into the state's economy, they do not show the whole picture. Learners should investigate the areas of work that interest them to get detailed job predictions.The BLS also shows which jobs pay the most in Alabama. Different kinds of doctors, including surgeons and orthodontists, make up nine of the 10 highest-paying positions. Other contenders include sales manager, law professor, and petroleum engineer.