Editing Alabama (section)

=== Colleges and universities ===
{{Main|List of colleges and universities in Alabama}}
[[File:Harrison-plaza2.jpg|thumb|left|Harrison Plaza at the [[University of North Alabama]] in Florence. The school was chartered as LaGrange College by the [[Alabama Legislature]] in 1830.]]

Alabama's programs of higher education include 14 four-year public universities, two-year community colleges, and 17 private, undergraduate and graduate universities. In the state are four medical schools (as of fall 2015) [[University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine|UAB Heersink School of Medicine]], University of South Alabama and [[Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine]] and The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Auburn Campus), two veterinary colleges (Auburn University and [[Tuskegee University]]), a dental school ([[UAB School of Dentistry]], an optometry college (UAB School of Optometry), two pharmacy schools (Auburn University and [[Samford University]]), and five law schools ([[University of Alabama School of Law]], [[Birmingham School of Law]], [[Cumberland School of Law]], [[Miles Law School]], and the [[Thomas Goode Jones School of Law]]). Public, post-secondary education in Alabama is overseen by the [[Alabama Commission on Higher Education]] and the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education. Colleges and universities in Alabama offer degree programs from two-year associate degrees to a multitude of doctoral level programs.<ref name="ache">{{cite web |publisher=Alabama Commission on Higher Education |title=Directory of Alabama Colleges and Universities |url=http://www.ache.alabama.gov/Colleges&Universities/Directory.htm |access-date=July 28, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011002457/http://www.ache.alabama.gov/Colleges%26Universities/Directory.htm |archive-date=October 11, 2013}}</ref>

[[File:William J. Samford Hall.jpg|thumb|right|William J. Samford Hall at [[Auburn University]]]]
The largest single campus is the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa, with 37,665 enrolled for fall 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ua.edu/about/quickfacts |title=The University of Alabama |website=www.ua.edu |access-date=July 5, 2017 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111170505/https://www.ua.edu/about/quickfacts |url-status=live}}</ref> Troy University was the largest institution in the state in 2010, with an enrollment of 29,689 students across four Alabama campuses ([[Troy, Alabama|Troy]], [[Dothan, Alabama|Dothan]], Montgomery, and [[Phenix City, Alabama|Phenix City]]), as well as sixty learning sites in seventeen other states and eleven other countries. The oldest institutions are the public [[University of North Alabama]] in Florence and the Catholic Church-affiliated [[Spring Hill College]] in Mobile, both founded in 1830.<ref name="una">{{cite web |url=http://www.una.edu/makinghistory/ |title=History in the making |publisher=University of North Alabama |access-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812155526/http://www.una.edu/makinghistory/ |archive-date=August 12, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="shc">{{cite web |url=http://www.shc.edu/about-shc/employment/hiring/the-mission-statement-of-spring-hill-college/ |title=The Mission Statement of Spring Hill College: History |publisher=Spring Hill College |access-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723213128/http://www.shc.edu/about-shc/employment/hiring/the-mission-statement-of-spring-hill-college/ |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Accreditation of academic programs is through the [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]] (SACS) as well as other subject-focused national and international accreditation agencies such as the [[Association for Biblical Higher Education]] (ABHE),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://directory.abhe.org/default.aspx?status=Member |title=Members |publisher=Association for Biblical Higher Education |access-date=June 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810144128/http://directory.abhe.org/default.aspx?status=Member |archive-date=August 10, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> the [[Council on Occupational Education]] (COE),<ref>{{cite web |title=Membership Directory |url=http://www.council.org/forms/acc_membership.pdf |publisher=Council on Operational Education |access-date=August 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725200522/http://www.council.org/forms/acc_membership.pdf |archive-date=July 25, 2011 |date=November 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools]] (ACICS).<ref>{{cite web |title=ACICS Website Directory |url=http://www.acics.org/uploadedFiles/Publications/7_20_09.pdf |publisher=Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools |access-date=August 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724223614/http://www.acics.org/uploadedFiles/Publications/7_20_09.pdf |archive-date=July 24, 2011 |date=July 20, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

According to the 2024 ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'', Alabama had three universities ranked in the top 100 Public Schools in America ([[Auburn University]] at 47, [[University of Alabama at Birmingham]] (UAB) at 76, and [[University of Alabama]] at 91).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/al?schoolType=national-universities&ranking=top-public&_sort=rank&_sortDirection=asc|title=2024 Best Colleges in Alabama|website=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=June 18, 2024|archive-date=June 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618102232/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/al?schoolType=national-universities&ranking=top-public&_sort=rank&_sortDirection=asc|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to the 2024 ''U.S. News & World Report'', Alabama had four [[College and university rankings|tier one]] universities (Auburn University, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), [[University of Alabama]] and [[University of Alabama in Huntsville]]).<ref>[http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/page+29 National University Rankings |Top National Universities |US News Best Colleges] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608080824/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/page+29 |date=June 8, 2013}}. ''U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved on July 12, 2013.</ref>