The Best Business Schools Near Birmingham for 2027

The University of Alabama at Birmingham awards a Bachelor of Science with a major in Management through the Collat School of Business. The curriculum covers business fundamentals and new technologies, and the school states that experiential learning is a graduation requirement. Students customize the degree with a concentration in either Business Administration or Production and Operations. The school lists a Business Honors Program, a 100% enhanced online opportunity, an accelerated bachelor's/master's program and business minors, and a featured student describes an MD/MBA dual degree path. Internships are available year-round rather than only in summer, and the Collat Career Center, which serves business students specifically, provides career coaching. The page says industry leaders serve as advisors to the curriculum.

The federal data show a 64% graduation rate at UAB and an 88% admit rate. Undergraduate tuition is $9,048 in-state and $22,512 out-of-state. The program has a Program Score of 80.3 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The management major fits students who want a general leadership foundation with room to specialize, who value required hands-on experience, or who plan to pair business training with a graduate or professional degree. Because UAB offers both campus and online routes, it also gives working students more than one way to finish the degree.

Based in Huntsville, AL, Oakwood University is a private, nonprofit institution. Its Business program lands at #5 of the 10 ranked here, earning a 76.2 Program Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits above the 75.9 group average, in the middle third of the 10 ranked programs. The program graduates 45% of its students, below the 57% average across the ranked schools. Oakwood admits 45% of applicants, more selective than the 72% average for the group. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 30% to 100%. It is one of the smaller campuses here, with 1,226 students.

On cost, Oakwood charges $21,344 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $8,328 at Alabama State to $27,570 at Huntingdon College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. For prospective students, the main draw here is its genuine selectivity.

Based in Jacksonville, AL, Jacksonville State University is a public institution. Its Business program lands at #6 of the 10 ranked here, earning a 75.3 Program Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 75.9 group average, in the middle third of the 10 ranked programs. The program graduates 55% of its students, below the 57% average across the ranked schools. Jacksonville State admits 78% of applicants, less selective than the 72% average for the group. That is more open than the 45% rate at Oakwood, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands in the middle of the pack in a group where graduation runs from 30% to 100%. The university enrolls 9,955 students overall. The degree is also offered online, which widens access for working students.

On cost, Jacksonville State charges $10,440 a year in-state, roughly 2.0x the $20,880 out-of-state rate. That puts it mid-pack on price on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $8,328 at Alabama State to $27,570 at Huntingdon College. The spread makes the program a clearer value for AL residents than for out-of-state students. For prospective students, the main draw here is its an online option.

The University of Montevallo's B.B.A. in Accounting is the James and Jennifer Newman Accounting Program in the Stephens College of Business. It prepares students for public accounting, managerial accounting, taxation and general business. The program features a dedicated full-time internship in the spring of senior year, and the page reports close to 100% internship placement among eligible seniors and offers from all four of the largest international accounting firms. Students can complete the 150-hour CPA curriculum, either through an undergraduate accounting degree of 120 credit hours plus an MBA of 30 graduate credit hours, or through the combined path. The major requirement is 30 credit hours, including intermediate accounting, cost accounting, accounting information systems, income tax and auditing.

The Program Score is 74.8 out of 100, which is the basis of this program's ranking. Montevallo graduates 54% of its students and admits 54% of applicants. In-state tuition is $12,090 and out-of-state tuition is $25,110. The program fits students at a small public university of about 3,088 students who want a defined CPA path and a full-time internship before graduation.

Huntingdon College is a private, nonprofit institution in Montgomery, AL. Its Business program ranks #8 of the 10 analyzed here with a 69.3 Program Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and graduate outcomes. That sits below the 75.9 group average, in the lower third of the 10 ranked programs. The program graduates 48% of its students, below the 57% average across the ranked schools. Huntingdon College admits 69% of applicants, more selective than the 72% average for the group. That is more open than the 45% rate at Oakwood, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 30% to 100%. It is one of the smaller campuses here, with 892 students.

On cost, Huntingdon College charges $27,570 a year in-state. That puts it at the higher end on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $8,328 at Alabama State to $27,570 at Huntingdon College. As a private institution, its tuition does not change with residency, unlike the public universities on this list. For prospective students, the main draw here is its genuine selectivity.

Based in Montgomery, AL, Faulkner University is a private, nonprofit institution. Its Business program lands at #9 of the 10 ranked here, earning a 66.8 Program Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 75.9 group average, in the lower third of the 10 ranked programs. The program graduates 37% of its students, below the 57% average across the ranked schools. Faulkner admits 73% of applicants, less selective than the 72% average for the group. That is more open than the 45% rate at Oakwood, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 30% to 100%. It is one of the smaller campuses here, with 3,086 students. The degree is also offered online, which widens access for working students.

For prospective students, the main draw here is its an online option.

Based in Montgomery, AL, Alabama State University is a public institution. Its Business program lands at #10 of the 10 ranked here, earning a 57.5 Program Score that weighs graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. That sits below the 75.9 group average, in the lower third of the 10 ranked programs. The program graduates 30% of its students, below the 57% average across the ranked schools. Alabama State admits 98% of applicants, less selective than the 72% average for the group. That is more open than the 45% rate at Oakwood, the most selective program on this list. Its completion rate lands toward the lower end in a group where graduation runs from 30% to 100%. The university enrolls 4,081 students overall. The degree is also offered online, which widens access for working students.

On cost, Alabama State charges $8,328 a year in-state, roughly 2.0x the $16,656 out-of-state rate. That puts it among the most affordable on this list, where annual in-state tuition runs from $8,328 at Alabama State to $27,570 at Huntingdon College. The spread makes the program a clearer value for AL residents than for out-of-state students. For prospective students, the draw here is low in-state cost paired with an online option.