University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, ALAdministration Bldg Suite 1070, Birmingham, AL 35294-0110
205-934-4011
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama. The university is the state of Alabama's largest employer, with more than 21,000 employees. As of 2019, its total enrollment was 20,199. The university's athletic teams, the Blazers, compete in NCAA Division I as members of Conference USA.
Founded in 1969 as a two-year college, UAB is now one of three doctoral-level research universities in Alabama. The university's main campus is located on a 1,200-acre (490-hectare) site in the southern part of Birmingham. The campus is home to eight schools and colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Education, the School of Engineering, the School of Health Professions, the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, and the School of Public Health.
UAB is a comprehensive research university with a wide range of programs and facilities. The university's research enterprise is conducted through the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, the UAB School of Medicine, and the UAB Health System. The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Alabama. The UAB School of Medicine is the state's largest medical school and the only medical school in Alabama with a full-time faculty of more than 600. The UAB Health System is a not-for-profit, integrated healthcare delivery system that includes five hospitals, three clinics, and more than 2,000 licensed beds.
UAB is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities, a select group of 62 research universities in the United States and Canada. The university is also a member of the Southeastern Universities Research Association and the Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
The university's origins can be traced to the founding of the Birmingham Medical School in 1945. The school was established by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce with the goal of meeting the region's need for trained medical personnel. In 1957, the Birmingham Medical School merged with the University of Alabama's School of Medicine to form the University of Alabama School of Medicine at Birmingham. In 1969, the school became a four-year institution and was renamed the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The university has been recognized for its contributions to the advancement of science and medicine. In 1984, UAB scientist Dr. Joseph E. Murray performed the world's first successful allogeneic bone marrow transplant, a procedure that has saved the lives of thousands of cancer patients. In 1990, UAB researchers Dr. Peter C. Doherty and Dr. Rolf Zinkernagel were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of how the immune system recognizes viruses.
UAB is also home to a number of world-renowned centers and institutes, including the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the School of Medicine, the Health System, and the Center for AIDS Research. The university's economic impact on the state of Alabama is estimated to be $5.6 billion annually.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 22563
Acceptance Rate: 80.60%
Type: Public, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.uab.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.uab.edu/students/paying-for-college
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $27630
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $39462
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at University of Alabama at Birmingham is $107747.97. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at University of Alabama at Birmingham. For graduates of University of Alabama at Birmingham, we saw an average early-career income of $52100.00 and mid-career income of $90900.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.