University of Alabama at Birmingham
A downtown Birmingham research university built around an academic medical center, with early paths into health careers.
- Acceptance rate
- 94%
- Fall 2025 first-year class
- Students
- 20,868
- 12,100 undergraduates
- International
- 8%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 18:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $32,490
- 2026-27
About UAB
The University of Alabama at Birmingham grew from two roots: the Medical College of Alabama, founded in 1859, and the University of Alabama's Birmingham Extension Center, opened in 1936. It became an independent university in 1969 and describes itself as an R-1 research university and academic medical center, the largest research institution in Alabama. Its campus fills a stretch of Birmingham's Southside, next to downtown, and UAB Hospital is part of the same institution.
About 20,900 students were enrolled in fall 2025, roughly 12,100 of them undergraduates. Teaching is organised into the College of Arts and Sciences, the Collat School of Business, and schools of Education and Human Sciences, Engineering, Health Professions, Nursing, Public Health, Dentistry, Optometry and the Heersink School of Medicine, plus the Graduate School and an Honors College. Health-related study is the obvious draw: early acceptance programs let strong high school seniors secure a place in medical, dental, optometry, physical therapy or nursing pathways, and joint programs with the medical school include biomedical engineering and bioinformatics.
Admission is broad rather than highly selective: UAB admitted 10,474 of 11,119 first-year applicants for fall 2025 (94%). It suits students who want a large research and hospital environment in a city setting, and who are comfortable finding their own way into labs, which undergraduates can join from their first year.
Why students choose UAB
Early acceptance programs let high school seniors secure future places in UAB's medical, dental, optometry, physical therapy and nursing programs.
Undergraduates can join research as early as their first year and present at UAB EXPO, held three times a year, with UAB reporting $865.9 million in research expenditures in FY2024.
Automatic merit scholarships are awarded from the admission application, reaching $12,000 a year for Alabama residents and $28,500 for out-of-state students.
The Honors College offers more than 30 honors courses a semester and automatic entry for admitted students with a 3.5 GPA and a 28 ACT or 1310 SAT.
Admissions
Fall 2025 first-year class
10,474 admitted from 11,119 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Common Data Set 2025-2026: 11,119 first-year applicants, 10,474 admitted and 2,519 enrolled. Of 1,016 international applicants, 951 were admitted and 27 enrolled.
Typical entry requirements
| US high school curriculum | Required units: 4 English, 3 social sciences, 3 mathematics, 3 natural sciences (two with a lab) and 4 other academic courses; 4 of each recommended |
|---|---|
| International secondary school | Holistic review of curriculum strength, grades, GPA and test scores; students living outside the US apply through INTO UAB |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 77 Minimums: TOEFL iBT 77, TOEFL Essentials 8.5, IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each section, Duolingo 120, IELA 176 or Gaokao English 120. Scores must be less than two years old. Waived after two years at a US high school or 24 semester hours of transferable US college credit. |
Deadlines
- In-state scholarship deadline Non-binding Next deadline · In ~3 monthsJanuary 15, 2027
Apply for admission by this date for automatic merit scholarship consideration as an Alabama resident.
- Out-of-state scholarship deadline Non-binding In ~7 monthsMay 1, 2027
Apply for admission by this date for out-of-state merit scholarship consideration.
- Priority deadline, fall 2027 Non-binding In ~8 monthsJune 1, 2027
Priority admission deadline; later applications are considered as space and funds allow.
UAB admits on a rolling basis. The dates above are published for 2027 entry on the freshman How to Apply page. The UAB International Scholarship requires admission by May 1 for the August intake.
How to apply
UAB Application or Common App; $40 application fee (waivers available); official high school transcript; ACT or SAT scores if applying with tests (ACT code 0056, SAT code 1856). Merit scholarships are awarded from the admission application with no separate form. Students living and studying outside the US apply through INTO UAB.
What admissions looks for
- High school GPA and grades in the courses required for university admission.
- Rigor and performance in advanced courses such as AP, IB and Honors.
- For applicants who submit tests, the highest ACT or SAT composite (not superscored), with at least a 20 ACT or 1030 SAT recommended.
- For international applicants, a holistic look at strength of curriculum, grades, GPA and test scores.
Tips for applying to UAB
- 1 Only apply test-optional if your weighted GPA is 3.5 or higher; below that a test score is required, and the choice cannot be changed after you submit.
- 2 Compare yourself to the fall 2025 freshman averages (27 ACT, 3.8 GPA): UAB says applicants at or above them typically have more scholarship opportunities when applying with a score.
- 3 Alabama residents should apply by January 15 and out-of-state students by May 1 to be considered for automatic merit scholarships.
- 4 If you are set on medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy or nursing, look at the early acceptance programs when you apply as a senior.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for University of Alabama at Birmingham
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Merit scholarships are awarded automatically from the admission application to US citizens and eligible non-citizens, from $4,000 to $12,000 a year for Alabama residents and $7,500 to $28,500 for out-of-state students. Admitted international students living outside the US who meet the criteria are automatically considered for the renewable UAB International Scholarship of $7,500 a year. Need-based aid comes mainly through the FAFSA.
- $36,333 in-state; $54,541 out-of-state; $57,211 international
- 2026-27 cost of attendance, on-campus freshmen
- Presidential Scholarship $12,000 a year (in-state); Presidential Elite Scholarship $28,500 a year (out-of-state)
- Top automatic merit awards
- $7,500 a year, renewable for four years
- UAB International Scholarship
- 46.2% (Common Data Set 2025-2026)
- Average share of need met, first-years
- $10,694 (Common Data Set 2025-2026)
- Average aid package, first-years with need
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (fall, spring and summer)
Early Medical School Acceptance Program
Lets high school seniors secure a future place in medical, dental or optometry school at UAB.
Biomedical Engineering (BS)
A joint program of the School of Engineering and the Heersink School of Medicine.
Bioinformatics (BS)
A joint program with the medical school that UAB says was the first undergraduate bioinformatics program in Alabama.
Nursing (Dean's Nursing Scholars)
An early acceptance route that secures a place in UAB's competitive nursing program.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Early Acceptance
The School of Health Professions offers early acceptance from the bachelor's into UAB's DPT.
Global and Community Leadership Honors Program
One of the specialised programs inside the Honors College.
Research
- UAB reported $865.9 million in annual research expenditures in FY2024 (Facts & Figures 2025-2026).
- The university is also an academic medical center: UAB Hospital and the Heersink School of Medicine, established with a $95 million lead gift in 2022, sit on the same campus.
- The Office of Undergraduate Research helps students find projects from their first year, and UAB EXPO showcases undergraduate research three times a year.
Schools & faculties
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Collat School of Business
- School of Dentistry
- School of Education and Human Sciences
- School of Engineering
- School of Health Professions
- Heersink School of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- School of Optometry
- School of Public Health
- Graduate School
- Honors College
Student life
UAB spent decades as a mostly commuter campus but is now residential for newcomers: first-year students are required to live on campus, in halls such as Blazer, Gold and McMahon around the Campus Green, the open quad at the centre of campus, and clubs, intramural and club sports, spirit groups such as the Marching Blazers and volunteering fill the calendar. The Blazers play 18 NCAA Division I sports in the American Athletic Conference, including football. Homecoming brings the Gurney Derby, in which teams race decorated hospital gurneys in a nod to UAB's medical roots, alongside a parade, and the Camille Armstrong Memorial Scholarship Stepshow draws step teams from across the Southeast.
- Blazers teams compete in 18 NCAA sports as members of the American Athletic Conference.
- The Gurney Derby, a Homecoming race of student teams pushing hospital gurneys.
- The Camille Armstrong Memorial Scholarship Stepshow, which UAB says draws a crowd of more than 1,200.
- Concerts and performances at the Alys Stephens Center and a Festival of Ten-Minute Plays.
Housing. Freshmen are required to live on campus for the first year, in residence halls clustered around the Campus Green.
Location
UAB sits in Birmingham's Southside, beside downtown and the Five Points South and Glen Iris neighbourhoods, in a metro area of about 1.1 million people. The city is known for its food scene and civil rights history: the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and 16th Street Baptist Church are a short trip from campus, and the city sits in the Appalachian foothills near the Cahaba and Warrior river watersheds.
Nearest airport: Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)
Notable alumni
- RB Regina Benjamin18th Surgeon General of the United States; MD from UAB
- VF Vonetta Flowers2002 Olympic bobsled gold medalist; sprinter and long jumper at UAB
- LJ Lawrence J. DeLucasBiochemist and NASA Space Shuttle payload specialist; doctorates in optometry and biochemistry from UAB
- GM Graeme McDowellNorthern Irish professional golfer and 2010 U.S. Open champion; played college golf at UAB
- HG Hadiyah-Nicole GreenMedical physicist developing laser-activated nanoparticle cancer treatment; MSc and PhD in physics from UAB
- DD Deidre DownsMiss America 2005 and physician; MD from UAB's medical school
- RW Roddy WhiteFormer Atlanta Falcons wide receiver; played for the UAB Blazers
- WM Walt MaddoxMayor of Tuscaloosa, first elected in 2005; bachelor's in political science from UAB
Frequently asked questions
What is UAB's acceptance rate?
UAB admitted 10,474 of 11,119 first-year applicants for fall 2025, an acceptance rate of about 94%.
Is UAB test-optional for 2027?
Only for applicants with a weighted high school GPA of 3.5 or higher. Everyone else must send an ACT or SAT score, and UAB recommends at least a 20 ACT or 1030 SAT.
How much does UAB cost?
For 2026-27, tuition and fees are $11,970 for Alabama residents, $29,820 for out-of-state students and $32,490 for international students. The full cost of attendance for an on-campus freshman is $36,333 in-state, $54,541 out-of-state and $57,211 international.
Does UAB offer scholarships to international students?
Yes. Admitted first-year students living outside the US who meet the criteria, including a 3.0 GPA, are automatically considered for the UAB International Scholarship of $7,500 a year, renewable for four years.
What are UAB's application deadlines for fall 2027?
Apply by January 15, 2027 (in-state) or May 1, 2027 (out-of-state) for scholarship consideration; the priority deadline for fall 2027 admission is June 1, 2027.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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