Alabama Colleges and Universities


Colleges and Universities in Alabama



Alabama colleges are fortunately located in a state that offers career opportunities in the biotech and manufacturing fields but that also provides cool ways for students to play. Want mountains? Got 'em in 16 counties. Beaches? Try the Gulf Coast, home of some of the nation's most beautiful beaches, not to mention the thousands of acres of rivers and streams for year-round fishing and boating. Find urban adventures at the The Wharf in Orange Beach with its 15-screen movie theater and half-mile of shops and restaurants; the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville; and historic sites that mark the Civil Rights Movement, the Civil War, Helen Keller and Native American history. And sports? Oh, yeah. You'll find the Talladega Superspeedway; the legendary Auburn-Crimson Tide "Iron Bowl" football showdown; the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame; the International Motorsports Hall of Fame; and Rickwood Field, the world's oldest ballpark. What Alabama colleges and universities have to offer their students is pretty hard to top.

What awaits Alabama college graduates

There are more than 100,000 businesses in Alabama. But with five interstates, 25 freight railroad companies, seven airports and one of the nation's longest inland waterway systems, transportation and distribution jobs are particularly strong; college graduates with logistics, operations, technician, engineering and machine operator degrees and certificates could find excellent opportunities. And thanks to Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes manufacturing vehicles here in Alabama, along with more than 330 auto-related companies, automotive career opportunities can be found. Plus, there are more than 90 biotech-related companies here, making this a U.S. biotech hub. According to May 2010 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, mean earned wages and occupations related to some of these fields include:

  1. Automotive service technicians and mechanics: $34,320
  2. Biological technicians: $40,610
  3. Chemists: $69,020
  4. Computer support specialists: $44,170
  5. Geoscientists: $65,180
  6. Industrial truck and tractor operators: $30,280

Given a diverse work and play environment, students at Alabama universities, colleges and trade schools could find the right kinds of opportunities that could lead to a career.

See also: Alabama Vocational Schools and Career Training

Alabama Colleges and Universities