Robert Brown, School owner | LinkedIn
Robert Brown, School owner | LinkedIn
Of the 13 institutions in the county, four provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Samford University, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Birmingham-Southern College.
At least 17,456 people applied to Jefferson County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 43,543 students enrolled in the universities, including 32,775 in undergraduate and 10,768 in graduate programs. In total 6% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (51.1%) and Black or African American (32.3%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, University of Alabama at Birmingham stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 21,639 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 9,947 | 8,654 | 21,639 |
| Miles College | -- | -- | 1,258 |
| Midfield Institute of Cosmetology | -- | -- | 12 |
| Samford University | 4,337 | 3,600 | 5,682 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Birmingham | -- | -- | 142 |
| Lawson State Community College | -- | -- | 2,919 |
| Jefferson State Community College | -- | -- | 8,431 |
| Fortis Institute-Birmingham | -- | -- | 381 |
| Birmingham-Southern College | 3,019 | 1,721 | 975 |
| Strayer University-Alabama | -- | -- | 1,380 |
| Herzing University-Birmingham | 153 | 144 | 578 |
| Brown Beauty Barber School | -- | -- | 37 |
| Winonah's International School of Cosmetology | -- | -- | 109 |
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