Seven Alabama colleges ranked in the top 30 for U.S. News and World Report’s rankings for multiple categories and academic programs.

Alabama universities are faring well in nursing, veterans’ programs, value for the money and first-year experiences. U.S. News and World Report is one of several media outlets that rank colleges.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is ranked 13th among nursing programs and the University of Alabama is ranked 26th – tied with the University of California, Irvine – in that category. The top program is Emory University.

To determine these rankings, U.S. News and World Report surveyed deans and senior faculty of nursing programs and ranked the academic quality of 686 accredited undergraduate programs on a five-point scale. Five is outstanding and one is marginal.

The University of Montevallo is 8th in the best value rankings. A college’s academic quality as scored in the best colleges ranking is the first factor to determine the best value. Then U.S. News and World Report looked at how many full-time undergraduates receive need-based scholarships or grants and how much they pay. Murray State ranked first.

The University of North Alabama is the 11th best college for veterans. Troy University and Auburn University at Montgomery ranked at 21st and 29th, respectively. AUM tied with Charleston Southern. The top college is The Citadel.

A school must be certified for the GI Bill and have a minimum of 20 full-time and part-time undergraduate veterans and active-duty service members in 2023-2024 school year to be on the list. The schools must also be ranked in the top half of one of the overall college categories, such as best regional colleges or best regional universities.

Auburn is ranked 29th in first-year experiences. For best first-year experiences, college presidents, provosts and admissions deans nominated 15 schools. Rankings are based on the total number of nominations. Schools must receive at least 10 nominations to be ranked. Elon University is at the top of the list.

AL.com compiled the 2025 national and regional rankings for colleges and universities, including HBCUs.