The University of Alabama (UA) is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States.

Founded in 1831, it is the flagship university of the University of Alabama System, as well the senior and the largest in terms of enrollment among all of the state's universities. It is known as The Capstone, a nickname that stems from a 1913 speech by then-president George H. Denny, who extolled the university as the "capstone of the public school system in the state." UA offers programs of study in 13 academic divisions leading to bachelor's, master's, Education Specialist, and doctoral degrees. The only publicly-supported law school in Alabama is at UA. Other academic programs unavailable elsewhere in Alabama include doctoral programs in anthropology, library and information studies, metallurgical engineering, music, Romance languages, and social work.

As one of the first public universities established in early 19th century southwestern frontier of the US, UA left a vast cultural imprint on the state, region and nation as a whole for the past two centuries. The school was a center of activity during the American Civil War and the Civil Rights movement. The University of Alabama varsity football program (nicknamed the Crimson Tide), which began in 1892, is one the most successful programs in history.

Of the 31,747 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students enrolled at UA in the fall semester of 2011:

  • 63% come from Alabama
  • 34% come from elsewhere in the United States
  • 4% are international students from 77 countries
  • 27% of our undergraduates belong to sororities or fraternities
  • 54% are women
  • 13% are African-American
  • 3% are Hispanic-American
  • 2% are Asian-American

At UA:

  • 29% major in arts and sciences
  • 21% major in business
  • 9% major in communication
  • 10% major in education
  • 11% major in engineering
  • 10% major in human environmental sciences
  • 2% major in law
  • 6% major in nursing
  • 2% major in social work
Field of Focus
Public coeducational university