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Flintridge BuildingFlintridge Building · Photo: Robert P Collins · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Fairfield

Fairfield is home to Miles College

Miles College (1,053 students on campus) is inside the city, and Lawson State Community College (2,621) is 2.4 miles from the center, just over the line in Birmingham. About 11% of Fairfield’s residents are enrolled in college, above Alabama (6%).

Miles CollegeLawson State Community College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Fairfield. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
6
25,373 students on campus
Nearest college
0.8 mi
Miles College
Residents in college
11%
Above AL (6%)
Nearest community college
2.4 mi
Lawson State · $5,040 tuition
Nearest public university
7.2 mi
University of Alabama at Birmingham · $9,098 in-state
Median household income
$48K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Fairfield

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

Two colleges within 2.4 milesTogether they have 3,674 students on campus.A community college 2.4 miles awayLawson State Community College in Birmingham: tuition and fees $5,040 a year for Alabama residents.In-state price at University of Alabama at BirminghamLiving in Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham charges $9,098 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $22,562. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 11% of residentsAbove Alabama (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Fairfield

Four private colleges within 7.4 miles, one public college within 7.2 miles, and Lawson State Community College 2.4 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamSamford UniversityLawson StateFairfield
University or collegeCommunity college
Miles CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,053 on campus · In Fairfield$14knet price16%graduate$33kearningsLawson State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,621 on campus · 2.4 mi · Birmingham$6knet price27%graduate$32kearningsTuition and fees: $5,040 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Fortis Institute-BirminghamUniversity or college · For-profit · 339 on campus · 3.9 mi · Birmingham$26knet price34%graduate$33kearningsEarnings are reported for all 4 campuses that file with it.Herzing University-BirminghamUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 282 on campus · 5 mi · Birmingham93%admitted$20knet price12%graduate$37kearningsEarnings are reported for all 11 campuses that file with it.University of Alabama at BirminghamUniversity or college · Public · 15,353 on campus · 7.2 mi · Birmingham88%admitted$19knet price64%graduate$55kearningsSamford UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 5,725 on campus · 7.4 mi · Birmingham82%admitted$33knet price77%graduate$58kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Fairfield’s median household income ($48,456) falls.

Lawson State Community College2.4 mi · Birmingham · sticker $14,895 · tuition $5,040$8,151a year
Miles CollegeIn Fairfield · sticker $21,154$16,747a year
University of Alabama at Birmingham7.2 mi · Birmingham · sticker $28,145$19,161a year
Herzing University-Birmingham5 mi · Birmingham · sticker $27,750$20,097a year
Fortis Institute-Birmingham3.9 mi · Birmingham · sticker $32,927$29,229a year
Samford University7.4 mi · Birmingham · sticker $57,456$31,527a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Fairfield: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Miles CollegeLawson StateFortis Institute-BirminghamHerzing University-BirminghamUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamSamford University
University of Alabama at Birmingham64% graduate$55k earnings$22k typical debt
Samford University77% graduate$58k earnings$20k typical debt
Lawson State Community College27% graduate$32k earnings
Miles College16% graduate$33k earnings$31k typical debt
Fortis Institute-Birmingham34% graduate$33k earnings*$12k typical debt
Herzing University-Birmingham12% graduate$37k earnings*$22k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Fortis Institute-Birmingham (4); Herzing University-Birmingham (11).

Majors

What students study in Fairfield

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Miles College, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 30%Biology 17%Public safety 14%Psychology 7%Family sciences 6%Public administration 6%Everything else 21%

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Fairfield

Is Fairfield a college town?

No. About 11 of every 100 Fairfield residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), above Alabama (6). The largest campus in the city, Miles College, has 1,053 students on campus.

What colleges are in Fairfield?

Miles College is inside the city. Lawson State Community College is 2.4 miles from the center, in Birmingham.

What is the closest community college to Fairfield, and what does it cost?

Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, 2.4 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,040 a year for Alabama residents; the federal net price, $6,275, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does the University of Alabama at Birmingham cost if we live in Alabama?

Tuition and fees are $9,098 a year in-state and $22,562 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $16,172 (under $30,000 income) to $22,597 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Fairfield. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →