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Rosedale Historic DistrictRosedale Historic District · Photo: Chris Pruitt · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Homewood

Homewood is a college town: 17 of every 100 residents are students

Samford University (5,725 students on campus) is inside the city, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (15,353) is 3.3 miles from the center, just over the line in Birmingham. Across Alabama, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town17% of residents are studentsSamford UniversityUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamLawson 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 Homewood. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
7
31,120 students on campus
Nearest college
1.1 mi
Samford University
Residents in college
17%
Above AL (6%)
Nearest community college
4.6 mi
Lawson State · $5,040 tuition
Nearest public university
3.3 mi
University of Alabama at Birmingham · $9,098 in-state
Students on campus in Homewood
5,725
next to 28,118 residents

What stands out about college in Homewood

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

A college town17 of every 100 Homewood residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.Three colleges within 4.6 milesSamford University admits 82% of applicants; University of Alabama at Birmingham admits 88%. Together they have 23,699 students on campus.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.A community college 4.6 miles awayLawson State Community College in Birmingham: tuition and fees $5,040 a year for Alabama residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Homewood

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

17 of every 100 Homewood residents are in college (AL: 6).

5,725students on campus at Samford University, next to 28,118 residents (dorm students count as residents)
1,955college students live in Homewood households rather than dorms
29.0median age · AL 39.3
56%of residents are women · AL 51% (±2.2 points)
38%of homes rented · AL 30%
$1,463median rent · 45% above the state
Cost of living$1,463/mo median rentDSafetyCrime reported to the FBICHealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundAHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Homewood’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 9.2% of Homewood residents are below the poverty line, 6.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 37% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 17%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Homewood’s median age is 29.0 (Alabama 39.3), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Homewood

Four private colleges within 5.9 miles, one public college within 3.3 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamJefferson StateSamford UniversityHomewood
University or collegeCommunity college
Samford UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 5,725 on campus · In Homewood82%admitted$33knet price77%graduate$58kearningsHerzing University-BirminghamUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 282 on campus · 1.5 mi · Birmingham93%admitted$20knet price12%graduate$37kearningsEarnings are reported for all 11 campuses that file with it.Fortis Institute-BirminghamUniversity or college · For-profit · 339 on campus · 3.2 mi · Birmingham$26knet price34%graduate$33kearningsEarnings are reported for all 4 campuses that file with it.University of Alabama at BirminghamUniversity or college · Public · 15,353 on campus · 3.3 mi · Birmingham88%admitted$19knet price64%graduate$55kearningsLawson State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 2,621 on campus · 4.6 mi · Birmingham$6knet price27%graduate$32kearningsTuition and fees: $5,040 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Miles CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,053 on campus · 5.9 mi · Fairfield$14knet price16%graduate$33kearningsJefferson State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 5,747 on campus · 14.6 mi · Birmingham$9knet price26%graduate$41kearningsTuition and fees: $5,100 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

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 $75–110k, where Homewood’s median household income ($94,485) falls.

Lawson State Community College4.6 mi · Birmingham · sticker $14,895 · tuition $5,040$9,449a year
Jefferson State Community College14.6 mi · Birmingham · sticker $14,814 · tuition $5,100$12,322a year
Miles College5.9 mi · Fairfield · sticker $21,154$18,889a year
University of Alabama at Birmingham3.3 mi · Birmingham · sticker $28,145$21,805a year
Fortis Institute-Birmingham3.2 mi · Birmingham · sticker $32,927$32,927a year
Samford UniversityIn Homewood · sticker $57,456$34,206a year
Herzing University-Birmingham1.5 mi · Birmingham · sticker $27,750—a 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 Homewood: 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 →Samford UniversityFortis Institute-BirminghamUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamLawson StateMiles CollegeJefferson State
University of Alabama at Birmingham64% graduate$55k earnings$22k typical debt
Jefferson State Community College26% graduate$41k earnings$10k 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: Herzing University-Birmingham (11); Fortis Institute-Birmingham (4).

Majors

What students study in Homewood

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

Health professions 30%Business 23%Visual & performing arts 7%Communication 7%Social sciences 4%Family sciences 4%Everything else 25%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing105 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration66 graduates a year
$120k4 yrs out
Marketing65 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services53 graduates a year
$93k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods41 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations34 graduates a year
$77k4 yrs out
Journalism33 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services30 graduates a year
$91k4 yrs out

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 Homewood

Is Homewood a college town?

Yes. 17 of every 100 Homewood residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Alabama. Samford University has 5,725 students on campus, next to 28,118 residents.

What colleges are in Homewood?

Samford University is inside the city. the University of Alabama at Birmingham is 3.3 miles from the center, in Birmingham, and Lawson State Community College is 4.6 miles from the center, in Birmingham.

Why is Homewood’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 9.2% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 6.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 3 points).

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

Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, 4.6 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 hard is it to get into Samford University?

Samford University admitted 82% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,070–1,250 on the SAT.

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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 Homewood. 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 →