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Montevallo, AlabamaPhoto: Rivers Langley; SaveRivers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Montevallo

Montevallo is a college town: 30 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Montevallo (2,305 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Alabama, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town30% of residents are studentsUniversity of Montevallo

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 Montevallo. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
2,305 students on campus
Nearest college
1.7 mi
University of Montevallo
Residents in college
30%
Above AL (6%)
Nearest community college
22.6 mi
Lawson State · $5,040 tuition
Nearest public university
1.7 mi
University of Montevallo · $13,948 in-state
Students on campus in Montevallo
2,305
next to 7,872 residents

What stands out about college in Montevallo

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

A college town30 of every 100 Montevallo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Alabama.A university in MontevalloThe University of Montevallo has 2,305 students on campus in Montevallo, 54% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of MontevalloLiving in Alabama, the University of Montevallo charges $13,948 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $26,968. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 22.6 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 Montevallo

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

30 of every 100 Montevallo residents are in college (AL: 6).

2,305students on campus at University of Montevallo, next to 7,872 residents (dorm students count as residents)
474college students live in Montevallo households rather than dorms
26.0median age · AL 39.3
58%of residents are women · AL 51% (±4.4 points)
35%of homes rented · AL 30%
$956median rent · 5% below the state
MontevalloMontevallo, AL
Cost of living$956/mo median rentA−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIBHealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Montevallo’s other numbers

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

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 17.9% of Montevallo residents are below the poverty line, 15.8% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 7 points either way). 42% 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 A−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (30% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Montevallo’s median age is 26.0 (Alabama 39.3), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B

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 Montevallo

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Montevallo.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of MontevalloMontevallo
University or collegeCommunity college
University of MontevalloUniversity or college · Public · 2,305 on campus · In Montevallo54%admitted$18knet price54%graduate$43kearnings

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 Montevallo’s median household income ($56,626) falls.

University of MontevalloIn Montevallo · sticker $27,398$18,615a 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 Montevallo: 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 →University of Montevallo
University of Montevallo54% graduate$43k earnings$24k 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.

Majors

What students study in Montevallo

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

Business 22%Visual & performing arts 20%Parks & recreation 8%English 5%Education 5%Health professions 5%Everything else 34%

Biggest programs

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness38 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Fine and Studio Arts38 graduates a year
$36k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods34 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Marketing34 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft23 graduates a year
$45k4 yrs out
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services22 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Psychology, General21 graduates a year
$41k4 yrs out
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication20 graduates a year
$50k4 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 Montevallo

Is Montevallo a college town?

Yes. 30 of every 100 Montevallo residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Alabama. The University of Montevallo has 2,305 students on campus, next to 7,872 residents.

What colleges are in Montevallo?

The University of Montevallo is inside the city. Lawson State Community College is 22.6 miles away in Birmingham.

Why is Montevallo’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 17.9% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 15.8% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 7 points).

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

Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, 22.6 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 the University of Montevallo?

The University of Montevallo admitted 54% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

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 Montevallo. 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 →