The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a nationally-and internationally-respected center for education, research and service programs. U.S. News and World Report rated UAB the #1 “Up and Coming” university in 1992 and in 1993. In 1990, our hospital ranked third in the country for quality of health care, trailing only the Mayo Clinic and Massachusetts General Hospital. UAB has more than 85 Centers of Excellence. UAB operates one of only five NASA Centers for the Commercial Development of Space, as well as one of only 13 AIDS Centers in the country. The basic science component of our Comprehensive Cancer Center has been ranked among the best nationwide.
Our rapidly growing university complex has an annual budget in excess of $1.3 billion. We rank 18th among all U.S. universities in the amount of funds awarded to research and service programs by the National Institutes of Health. The School of Medicine is ranked 16th in NIH funding. In terms of total external funding, UAB ranks in the top 40 nationally with annual awards in excess of $300 million. For graduate students, this funding status means availability of financial support, access to well-equipped research laboratories, and interaction with experienced faculty.
UAB is a comprehensive, urban institution with a student enrollment exceeding 15,700 and faculty and staff numbering more than 15,000. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the UAB Medical Center includes the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Optometry, Public Health, Nursing, and Health-Related Professions, as well as the University of Alabama Hospitals.
Our campus encompasses a 75-block area on Birmingham’s Southside, with more than 100 major buildings, offering all the advantages of a university within a city. Campus life is characterized by the bustle and diversity of the university’s urban setting. UAB offers 32 different doctoral programs and has awarded over 80,000 degrees to date. Presently, more than 4,000 UAB graduate students take advantage of a wide variety of cultural and recreational opportunities on and off campus.