The 2025 Niche.com ‘Best Colleges’ list was recently released, featuring rankings for best value, best student life, academics — as well as for most conservative and most liberal campuses. The University of Alabama was ranked the No. 1 most conservative college in Alabama — and No. 14 most conservative nationwide.
After a recent visit from President Donald Trump and serving as the host for an official 2024 GOP presidential debate, it’s been a defining year for UA’s standing in this category. While the annual Niche.com rankings uses student self-reporting methodology to calculate its most conservative and liberal campuses, UA has built its conservative and political clout in recent years.
Last month’s visit by Trump was not the first time the former president wanted to experience a gameday on campus, first visiting UA while president in 2019. His former vice president, Mike Pence, spoke to a campus group in 2023. Former U.S. Senator Luther Strange joined UA School of Law’s faculty an adjunct professor after his time in the Senate and as Attorney General of Alabama.
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Recently, the Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership, which just welcomed its inaugural cohort of scholars, has hosted U.S. Senator Katie Britt, U.S. Senator and Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth, as well as frequent visits with the institute’s namesake, former U.S. Senator Richard Shelby himself.
Other Alabama universities recognized in Niche’s ranking of most conservative colleges nationwide include Auburn University at No. 18, the University of Alabama in Huntsville at No. 51, and Auburn University at Montgomery at No. 81.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270
