TIME ranks UAB one of the top 5 public institutions in the southeast

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has once again earned recognition as a leader in higher education. In TIME’s newly released ranking of the World’s Top Universities of 2026, UAB secured the No. 137 spot — placing it in the top five percent of public institutions in the southeast.

“The dedication and talent of our students, faculty and staff continue to make UAB highly competitive among our peers,” said UAB Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Janet Woodruff-Borden. “These rankings further attest to our internationally recognized excellence and impact across our mission—from academic programs to research and scholarship to innovation that grows our economy and improves lives locally and globally.”

UAB was evaluated alongside leading institutions from across the globe. To qualify for inclusion in the ranking, institutions were required to have more than 2,000 enrolled students, award bachelor’s degrees and be established for at least three years.

TIME evaluated 500 institutions using three key pillars that reflect quality and global competitiveness:

Academic capacity and performance
Innovation and economic impact
Global engagement

Browse 150 plus undergraduate degree programs through UAB’s Find Your Degree portal.

Under the academic capacity and performance pillar, UAB ranked among the top 3 public institutions in the southeast.

According to TIME, this pillar evaluates the strength on an institution’s academic environment by examining factors such as resource expenditure per student, research income per faculty member, faculty-to-student ratio and staff-to-student ratio.

Additional indicators of exceptional academic capacity and performance are publication activity, highly cited researchers and citation counts.

UAB continues to earn national recognition for academic excellence

UAB recently received high rankings for its online programs by U.S. News & World Report, with three programs ranking in the top 25 in the nation.

In addition, UAB received a reaffirmation of its accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

SACSCOC provides accreditation for higher education institutions across the Southeast that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees. The successful reaffirmation is a public affirmation of UAB’s quality, integrity and mission fulfillment.

Record-breaking fall enrollment

This fall, UAB welcomed its largest freshman class in history with just over 2,500 new Blazers coming to campus. This is an increase of a little over 500 students and marks a 25 percent increase in freshman enrollment for fall 2025 compared to the previous year.

This surge reflects growing interest in UAB’s expanding academic offerings, innovative learning spaces and vibrant campus life — all part of the university’s SUCCESS Initiative.

According to preliminary data, UAB saw an increase in students who present as first-generation students, which makes up 37 percent of the 2025 freshman class compared to 34.4 percent in 2024.

Courtesy of UAB