The University of Montevallo is among the top five safest college campuses in the state according to Niche.com’s 2025 Safest College Campuses in Alabama rankings. Niche, a leading platform for college and school rankings, has placed Montevallo third in the state and 168th in the nation for campus safety.

UM also ranks as the safest college campus in central Alabama.

According to Tim Alexander, UM’s chief of police and director of public safety, the overall success of campus safety is a shared responsibility among faculty, staff and students, which makes the ranking a shared accomplishment.

“It is indeed an honor to receive this recognition,” said Alexander. “Here at UM, we strive to provide the safest educational environment conducive to learning as possible. We truly believe in passionate policing with a purpose to impact a positive change. Safety is our top priority to ensure you know and feel you belong at Montevallo.”

Using data from the U.S. Department of Education, the rankings are based on a comprehensive analysis of key safety factors, including campus crime rates, local crime rates and student reviews. Niche’s top-ranked colleges offer a safe and healthy environment with little or no campus crime, drugs or alcohol usage.

The same methodology is used to produce the Niche Safety Grade for each ranked school, as well as additional four-year colleges, community colleges, trade schools and other two-year programs. Statistics obtained from the U.S. Department of Education represent the most recent data available, as self-reported by the colleges.