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Career Colleges    » Alabama

Alabama Career Colleges and Universities

Career and Technical Training in Alabama

Looking for accredited career colleges and universities in Alabama. Alabama has a wide range of options for both public and private institutions. Each program from a Alabama Career College, a post-secondary for-profit institution, offers an education with an in-demand career field. The programs are designed to get you work-ready, equipped with the practical knowledge, and the competence needed to obtain a competitive career in Alabama.

At career colleges in Alabama, you typically don't take general education classes in core subjects such as English and math. Instead, you focus on career-related courses.

Alabama Career-Focused Degree Programs

Alabama colleges can help you land the job--and paycheck--you want. Here's how.

Alabama state colleges and careers: Discover your potential

For most future workers, higher education brightens the forecast. This is particularly true in Alabama, where studies show residents are not just trailing the average American in terms of educational attainment, but are failing to meet projected employer demand for college-educated workers. Alabama universities can provide you with with the credentials you need to complete in tomorrow's workforce.

Alabama state colleges: by the numbers

Anyone who has spent time in the Yellowhammer State can tell you how important 'Bama college football is, but Alabama career schools and colleges are competitive off the field, too. The University of Alabama, Troy University and Auburn University remain the state's largest schools, and all have a good degree of name recognition. Alabama universities are affordable, too: According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average cost to attend Alabama state colleges in 2009-10 was $13,052, nearly $2,000 below the national average. Unfortunately, too few Alabamans are taking advantage of these benefits.

According to the 2008 U.S. Census, 31.6 percent of Alabama residents age 25 and older had earned degrees compared to a 37.9 percent national average. The Lumina Foundation notes that if the current educational attainment rate holds, 43 percent of Alabamans will have earned associate degrees or above by 2025. Unfortunately, this may not be enough: Georgetown's Center for Education and the Workforce (CEW) projects that 63 percent of all U.S. employers will require higher education by 2018.

The CEW notes that as education gaps widens, so does income disparity. The good news: Alabama colleges can help you compete for a better job, and a better paycheck, especially in high-demand fields.

Alabama career training meets economic demand

Alabama's economy changes with the times, so knowing which industries are the most promising can win you an important career advantage. The U.S. Department of Labor notes that Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, Alabama Power Co. and Russel Brands rank among the state's largest employers, but current employment numbers do not always represent tomorrow's careerscape.

According to the Alabama Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), the following four industries are projected to grow the fastest between 2008 and 2018:

1. Professional, scientific and technical services
2. Administrative support, and waste management services
3. Arts, entertainment and recreation
4. Health care and social assistance

Meanwhile, the DIR projects the following five careers will be among the fastest growing over the same period:

1. Vet techs
2. Computer software engineers
3. Occupational therapist assistants
4. Home care aides
5. Court reporters

These fields may be the most promising in terms of employment, but earning a degree in any field can improve your salary.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Alabamans earned a mean annual wage of $38,460 in 2009, well below the American average. While a low cost-of-living offsets this disparity to some degree, Alabama career training can make up for the rest. According to the Census Bureau, full-time bachelor's-degree-holders earned nearly $23,000 more than high school graduates in 2009, and this gap widens with advanced degrees.

Whatever your goals, investing in higher education can mean the difference between settling for a job you need and landing the lifestyle you want.

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