Undergraduate enrollment at Alabama’s public universities is up this fall, according to figures presented to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. Preliminary data show a 3.1% increase over last year across the state’s 14 four-year schools, with only three reporting small declines.
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The commission’s quarterly meeting on Friday combined updates on enrollment with votes on scholarships, student loan programs and new degrees aimed at expanding program options.
ACHE’s reported preliminary fall 2025 enrollment data is compared with fall 2024 enrollment in the table.
High school students taking college classes account for part of the rise. Dual enrollment grew from 6,735 to 8,100 students, with most universities showing gains. Executive Director Jim Purcell told commissioners that the program now makes up about 5.7% of total enrollment.
“The Legislature had a good conversation about dual enrollment last year, and it opened it up more for universities,” Purcell said. Noting the overall percentage of enrollment that dual enrollment accounts for, he added, “That’s how big and important dual enrollment is in helping them graduate early.”
Graduate enrollment, included in data posted online but not discussed at the meeting, slipped slightly — down 333 students, or 0.8%, from 44,104 to 43,771 in a year over year comparison.
Commissioners adopted final rules for two financial-aid programs. The Alabama Law Enforcement Officers’ Family Scholarship will provide up to $3,000 a year at a university or $1,500 at a community college for the spouse or child of a law enforcement officer. Eligible officers must have served seven years with one employer or 12 consecutive years across agencies. Lawmakers allocated $8 million for the 2026 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.
The new athletic-trainer loan program will offer as much as $7,500 annually, or $3,750 per semester, for up to four years to students preparing for sports-medicine careers.
Fifteen new academic programs won approval, including Troy University’s planned doctor of chiropractic, set to start in fall 2027 as Alabama’s first chiropractic program, and Auburn University’s Ph.D. in speech, language and hearing sciences, beginning in fall 2026.
Troy projects $3.3 million in startup costs for the chiropractic program, $1.5 million in yearly expenses and about $3.4 million in expected tuition revenue.
The full presentation shared during the meeting will be available on ACHE’s website at this link.
The commission has 12 members, each appointed to nine-year terms by the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker and confirmed by the Senate. Friday’s meeting also marked a leadership change: Amy Shipley Price’s term as chair has ended, and Vice Chair Stan Nelson will preside when the commission meets again in December.
The full meeting can be seen below or at this link.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Trisha Powell Crain and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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