
Strayer University-Alabama is part of Strayer University, a private university whose origins date to 1892, when S. Irving Strayer established a business college in Baltimore. The institution later operated as Strayer College and adopted the Strayer University name as its offerings expanded beyond business education.
The Alabama designation identifies a location within the larger university, not a separately founded or separately accredited university. That distinction matters when reading about Strayer's history, academic programs, and policies: a university-wide offering is not necessarily taught in person in Birmingham. Applicants considering campus-based classes should check the current location and course schedule for their intended program.
Strayer organizes its academic offerings around career-oriented fields rather than a broad collection of traditional liberal-arts colleges. Its university-wide programs include business administration, accounting, information technology, criminal justice, and education-related study. Depending on the field, Strayer offers associate, bachelor's, and graduate credentials.
The academic catalog is the useful place to distinguish a degree title from a concentration within that degree. It also sets out course prerequisites and graduation requirements. A program's appearance in the university-wide catalog does not establish that every required course is available in person in Birmingham; students who need a particular schedule or instructional format should check the program's current course plan before enrolling.
Strayer University-Alabama is associated with Birmingham, Alabama. For prospective students, the location is best evaluated as a place to access scheduled classes and student services, rather than as a residential college campus.
Birmingham is a metropolitan setting, so travel time can depend substantially on where a student lives and when classes meet. Before committing to an in-person schedule, applicants should confirm the current teaching address, parking arrangements, office hours, and which courses actually meet there. Students taking online classes should likewise establish whether any advising, testing, or other requirement calls for a visit to a physical location.
Strayer University describes its educational purpose in terms of providing accessible higher education with practical relevance to students' professional goals. Its programs and scheduling are oriented in part toward people balancing school with work and other responsibilities. Those are statements of institutional purpose, not evidence that a particular degree will lead to a job or promotion.
Strayer is a private university without a stated religious affiliation. Applicants can assess how its approach fits their needs by comparing the curriculum, course format, available support, and expected time to completion for a specific program. University-wide mission language should not be mistaken for a description of every class or service available at the Birmingham location.
Name of the institution
Strayer University-AlabamaLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
City: MidsizeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999School type
Comprehensive higher education institutionMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
QuartersFoundation year
1892Strayer University-Alabama is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degreeData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.