ASU

Alabama State University was founded in 1867, in Marion, AL., as a school for African Americans. The school started as the Lincoln Normal School with $500 raised by nine formerly enslaved men now known as the Marion Nine, making ASU one of the nation’s oldest institutions of higher education founded for black Americans.

Today, Alabama State University, located in Montgomery, AL., is a widely respected, world-class institution of higher learning that welcomes students of all races. We offer more than sixty undergraduate and graduate degree programs, from our historic teacher education program to a list of high-demand programs such as the Doctorate in Physical Therapy, the Ph.D. in microbiology, the Master of Accountancy, the master’s in social work and the Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance.

The students who attend ASU are as diverse as our academic offerings, with students from more than forty-one states and twenty-one countries seeking a top-notch education that extends far beyond the walls of a classroom. With a twenty to1 student-faculty ratio, students receive the personal attention, mentoring, encouragement, and knowledge needed to achieve their dreams.

At ASU, we know that what happens outside the classroom is an essential part of the college experience. Our students enjoy a vibrant campus community where they build lifelong friendships and find a wide variety of social, cultural, and sporting events. We have more than fifty clubs and organizations, including fraternities and sororities, and eighteen intercollegiate sports.

Our location in Montgomery, Alabama, the birthplace of the modern civil rights movement, offers students the unique opportunity to live, learn and grow in a city rich with culture and history. In fact, some of the most notable figures of the civil rights era – including the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, attorney Fred Gray, the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, and the Rev. Frederick D. Reese – are counted among ASU’s many distinguished alumni. Today, we also are proud to count among our alumni notable figures such as rapper 2 Chainz (Tauheed Epps); Broadway stars Bonita Hamilton Ceasar and Brandon McCall (Lion King); Peabody Award winner, actor/director Timothy Ware Hill; legendary football coach Woody McCorvey; international rugby star Phaidra Knight; noted neuroscientist Dr. Farah Lubin; and the late Archbishop of the Catholic Church, Joseph Lawson Howze.

Our 154-year history is a legacy of perseverance, progress, and promise. We’re proud of our legacy, and we welcome students to dream, to share their unique gifts and talents, and to take pride in knowing they are part of a rich tradition.