Birmingham: Education and Research

Birmingham: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Birmingham public schools offer the Education Program for the Individual Child (EPIC schools) with a population of 50 percent typical children and 50 percent children with developmental challenges; or 50 percent African American students and 50 percent white students; or 50 percent girls and 50 percent boys. EPIC schools aim to foster the individual student's sense of self-worth by helping students to communicate and understand one another. Seventeen public school systems serve the five-county Birmingham area. Fourteen of the seventeen systems rank above the national average on Scholastic Aptitude Test scores. Birmingham is the home of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, one of only a few such schools in the country to offer intensive study in both academic areas and the arts for grades seven through twelve. Mikhail Baryshnikov ranks the ballet school as one of the top three in the country.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Birmingham public schools as of the 2002–2003 school year.

Total enrollment: 36,133

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 52

junior high/middle schools: 18

senior high schools: 12

other: 10

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6:1 (2005)

Teacher salaries (2004-05)

minimum: $30,387

maximum: $67,496

Funding per pupil: $8,778

Colleges and Universities

Eleven major institutions of higher learning are located in metropolitan Birmingham. They offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in such fields as engineering, business, education, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, religion, law, music, and liberal arts. The largest is the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), with 16,000 students. UAB is ranked as one of the finest medical centers in the world. According to The New York Times, UAB plays a major role in the life of the city. It provides assistance to ninety public schools and research information to numerous developing local businesses. Other Birmingham schools include Samford University, a private institution affiliated with the Baptist State Convention; Birmingham-Southern College, a four-year liberal arts school affiliated with the Methodist Church; Miles College; Bessemer State Technical College; Jefferson State Community College; University of Montevallo; Virginia College at Birmingham; Herzing College; Lawson State Community College; and ITT Technical Institute.

Libraries and Research Centers

In addition to 21 Birmingham Public Library locations, the Jefferson County Library System has 19 municipal libraries. The system numbers more than 1.5 million items in its collection and circulates almost 4 million items per year, including books, magazines, and recordings. More than 20 other libraries serve Birmingham; some of them are affiliated with educational institutions, while others are associated with religious groups or research centers. Their collections focus on such areas of interest as botany and horticulture, art, law, religion, regional history, engineering, genealogy, energy, science, medicine, and business.

In keeping with its status as a medical center for the southeast, Birmingham is home to a large number of health care research centers, most of which are supported by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). UAB, with its affiliate Southern Research Institute, receives more than $460 million in grant and contract money. Major projects center on aging, heart disease, human genetics, and immunological and other diseases. UAB is a designated center for AIDS research, and its Spinal Cord Injury Care System is one of the few in the nation. The Southern Research Institute is nationally recognized for its virus studies and cancer research and industrial research programs. Area research centers are active in other fields as well, including computers, education, labor, urban affairs, metallurgy, and electronics.

Public Library Information: Birmingham Public Library, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203; telephone (205)226-3610