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University of Alabama at Birmingham: West Campus Field at UAB
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College · Catholic life on campus

University of Alabama at Birmingham

  • LocationBirmingham, AL
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 21,160 students
Official website

University of Alabama at Birmingham is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

The Catholic campus ministry serving UAB is BHM Catholic, centered at St. Stephen the Martyr Chapel at 1515 12th Ave S in Birmingham. Its published 2026-2027 schedule lists a Sunday Mass, a weekday Mass on Thursday, and weekly confession on Tuesday and Thursday, with a FOCUS team and a Catholic Blazers student association listed.

Mass, confession, and adoration

Confirm with the parish

Mass 2

  • Sunday10:30 AMSt. Stephen the Martyr Chapel, 1515 12th Ave S · 2026-2027 school year schedule.
  • Thursday6:00 PMSt. Stephen the Martyr Chapel, 1515 12th Ave S · 2026-2027 school year schedule.

Confession 2

  • Tuesday7:00 PMSt. Stephen the Martyr Chapel, 1515 12th Ave S · Heard during the Holy Hour.
  • Thursday5:00 PMSt. Stephen the Martyr Chapel, 1515 12th Ave S · 2026-2027 school year schedule.

Adoration 2

  • Tuesday7:00 PMSt. Stephen the Martyr Chapel, 1515 12th Ave S · Holy Hour with Benediction.
  • Thursday5:00 PMSt. Stephen the Martyr Chapel, 1515 12th Ave S · 2026-2027 school year schedule.

Times come only from official parish, chaplaincy, or school pages, and can change with the season. Last verified Oct. 12, 2026.

Sources for these times (1)
  1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Sunday – Holy Mass at 10:30am (all welcome) Free Meal for Students after in the Social Hall”
    Holy Mass is offered Sundays at 10:30am, followed by a free student meal.
    “Thursday – Confessions and Adoration at 5:00pm Daily Mass at 6:00pm (all welcome)”
    Thursday confessions and adoration at 5:00pm and Mass at 6:00pm are listed; no other weekday Mass is listed.
    “Tuesday – Holy Hour with Benediction at 7:00pm Confessions heard during Holy Hour”
    Tuesday holy hour with Benediction at 7:00pm includes confessions.
    “Thursday – Confessions and Adoration at 5:00pm Daily Mass at 6:00pm (all welcome)”
    Thursday confessions and adoration at 5:00pm and Mass at 6:00pm are listed; no other weekday Mass is listed.
    “Tuesday – Holy Hour with Benediction at 7:00pm Confessions heard during Holy Hour”
    Tuesday holy hour with Benediction at 7:00pm includes confessions.
    “Thursday – Confessions and Adoration at 5:00pm Daily Mass at 6:00pm (all welcome)”
    Thursday confessions and adoration at 5:00pm and Mass at 6:00pm are listed; no other weekday Mass is listed.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of University of Alabama at Birmingham, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches1 mi2 mi3 miSaint Stephen the Martyr Catholic University Chapel: 0.7 mi1Cathedral of Saint Paul: 0.9 mi2Saint Elias Maronite Church: 1.2 mi3Saint George the Great Melkite Greek Catholic Church: 1.5 mi4Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church: 1.9 mi5Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church: 2.1 mi6St. Stephen the Martyr Chapel (BHM Catholic): 0.7 miUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham (campus)N1 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Saint Stephen the Martyr Catholic University Chapel — 0.7 mi · 1515 12th Avenue South, Birmingham
  2. Cathedral of Saint Paul — 0.9 mi · 2120 3rd Avenue North, Birmingham
  3. Saint Elias Maronite Church — 1.2 mi · 836 8th Street South, Birmingham
  4. Saint George the Great Melkite Greek Catholic Church — 1.5 mi · 425 16th Avenue South, Birmingham
  5. Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church — 1.9 mi
  6. Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church — 2.1 mi · 1728 Oxmoor Road, Homewood

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

BCatholic life on campus: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.

Catholic life on campus

77 of 100 points on what we could document.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes
    Sources (1)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “We serve students from UAB (University of Alabama – Birmingham), Samford University, Jefferson State Community College, and others from around the Birmingham area.”
      BHM Catholic campus ministry serves students from UAB.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusYes (Dedicated chapel at 1515 12th Ave S; distance from campus is computed from the address.)
    Sources (1)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “1515 12th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205”
      The ministry's chapel and center is at 1515 12th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryPart-time or shared priest (Chaplain is also parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, per the parish bulletin.)
    Sources (2)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Father Jacob Ntoko, Chaplain”
      Father Jacob Ntoko is listed as the ministry's chaplain.
    2. Cathedral of Saint Paul bulletin, August 16, 2026stpaulsbhm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/august-16-2026.pdf · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Parochial Vicar: Rev. Jacob E. Ntoko”
      Father Jacob Ntoko also serves as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Saint Paul.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministry1–4 weekdays (One weekday Mass (Thursday) is listed at the ministry.)
    Sources (1)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Thursday – Confessions and Adoration at 5:00pm Daily Mass at 6:00pm (all welcome)”
      Thursday confessions and adoration at 5:00pm and Mass at 6:00pm are listed; no other weekday Mass is listed.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelOne weekend Mass
    Sources (1)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Sunday – Holy Mass at 10:30am (all welcome) Free Meal for Students after in the Social Hall”
      Holy Mass is offered Sundays at 10:30am, followed by a free student meal.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryWeekly or more often (Scheduled confession Tuesday 7:00 PM and Thursday 5:00 PM.)
    Sources (1)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Tuesday – Holy Hour with Benediction at 7:00pm Confessions heard during Holy Hour”
      Tuesday holy hour with Benediction at 7:00pm includes confessions.
      “Thursday – Confessions and Adoration at 5:00pm Daily Mass at 6:00pm (all welcome)”
      Thursday confessions and adoration at 5:00pm and Mass at 6:00pm are listed; no other weekday Mass is listed.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Two or more (Catholic Blazers (UAB) and FOCUS.)
    Sources (2)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Catholic Student Associations: Catholic Blazers (UAB)”
      The ministry lists Catholic Blazers (UAB) as a Catholic student association.
      “FOCUS Missionaries: Julian, Rachel, Emily, Gabi, and William”
      The ministry lists FOCUS missionaries serving with it.
    2. Campuses - FOCUSfocus.org/about/campuses · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “University of Alabama at Birmingham”
      FOCUS lists the University of Alabama at Birmingham among the campuses it serves.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adoration6 to 11 times a week (6 weekly times documented: 2 Mass, 2 confession, 2 adoration.)Computed from the verified Mass, confession, and adoration times listed on this page (each day a time is offered counts once).

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • Scheduled confession is listed on two days each week at the ministry (Tuesday and Thursday).
    Sources (1)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Tuesday – Holy Hour with Benediction at 7:00pm Confessions heard during Holy Hour”
      Tuesday holy hour with Benediction at 7:00pm includes confessions.
      “Thursday – Confessions and Adoration at 5:00pm Daily Mass at 6:00pm (all welcome)”
      Thursday confessions and adoration at 5:00pm and Mass at 6:00pm are listed; no other weekday Mass is listed.
  • The chapel and student lounge are published as open daily from 9:00am to 9:00pm.
    Sources (1)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “St. Stephen’s Chapel is open daily 9:00am-9:00pm”
      St. Stephen the Martyr Chapel is open daily from 9:00am to 9:00pm.

Concerns

  • The published schedule lists one Sunday Mass and one weekday Mass, on Thursday, at the ministry.
    Sources (1)
    1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Sunday – Holy Mass at 10:30am (all welcome) Free Meal for Students after in the Social Hall”
      Holy Mass is offered Sundays at 10:30am, followed by a free student meal.
      “Thursday – Confessions and Adoration at 5:00pm Daily Mass at 6:00pm (all welcome)”
      Thursday confessions and adoration at 5:00pm and Mass at 6:00pm are listed; no other weekday Mass is listed.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

The Catholic center

St. Stephen the Martyr Chapel (BHM Catholic)

  • Address: 1515 12th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205
  • Distance from campus: 0.7 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)
  • Facilities: chapel, student lounge, social hall

View on map ↗

Source: bhmcatholic.com, verified Oct. 12, 2026, bhmcatholic.com, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic clubs and student life

4 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 0 off campus, 4 location not published

Clubs and groups 2

  • Catholic Blazers (UAB)
    Catholic student association listed by the ministry.
    bhmcatholic.com
  • FOCUS missionaries
    FOCUS team serving with the ministry. FOCUS lists UAB among its campuses.
    bhmcatholic.com, focus.org

Liturgy and prayer 1

  • Tuesday Holy Hour with Benediction
    Tuesdays 7:00 PM
    Holy hour with Benediction and confessions.
    bhmcatholic.com

Social life 1

  • Sunday free meal for students
    Sundays after the 10:30 AM Mass
    Free meal for students in the Social Hall.
    bhmcatholic.com

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (1)
  1. BHM Catholic – Campus Ministrybhmcatholic.com · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “We serve students from UAB (University of Alabama – Birmingham), Samford University, Jefferson State Community College, and others from around the Birmingham area.”
    BHM Catholic campus ministry serves students from UAB.
    “Father Jacob Ntoko, Chaplain”
    Father Jacob Ntoko is listed as the ministry's chaplain.
    “1515 12th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205”
    The ministry's chapel and center is at 1515 12th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205.
    “St. Stephen’s Chapel is open daily 9:00am-9:00pm”
    St. Stephen the Martyr Chapel is open daily from 9:00am to 9:00pm.

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Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
71 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.64%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.80%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,258 · ACT 26.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$17,855

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
12,382
Total students21,160
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$18,749
Cost of attendance (per year)$28,145
Median federal debt at graduation$22,300
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
64%
First-year retention80%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$54,501
Admission rate88%
Students receiving Pell grants34%
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1258
SAT reading & writing600–710
SAT math610–740
ACT composite23–30
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value index: 59 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama

The Most Reverend Steven J. Raica, Bishop of Birmingham in Alabama

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county using NCES Catholic school records. Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

  • IPEDS unit ID 100663
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
  • Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education; Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Report an error or a newer source
  • Respond as this school

Questions families ask

Is University of Alabama at Birmingham a Catholic college?
No. University of Alabama at Birmingham is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by BHM Catholic Campus Ministry.
What is University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Catholic Life Score?
75 out of 100 (grade B). It measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes, together with academics.
Where is Mass celebrated at University of Alabama at Birmingham?
Mass is listed at St. Stephen the Martyr Chapel and 1515 12th Ave S. Days and times are on this page; please confirm with the parish or campus ministry before you go.

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