Catholic School CompassTrue north for Catholic families.
University of Alabama in Huntsville: UAH Shelby Center
Photo: Aparna E. from Ann Arbor, MI, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

University of Alabama in Huntsville

  • LocationHuntsville, AL
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 8,743 students
Official website

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

The Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama lists the University of Alabama in Huntsville on its campus ministry page, paired with St. John the Baptist parish in Madison rather than a campus ministry program. The diocese says that for schools without a full program, its campus ministry office connects students to neighboring parishes.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of University of Alabama in Huntsville, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches1 mi2 mi3 miSaint Joseph Catholic Church: 2.3 mi1Our Lady, Queen of the Universe Catholic Church: 2.8 mi2University of Alabama in Huntsville (campus)N2 mi
CampusCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Saint Joseph Catholic Church — 2.3 mi · 2300 Beasley Avenue Northwest, Huntsville
  2. Our Lady, Queen of the Universe Catholic Church — 2.8 mi · 2421 Shady Lane Drive Northwest, Huntsville

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.

N/ACatholic life on campus: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Catholic life on campus

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes (The diocese's campus ministry page lists UAH and pairs it with St. John the Baptist parish in Madison, which the diocese connects students to.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Campus Ministry | Diocese of Birmingham in Alabamabhmdiocese.org/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “UAH St. John the Baptist, Madison”
      The diocese lists UAH with St. John the Baptist parish in Madison as its campus connection.
      “the Office of Campus ministry is available to facilitate connection to neighboring parishes for those colleges and universities without a full program”
      Schools without a full campus ministry program are connected by the diocese to neighboring parishes.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • 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.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 3 milesComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adorationNot enough information: no verified Mass times are recorded.

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

Strengths

None recorded.

Concerns

  • Students are connected to a neighboring parish.
    Sources (1)
    1. Campus Ministry | Diocese of Birmingham in Alabamabhmdiocese.org/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “the Office of Campus ministry is available to facilitate connection to neighboring parishes for those colleges and universities without a full program”
      Schools without a full campus ministry program are connected by the diocese to neighboring parishes.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (1)
  1. Campus Ministry | Diocese of Birmingham in Alabamabhmdiocese.org/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “UAH St. John the Baptist, Madison”
    The diocese lists UAH with St. John the Baptist parish in Madison as its campus connection.
    “the Office of Campus ministry is available to facilitate connection to neighboring parishes for those colleges and universities without a full program”
    Schools without a full campus ministry program are connected by the diocese to neighboring parishes.

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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.84%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,319 · ACT 27.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.17 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,877

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)
6,851
Total students8,743
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$18,796
Cost of attendance (per year)$27,392
Median federal debt at graduation$20,705
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
64%
First-year retention84%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$61,767
Admission rate69%
Students receiving Pell grants25%
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1319
SAT reading & writing600–690
SAT math610–720
ACT composite24–31
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value index: 65 / 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 100706
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
  • Accreditation: 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 in Huntsville a Catholic college?
No. University of Alabama in Huntsville is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by Diocese of Birmingham Campus Ministry (connection to St. John the Baptist, Madison).

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