Huntingdon College Earned Top Southern Regional Rankings

The Montgomery institution has been recognized in multiple categories by the latest annual U.S. News college rankings.

Updated on Sept. 26, 2026 in College Applications

Huntingdon College Earned Top Southern Regional Rankings

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Huntingdon College has secured high placements in the 2027 U.S. News rankings, including the 11th spot for top private schools in the South. This recognition follows a period of growth for the Montgomery-based campus.

Why it matters

National rankings offer prospective students a standardized way to evaluate institutions based on core academic metrics like graduation rates. These placements highlight the performance of local schools within their broader geographic and institutional peer groups.

The college achieved a No. 11 ranking for Top Private Schools in the South and No. 25 for Best Value Schools. Tuition for the 2026-27 academic year is set at $30,000, with a maintained student-faculty ratio of 16-to-1.

The players

Huntingdon College

This is a private institution located on East Fairview Avenue in Montgomery, Alabama.

U.S. News

This organization is a media company that publishes annual rankings evaluating the performance of colleges and universities.

The details

U.S. News produces these lists by analyzing institutional missions and geographic regions, with heavy weighting placed on student retention and graduation outcomes. Huntingdon College, which was founded in 1854, also placed 13th among Regional Colleges South in the 2027 assessment.

Timeline

  1. Huntingdon College was founded in 1854.

  2. The institution had 959 students enrolled in fall 2025.

  3. Enrollment grew to 1,018 students as of August 2026.

  4. Annual tuition is $30,000 for the 2026-27 academic year.

  5. The U.S. News college rankings were released in 2027.

Roadmap

These rankings reflect the ongoing trend of private institutions emphasizing value and retention to remain competitive in a crowded higher education landscape. As colleges face shifting demographic and economic pressures, such third-party validations play a vital role in institutional branding.

For prospective students, these rankings provide a benchmark for assessing the relative academic standing and value of a local education. Families can use these metrics to gauge the return on investment for the $30,000 annual tuition rate.

The takeaway

Prospective college students should look beyond rankings to consider specific program offerings and campus culture that align with their personal goals. Researching the student-faculty ratio can also provide a clearer picture of the level of individual attention a student may receive.

Further reading

For more on how local schools are positioned in the current landscape, visit our College Applications section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Yellowhammer News.

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