Education - Education & Child Care
Home to 14 institutions of higher education, Birmingham’s colleges and universities offer opportunities for career advancement that rival those available in much larger cities. In Birmingham one can attend one of the nation’s top medical schools at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, one of the top liberal arts colleges at Birmingham-Southern College, or one of the most highly respected law schools at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. Additionally, Birmingham contains a variety of technical schools and community colleges to suit the needs of all aspiring students and professionals.
Birmingham’s elementary and high school students are predominantly served by two school systems: the Jefferson County School System and the Birmingham City School System. Like many cities education and school-zoning play a major role in home-buying decisions. As the Birmingham metropolitan area has expanded, so too have the number of suburban school systems within Jefferson County and the surrounding areas. In addition to the many public schools that the county and city has to offer, Birmingham features some of the most prestigious private schools in the region—even the nation.
1. Advent Episcopal Day School
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Telephone: (205) 252-2535
Description: Housed within Birmingham’s famed Cathedral Church of the Advent, the mother church for Birmingham’s Episcopal diocese, Advent Day School has been providing quality education for children in grades kindergarten through 8th grade for nearly 60 years. Throughout its history Advent Day School has been at the forefront of elementary and middle school education and was, in 1969, the first independent school in Jefferson County to integrate. Serving 340 students, admission to Advent is very competitive.
2. Creative Montessori Schools
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Telephone: (205) 879-3278
Description: Located in suburban Homewood, Creative Montessori School opened in 1968 and is Birmingham’s oldest Montessori school. Offering classes to children in pre-kindergarten to 6th grade, Creative Montessori seeks to create an environment that puts the power of choice in the hands of the student and to promote abstract thinking through environmental cues. Creative Montessori School also offers a number of programs that you’ll be hard-pressed to find at any other school. Programs specifically geared towards young people include yoga, Young Rembrandts, and Kindermusik. Such programs broaden the horizons of Creative students and enhance the child’s education beyond that of the average school.
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Address: 6 Abbot Sq.
4. ISLAMIC ACADEMY OF ALABAMA
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Telephone: (205) 870-0422
Description: Birmingham’s newest parochial school is a Muslim preschool and K-8 with plans to develop into a K-12. The Islamic Academy offers a well-rounded educational experience that also incorporates Islamic studies as well as Arabic instruction. Truly a multicultural establishment the Islamic Academy has students from 14 different countries and teachers from 5 different countries. With the addition of the Hoover Crescent Islamic Center in Hoover and the continued worship at the next door Homewood masjid, the Islamic Academy of Alabama fulfills a needed role in the lives of Birmingham’s Muslims.
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Address: 5509 Timber Hill Rd., Indian Springs Vil
6. N.E. Miles Jewish Day School
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Telephone: (205) 879-1068
Address: 4000 Montclair Rd.
Description: Founded in 1973 the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School is located on the Levite Jewish Community Center campus on Montclair Road and serves 81 children in kindergarten through 8th grade. The current building in which the school is housed was completed in 1993 and includes a library with over 10,000 English and Hebrew texts. Additionally, the school is close to the Levite Jewish Community Center, which provides children with access to a number of activities including tennis, swimming, and various other exercise programs offered through the LJCC. Students at NE Miles Jewish Day School not only receive an exceptional education in language, math, and the sciences, but also receive proper instruction in Judaic studies and learn to read, write, and speak Hebrew.
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Address: 1720 Oxmoor Rd.
8. Prince of Peace Catholic School
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Address: 4650 Preserve Pkwy.
Description: Opened in 2000 to serve the ever-expanding Hoover community, Prince of Peace has quickly earned a reputation as one of the top private schools in the area. In a decade’s time Prince of Peace has grown to serve over 200 students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. Through the generosity of its parishioners, Prince of Peace has a number of facilities including 6 pre-school classrooms, an elementary school, middle school, 2 state-of-the-art technology labs, and a gymnasium.
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
10. St. Francis Xavier Catholic School
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Address: 2 Xavier Circle
Description: Located just outside Mountain Brook off Montclair Road and located on the grounds of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, or SFX, serves over 100 students from kindergarten through the 8th grade. Although many of the students’ families are members of the SFX Parish, a number of non-Catholics also attend SFX. As the Hispanic population in the Birmingham area has grown in recent years, St. Francis Xavier has become a flag-bearer in promoting cultural diversity throughout the community and in its schools. SFX offers a challenging curriculum taught by lay teachers that is grounded in the Catholic faith.
11. St. Rose of Lima Academy
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Telephone: (205) 933-0549
Description: Located on Red Mountain since its founding in 1956, St. Rose has built a reputation for rigorous academic standards in a Catholic environment. With the general decline in vocations, many Catholic schools have seen the gradual disappearance of nuns in schools. Not at St. Rose, where the Dominican Sisters operate the school and live on the grounds. Although it is one of the smallest of the Diocesan schools, St. Rose is one of the most prestigious, serving students from kindergarten through 8th grade.
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Address: 4801 Altamont Rd. South
13. The Arlington School
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Telephone: (205) 939-3665
Description: After having experienced the pitfalls of large schools as a teacher for 25 years, Debbie Petitto finally decided to make a change. In 1999 Petitto established The Arlington School with the idea that, “a small school can make a big difference.” With an enrollment that is capped at 30 students in grades 6 through 12, Arlington teachers can focus on addressing the needs of each student. Unlike larger schools where teachers may be overwhelmed by large classes, students’ strengths and weaknesses are recognized and attended to at The Arlington School without hindering the progress of other students. While Arlington may not be able to offer Friday night football games and homecoming dances, it does offer a unique educational experience.
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Address: 6255 Cahaba Valley Rd.
City: Birmingham, AL
Category: Education
Address: 190 Woodward Dr.