Best Legal Studies Schools Near Pelham, AL (2026)

Pelham, Alabama has 3 accredited schools offering legal studies programs, with tuition ranging from $12,890 to $37,626 per year for indexed programs. Pelham has a population of about 24,510. Median household income is $91,904 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Birmingham, AL metro area, the top-earning legal studies-related role is Lawyer at a median $170,230 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer legal studies programs near Pelham, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Pelham city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Pelham. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Samford University

Birmingham, AL 10.7 miles from Pelham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,469
Avg net price $32,622/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Faulkner University

Montgomery, AL 71.4 miles from Pelham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 73%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,457
Avg net price $22,085/yr
Tuition
In‑state$23,920
Out‑of‑state$23,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Auburn University

Auburn, AL 88.5 miles from Pelham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
76.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,337
Avg net price $24,323/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,890
Out‑of‑state$34,922
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama legal studies page.


Pelham is part of the Birmingham, AL metro area (BLS area code 13820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Paralegal and Legal Assistant$53,160Birmingham, AL$58,035
Lawyer$170,230Birmingham, AL$185,841
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$48,730Birmingham, AL$53,199

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Pelham at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,510Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$91,904Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+48.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024


Frequently Asked Questions

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering legal studies programs near Pelham. The closest is Samford University in Birmingham, AL (10.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Auburn University (88.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying legal studies-related roles near Pelham are: Lawyer ($170,230), Paralegal and Legal Assistant ($53,160), Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant ($48,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hoover instead of Pelham?

Hoover, AL is 5.3 miles from Pelham and has its own set of local legal studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Pelham’s median household income of $91,904 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pelham while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Alabama public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Other Programs Available in Pelham

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Pelham:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.