Alabama State University, located in Montgomery, Alabama, is a widely respected, world-class institution of higher learning which welcomes students of all races. ASU offers nearly 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, from the historic teacher education program to new, high-demand programs such as the Ph.D. in microbiology and international business. The students who attend ASU are as diverse as its academic offerings, with students from more than 40 states and various countries seeking a top-notch education that extends far beyond the walls of a classroom.
ASU's 150-year history is a legacy of perseverance, progress and promise. The University is proud of its legacy, and it welcomes students to dream, to share their unique gifts and talents, and to take pride in knowing they are part of a rich tradition.
The ASU movement began with the impetus to establish a school for Black Alabamians. The Civil War brought not only the end of slavery, but the opportunity for Black Americans to claim the right to education. ASU was born out of that movement.
Nine freed slaves from Marion, Alabama — seeking a school for African-Americans previously denied an education — with help from the Marion community raised $500 for land and, on July 18, 1867, filed incorporation papers to establish the Lincoln Normal School.
The Lincoln School opened with 113 students.
This predecessor of Alabama State University became the nation's first state-sponsored liberal arts institution for the higher education of Black Americans — beginning ASU's history as a "Teacher's College" and establishing it as one of the oldest institutions of higher education for Black Americans.
Alabama State University is a comprehensive, diverse, student-centered public HBCU committed to global excellence in teaching, research and service. The University fulfills its mission by:
ASU offers baccalaureate through doctorate degrees in an expansive array of academic programs. The University maintains a scholarly and creative faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and an atmosphere in which members of the university community live, work and learn in pleasant surroundings — a bridge to success for those who commit to pursuing quintessential educational opportunities and lifelong endeavors.