BACHE is a formal association of the five, four-year colleges and universities in the Birmingham metropolitan area. Birmingham-Southern College, Miles College, and Samford University are private institutions, while the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Montevallo are part of the public university system of Alabama. Our student populations range from approximately 1,500 at Birmingham-Southern College, to 1,700 at Miles College, to 3,000 at University of Montevallo, to 4,600 at Samford University, to 18,000 total undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

In an era of declining resources and increasing demand for services and programs, students, faculty, staff, and the general public benefit from the cooperative programs, functions, and opportunities that the Consortium provides. Nonetheless, our five member institutions are justly proud of their individual reputations and their distinctive purposes and missions. The sidebar links provide brief descriptions and contact information for each institution.