New College was opened in 1846 as a college of the Free Church of Scotland, later of the United Free Church of Scotland, and from the 1930s has been the home of the School of Divinity (formerly the Faculty of Divinity) of the University of Edinburgh. As "New College" it continues the historic commitment to offer a programme of academic preparation for ministry in the Church of Scotland, also made use of by ministerial candidates from other churches. In the 1970s the Faculty of Divinity also began offering undergraduate degrees in Theology and Religious Studies, and students in these programmes now make up the majority of the nearly 300 undergraduates enrolled in any given year. Cognisant of its history, the School of Divinity is proud of the international character of its staff and students, welcoming people from many different religious and non-religious backgrounds. New College is one of the largest and most renowned centres for (post)graduate studies in Theology and Religious Studies in the UK, with approximately 150 students in masters and PhD degree programmes in any given year, and from over 30 countries. There are now nearly 30 full-time members of the academic staff, and they include internationally respected scholars in various specialities.

The University of Montevallo, the state's only public liberal arts college, was founded in 1896 as the Alabama Girls' Industrial School, with historic Reynolds Hall as the school's first academic building. Today, the University of Montevallo is known for its idyllic campus and quaint cobblestone streets. The college serves approximately 3,000 students and offers undergraduate degrees in more than 70 areas.