University of Montevallo

The University of Montevallo is a four-year public university located in Montevallo, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1896, it is Alabama's only public liberal arts college and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges.

In U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" rankings, UM is the highest ranked public masters-level university in Alabama, a distinction it has held each year since 2008. It is the 37th best regional university in the South and the 13th-best public regional university in the South, moving up two spots since last year. Schools in 12 states make up the South geographic region.

The James Wylie Shepherd Observatory at the University of Montevallo was opened in the Fall of 2009. The observatory was built on the site of a former construction landfill, now remade into Gentry Springs field. The observatory is a U of M sustainability landmark.

The observatory is located roughly three miles from the main campus on the 150-acre Gentry Springs site owned by the university. The site offers excellent dark-sky observing in a convenient locale. 

The University of Montevallo fields 19 NCAA Division II athletic teams[18] that currently compete in the Gulf South Conference.

Men's athletics include baseball, basketball, soccer, golf, lacrosse, tennis and track, cross-country.

Women's athletics include basketball, soccer, golf, cross-country, tennis, volleyball and track and field.

The Falcons were members of the Gulf South Conference from 1995 until 2009. They then competed in the Peach Belt Conference until re-joining the GSC before the 2017–18 academic year.