University of Alabama

They have been working very hard to bring up their rankings. It is in the top 50 public universities in the country. One way they have been improving their ranking is by offering generous scholarships to well-qualified students. If money is a big factor for you, you have good grades and test scores, this may be a possibility for you. There is a very serious sports scene at the college, and their football team is nationally famous. If you've always wanted to explore a very different cultural atmosphere in America, that could be another reason to consider it. It is not far from Birmingham, where I understand there are a number of German citizens.