Somewhat less like Dresden alternatives, but good and at least somewhat like (some Dresden like elements):
The (only 4, so far) "Unexpected Enlightenment" books by L. Jagi Lamplighter. Rachel Griffin goes to college (at 13) to learn magic (easier when you have perfect memory), immediately runs into a murder plot which turns into a much bigger plot (sorta Dresden-like), and basically has more things happen in just her first five days (*whew*) than even Harry Dresden usually sees. This has been described as "Harry Potter meets Narnia", but it is more than that, as you will see below.
This takes place at a Harry Potter type school, but the school seems more real than Potter, since it is based on a unique, real life college that the author went to, takes place on the real Roanoke Island (which, conveniently, no one is allowed to visit), has many critters taken from legends of the Hudson Highlands (as well as elsewhere), has a magic system much more well thought out and believable than in Harry Potter, and characters that are both unusual yet seem more real than seems possible, because they are taken from a very long role playing game the author played in, thus, they are real, or as real as the players were (the authors husband played Sigfried the Dragonslayer, who isn't exactly a dragonslayer, but you'll find out). After you read this, Potter books will seem dry and dull and not fleshed out (I tried the first Potter book after this, the movies are better).
Also, 3 books by John C. Wright (also known as Sigfried the Dragonslayer< husband of above author), "Daughter of Danger". A young women finds herself dead (usually not a good sign), and is hastily revived/resurrected, and is told the rush is because she is about to be killed again. She wakes up in a hospital with total amnesia, barely has time to discover she is wearing a magic ring, has yellow skin (Japanese), that she is not Japanese, and then two werewolves and a seven foot goat guy with a trident come in and try to kill her. She uses the kung fu she did not know she had, escapes, and now must find out who she is (little things like her name, who were those guys and why, how did I get to be a superhero, etc). To be followed by a book about her boyfriend (now fiance) called "Mad Scientists Apprentice". While testing his new spaceship, he sorta made a new crater in the moon, which he named (after her) Yummy Cutie crater, she told him NEVER to say that again.
Oh, and Lamplighter also wrote 3 books about Prospero's children, starting with Prospero Lost, kinda Dresden like, the 500 year old daughter of the Shakespeare wizard Prospero has to go and rescue him, picking up her siblings on the way to help, magic and mayhem follow. In some ways, it's like Skin Game.
