More selective than 30% of Alabama colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $57,456. College Scorecard.
Higher than 92% of Alabama colleges we cover and 87% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 88% of Alabama colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Samford University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,541 applicants, Samford University admitted 3,734 and 1,080 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1070–1250 on the SAT or 22–28 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Samford University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Samford University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Samford University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Alabama. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,716 | $93,363 | 3.5 years |
| $30–48k | $24,812 | $101,977 | 3.8 years |
| $48–75k | $31,527 | $129,576 | 4.8 years |
| $75–110k | $34,206 | $140,587 | 5.2 years |
| $110k+ | $36,235 | $148,926 | 5.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (72% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($58,469) minus $31,484 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,985 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Samford University majors, earnings & careers
Samford University offers 68 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 17
- Health & Medicine · 11
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Business & Finance · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 2
- Engineering · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at Samford University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $119,888 | $12,000 |
| Finance | $93,444 | $19,000 |
| Accounting | $90,572 | — |
| Business Administration | $76,584 | $23,235 |
| Nursing | $72,517 | $25,750 |
| Marketing | $70,839 | $18,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $52,171 | $24,250 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $50,809 | — |
Quick list of all 68 majors
- Accounting$90,572
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Architecture—
- Bible Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business—
- Business Administration$76,584
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice—
- Cultural Studies / Critical Theory and Analysis—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$52,171
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance$93,444
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Geography—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies$50,809
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Relations—
- Journalism$50,652
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$47,117
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Legal Support Services—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing$70,839
- Mathematics—
- Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$72,517
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$119,888
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology—
- Public Administration—
- Public Health—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration → Pharmacist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Birmingham
Overall prices in the Birmingham, AL area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,375. Housing costs 28% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 58 inches of rain a year, 1 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Jefferson County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Jefferson County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Samford University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Alabama by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samford University | 82% | $32,622 | 77% | $58,469 | This school |
| University of Mobile | 78% | $22,382 | 57% | $43,611 | |
| Spring Hill College | 77% | $20,449 | 52% | $51,500 | |
| Faulkner University | 73% | $22,085 | 37% | $43,457 | |
| Huntingdon College | 69% | $22,566 | 48% | $49,601 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Samford University would cost you $10,240 more per year than University of Mobile, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Samford University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$13,240).
- Samford University gives aided families $6,101 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Alabama resident | Samford University | University of Mobile | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $40,150 | $26,910 | +$13,240 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,800 | −$600 |
| Housing & meals | $12,160 | $10,676 | +$1,484 |
| Personal & travel | $5,952 | $4,750 | +$1,202 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,006 | −$3,021 | +$1,015 |
| Sticker price | $57,456 | $41,115 | +$16,341 |
| Average grants | −$24,834 | −$18,733 | −$6,101 |
| You pay | $32,622 | $22,382 | +$10,240 |
“+” means Samford University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Samford University
What is the Samford University acceptance rate?
Samford University accepts 82% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,734 of 4,541 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1070–1250 on the SAT or 22–28 on the ACT.
How much does Samford University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $57,456 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $32,622 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,716 and families earning $110k+ pay $36,235.
How much do Samford University graduates earn?
Former Samford University students earn a median $58,469 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Samford University graduation rate?
77% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for their second year.
How long does a Samford University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Samford University costs about $129,576 after grants ($31,527 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $58,469 ten years after starting, $26,985 more than high school graduates in Alabama ($31,484), so the cost is repaid in 4.8 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Samford University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/samford-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).