{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"EducationalOccupationalProgram","data_version":"1.0","generated_from":"2026-10-11","license":"Free to reuse with attribution: cite \"EducationGuide.com\" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/samford-university/majors/finance","ids":{"ipeds_unitid":102049,"cip4":"52.08","school_slug":"samford-university","major_slug":"finance"},"school":{"name":"Samford University","city":"Birmingham","state":"AL","control":"Private nonprofit","url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/samford-university","data":"https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/samford-university.json"},"major":{"name":"Finance","area":"Business & Finance","credential":"Bachelor's degree"},"outcomes":{"median_earnings_1yr":53059,"median_earnings_4yr":93444,"median_debt":19000,"debt_to_earnings_4yr":0.203,"year":{"earnings_1yr":"Treasury AY2018-19, AY2019-20 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars","earnings_4yr":"Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars","debt":"NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort"},"source":"College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)"},"national":{"colleges_reporting":438,"median_earnings_4yr":77992,"median_debt":23250},"compared_with_same_major":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","state":{"geography":"AL","colleges_reporting":9,"median_earnings_4yr":70025,"difference":23419},"us":{"colleges_reporting":438,"median_earnings_4yr":77992,"difference":15452},"note":"State and U.S. medians are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major (4 years after graduating); a state median is published when at least 3 colleges in the state report earnings."},"value":{"calculated_by":"EducationGuide","time_to_finish":{"average_years_among_graduates":4.11,"finished_in_4_years":0.7181,"finished_within_6_years":0.7988,"cohort":855,"entering_class":"Fall 2017","source":"IPEDS Graduation Rates (bachelor's-seeking cohort)"},"baseline":{"median_earnings_high_school_graduates":31484,"geography":"AL","ages":"25-34","years":"2020-2024","respondents":5335,"description":"high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024)","source":"U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year PUMS (microdata): ages 25-34, high school diploma or GED as highest level, not enrolled, earnings > 0; EducationGuide calculation"},"earnings_used":93444,"earnings_basis":"median earnings of this major's graduates 4 years after graduating (College Scorecard field of study); school-wide net price","by_family_income":{"0-30k":{"net_price_per_year":22716,"cost_to_finish":93363,"payback_years":1.5,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"1.5 years"},"30-48k":{"net_price_per_year":24812,"cost_to_finish":101977,"payback_years":1.6,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"1.6 years"},"48-75k":{"net_price_per_year":31527,"cost_to_finish":129576,"payback_years":2.1,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.1 years"},"75-110k":{"net_price_per_year":34206,"cost_to_finish":140587,"payback_years":2.3,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.3 years"},"110k+":{"net_price_per_year":36235,"cost_to_finish":148926,"payback_years":2.4,"payback_status":"ok","payback_text":"2.4 years"}},"method":"cost_to_finish = max(0, net price per year) x average years graduates took; payback_years = cost_to_finish / (earnings_used - baseline), one decimal; status over_cap above 20 years, no_premium when earnings do not exceed the baseline. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. In-state net price for public colleges.","method_url":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value"},"state_rank":{"rank":1,"of":9,"by":"median earnings 4 years after graduating"},"state_comparison":[{"ipeds_unitid":102049,"name":"Samford University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":93444,"median_debt":19000,"net_price_average":32622,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.77,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/samford-university/majors/finance"},{"ipeds_unitid":100706,"name":"University of Alabama in Huntsville","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":89472,"median_debt":null,"net_price_average":18796,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.643,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-alabama-in-huntsville"},{"ipeds_unitid":100751,"name":"The University of Alabama","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":85020,"median_debt":25000,"net_price_average":22420,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.734,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-alabama/majors/finance"},{"ipeds_unitid":100858,"name":"Auburn University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":84352,"median_debt":20500,"net_price_average":24323,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.82,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/auburn-university/majors/finance"},{"ipeds_unitid":101480,"name":"Jacksonville State University","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":70025,"median_debt":14875,"net_price_average":14279,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.547,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/jacksonville-state-university/majors/finance"},{"ipeds_unitid":100663,"name":"University of Alabama at Birmingham","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":66980,"median_debt":22500,"net_price_average":18749,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.642,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-alabama-at-birmingham/majors/finance"},{"ipeds_unitid":102094,"name":"University of South Alabama","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":62084,"median_debt":28500,"net_price_average":17648,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.527,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-alabama/majors/finance"},{"ipeds_unitid":101879,"name":"University of North Alabama","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":51994,"median_debt":22250,"net_price_average":12170,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.549,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-north-alabama/majors/finance"},{"ipeds_unitid":101709,"name":"University of Montevallo","mostly_two_year":false,"median_earnings_4yr":48160,"median_debt":null,"net_price_average":17683,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.541,"url":"https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-montevallo"}],"careers":[{"soc":"13-2051","title":"Financial analyst","median_wage_metro":91290,"metro":"Birmingham, AL","median_wage_state":91290,"median_wage_us":102740,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":7.2,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"soc":"11-1021","title":"General and Operations Managers","median_wage_metro":123560,"metro":"Birmingham, AL","median_wage_state":111790,"median_wage_us":105770,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":5,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"},{"soc":"11-3031","title":"Financial Managers","median_wage_metro":153930,"metro":"Birmingham, AL","median_wage_state":140500,"median_wage_us":166570,"us_job_growth_2025_2035_pct":9.7,"typical_entry_education":"Bachelor's degree","source":"BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35"}],"school_context":{"net_price_average":32622,"net_price_by_family_income":{"0-30k":22716,"30-48k":24812,"48-75k":31527,"75-110k":34206,"110k+":36235},"acceptance_rate":0.824,"graduation_rate_6yr":0.77,"year":{"net_price":"AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25"}},"methodology":"https://educationguide.com/how-we-score"}