Private nonprofit · University

Samford University

Birmingham, Alabama · Large suburb

#3 graduation rate in Alabama#5 for grad earnings in Alabama
82.4%
Admit rate
$32,622
Avg net price
77%
Graduation rate
$58,469
Median earnings

Samford University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Birmingham, Alabama (large suburb setting), enrolling 4,206 undergraduates. It has a Baptist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 4,206 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 82% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Southern Conference

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Samford University's admitted students.

Admit rate
82.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1070–1250
Avg GPA (est.)
3.44

Enter a test score to see where you land against Samford University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Samford University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. The Birmingham area was historically part of the territory of the Muscogee Confederacy. Birmingham is the cultural and entertainment capital of Alabama with numerous art galleries in the area including the Birmingham Museum of Art, the largest art museum in the Southeast. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
198 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth (BHM) · major hub

How Samford University compares

Selectivity82.4%

More selective than 40% · #17 most selective of 24 in Alabama

SAT average1201

Higher than 59%

Graduation rate77%

Higher than 87% · #3 of 29 in Alabama

First-year retention93%

Higher than 90%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$58,469

Higher than 64% · #5 of 30 in Alabama

Average net price$32,622

Cheaper than 12% · #26 cheapest of 27 in Alabama

Median debt at graduation$19,500

Lower than 78%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment4,206

Larger than 75%

Percentiles compare Samford University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Alabama.

Samford University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

6,093students
  • Undergraduate4,20669%
  • Graduate1,88731%

Undergraduates by gender

4,206undergrads
  • Women2,77166%
  • Men1,43534%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White85%
  • Black4.8%
  • Hispanic5.0%
  • Asian1.3%
  • Other or multiracial4.4%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
4,206
Graduate enrollment
1,887
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
11%
First-generation students
14%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$87,745
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$91,692
Endowment
$469,998,443

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,080 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Alabama23%
  • Other U.S. states77%
  • International0.6%

A national draw — only 23% of first-years come from Alabama; 77% arrive from other states.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
82.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1070–1250
SAT average
1201
SAT reading
550–640
SAT math
520–610
ACT composite
22–28
Average GPA (estimated)
3.44

Cost

In-state tuition
$40,150
Room & board
$13,056
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$57,456
Average net price
$32,622

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
77%
Graduated on time (4 years)
68%
First-year retention
93%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,466
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$58,469
Median debt at graduation
$19,500
Students with federal loans
27%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
71%

About 9% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
68%
Low-income (Pell)
67%
First-generation
65%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,375
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
56%
Housing charge (year)
$6,558
Meal plan (year)
$5,602
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Southern Conference
Varsity athletes
503 (306 men · 197 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (9)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)203
Football112
Baseball39
Basketball35
Soccer32
Tennis25
Softball21
Golf20
Volleyball16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
6
Property offenses (2022–2024)
5

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (6,097 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

3.7reported offenses a year
2.0 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
1.3
Burglary
1.3
Aggravated assault
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$22,716
$30–48k
$24,812
$48–75k
$31,527
$75–110k
$34,206
$110k+
$36,235

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$131,491

$31,527/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$20,527
average award, among those who get one

Samford University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $20,527. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 972 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$58,469
Typical debt at graduation
$19,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
33%
Out-earn a HS grad
70%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$55,955
Men
$67,804

Men out-earn women by $11,849 (21%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
91°F
Winter low
35°F
Annual rain
56.6″
Annual snow
1.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.95.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Birmingham AP, AL US station (7.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Samford University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Samford University side by side →

Colleges near Samford University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.