Samford University
Birmingham, AL · Private · Southern Conference
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Samford University admitted 82.4% of applicants university-wide (3,755 of 4,559).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 82.4% | 3,755 | 4,559 |
| In-state | 67.6% | 755 | 1,117 |
| Out-of-state | 89.6% | 2,941 | 3,283 |
| International applicants | 24.5% | 39 | 159 |
| Men | 78.7% | 1,256 | 1,596 |
| Women | 84.3% | 2,499 | 2,963 |
Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 3,755 admitted students, 1,087 enrolled (28.9% yield).
Samford University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1080–1240
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 22–28
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.50–4.00
Testing policy: Recommended
Samford University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $63,206/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $40,150 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $23,056 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $63,206/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $22,716 |
| $30k–48k | $24,812 |
| $48k–75k | $31,527 |
| $75k–110k | $34,206 |
| Over $110k | $36,235 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Dean's Scholarship — $15,000 per year (Merit)
- Samford Scholarship — $10,000 per year (Merit)
- National Merit Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
- Samford Grant — Varies (Need Based)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- International Student Scholarship — Up to $10,000 per year (International Aid)
- Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
Samford University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023
Application requirements
US applicants
- Application (Samford or Common App)
- Personal Essay
- Official High School Transcript
- Academic Letter of Recommendation
- ACT/SAT Scores (optional)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Application (Samford or Common App)
- Personal Essay
- Official High School Transcript
- Academic Letter of Recommendation
- ACT/SAT Scores (optional)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Samford University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:
- Please tell us why you are interested in attending Samford University and what you hope to contribute to the campus community.500 words · Required
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $58,469
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 77%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 93%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $19,500
- At graduation
Samford University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #179
- WSJ: #316
- Forbes: #254
- Niche: #221
Deadlines
- 2027-05-01Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Samford University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C21–C22 · 2023
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (23%), Visual & performing arts (7%), Social sciences (4%).
Student–faculty ratio: 14:1 · 65% of class sections have under 20 students.
Samford University U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.