Established in 1841, Samford University is a private Christian university located in Birmingham in the Alabama state of USA. This University is one of the oldest universities of Alabama and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC). It nurtures around 5,692 students out of which 3,591 students are enrolled under its undergraduate curriculum and 2,101 students under its graduate and professional curriculum. There are students from about 47 states and 28 countries making it a very diverse place to study in the US, offering about 177 UG and 70 graduate majors, minors and concentrations.

University offers more than 200 majors, minors, and concentrations to undergraduates and graduates. Class size is small with an average undergraduate class size of 18. The tuition fee is 34,198 USD, which’s a bit cheaper as compared to the average cost of tuition in the USA. 

Samford University Rankings

Rankings are based on varying factors such as academics, reputation, teaching and learning experience, student satisfaction, and others. Samford University made it to the rankings of few best ranking agencies, such as US News, and Times Higher Education rankings. 

  • Ranked #1 in Alabama - The Wall Street Journal
  • Ranked #1 in Alabama for Graduation Success Rate(GSR) - NCAA
  • Ranked #183 in the world by Times Higher Education Rankings 2023.
  • Ranked 40th in the nation for best undergraduate teaching - U.S. News & World Report
  • Ranked 2nd in the nation for student engagement - The Wall Street Journal 
  • Ranked 34th private university in the U.S. for value and affordability - Kiplinger’s Personal Finance 
  • Ranked 1st in the nation for Samford’s athletics teams - NCAA
  • Ranked 3rd in the nation for best Christian colleges and Universities - College Consensus
  • Ranked 86th in the nation Best Value Schools - U.S. News & World Report
  • Ranked 143rd in the national universities - U.S. News & World Report
  •  Ranked 19th of 1,674 in Most Conservative colleges in America - Niche 2023

Highlights

Established 1841
Type Private
Campus size 247 acres
Application portal Online
Intake Session Fall/Spring
Mode of program Full time; online
Total no. of Alumni 52,838
Total No. of students 5,692
Student to faculty ratio 13:1
Average undergraduate class size 18
Financial aid Loans and scholarships
Admission helpdesk 205-726-2011
Official Website https://www.samford.edu/

Samford University Campus

  • The university possesses a 247 acres campus and operates through its 10 academic schools
  • The on-campus facilities include fully-furnished classrooms, lecture theatres, Samford hall, Samford bookstore, dining hall, parking lot, food court, information centre, student fitness centre, health services, etc.
  • The university provides many opportunities that maximize student potential and broaden understanding of one’s place in global societies.
  • There are a lot of student engagement activities and student organizations such as music, adventure club, student activities council, etc for enhancing overall development of its students.

Samford University Residence

  • The university provides residence facilities on campus through its four residence halls:
    • Beeson Woods
    • Central Campus
    • West campus
    • West Village
  • All the residence halls provide basic amenities such as fully-furnished rooms, common kitchen laundry facilities, common lounge, study rooms, internet services, vending machines, etc.
  • Moreover, all unmarried undergraduate students under 20 years of age are required to reside in university housing unless they live with their own parents/guardian.
  • Graduate students are not guaranteed university housing and are accommodated on a space-available basis after undergraduates are assigned.
  • The residence halls also provide special accessible accommodation facilities to students with special needs or disabilities, provided they specify their needs.

Samford University Programs

  • Most popular programs at Samford University include in the fields of Business administration, Divinity, Healthcare administration, law, pharmacy, etc.
  • The University offers various undergraduate and a graduate minor, majors and concentrations to its students through its various academic schools:
    • School of the Arts
    • Howard College of Arts and Sciences
    • Brock School of Business
    • Beeson Divinity School
    • Orlean Beeson School of Education
    • School of Health Professions
    • Cumberland School of Law
    • Ida Moffett School of Nursing
    • McWhorter School of Pharmacy
    • School of Public Health
  • It offers 177 major and minor under its undergraduate curriculum with courses in the fields of Management, Biblical studies, healthcare administration, legal studies, economics, etc. being the most popular ones.
  • It also offers various online courses to enable its students to pursue their passion in the fields of nursing, business, legal studies and education conveniently.

Samford University Application process

International students need to keep in mind the following if applying for admission at Samford University. Graduate students have different requirements as per their choice of program.

Application portal: Applicants can apply online

Application Fee: 40 USD (non-refundable)

Document requirements for international applicants:

  • Completed International applicants’ application
  • Official government documentation (passport and visa)
  • Documentation for financial support
    • Bank statement
    • 42,120 USD minimum balance
  • Translated and notarized transcript
    • WES course-by-course evaluation
    • ECE course-by-course evaluation
  • Personal Essay
  • Letter of Recommendation
  • Scores of English proficiency test
  • SAT/ACT scores.

Cost of Attendance

Let us look at some of the direct costs which the students will incur during their course of study:

Type of cost Estimated expense in USD
Tuition and fees 34,198
Room and Board 11,120
Total 45,318

Note: Other expenses such as clothing, food, personal expenses, leisure, etc. depend upon the lifestyle and preferences of the individual.

Samford University Financial Aid

  • The university provides various scholarships for international students to study in US.
  • Some scholarships are:
    • Crosland scholarship: Awards 15,000 USD requires a minimum ACT score of 26 or SAT score of 1240 and minimum GPA of 3.5
    • Davis scholarship: Awards 2000 USD requires the maintenance of minimum 2.5 GPA
    • Marion scholarship: Awards 11,000 USD requires minimum high school GPA of 3.0
    • Sherman Oak scholarship: Awards 1000 USD requires the maintenance of minimum 2.5 GPA
  • Graduate students are required to be enrolled for a minimum amount of hours which are specific to their course to avail any kind of financial aid.

Samford University Placement

  • According to PayScale the average Salary for Samford University Graduates is USD 63,945.
  • 97% of undergraduate alumni are working or in further study within six months of graduation. 
  • Samford University has a strong alumni worldwide network of 52,838 members. 
  • University has its Career Development Centre for all students that assist with the search for a job/internship. 
  • The career development center helps the student with CV and interviews.
  • Some companies which recruited the Samford University graduates include:
    • Huge
    • Regions Bank
    • EY (Ernst & Young)
    • Regions Financial Corporation
    • Proassurance Corporation

A glance at Samford University graduates and alumni working as professionals in various sectors along with their average salary/year as per payscale.com can be seen here:

Job Position Average Salary (USD)
Family Nurse Practitioner (NP) 98,000
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) 150,000
Operations Manager 65,000
Software Engineer 75,000
Physical Therapist (PT) 64,000
Accounting Manager 79,000

Alumni

The university has a network of over 52,838 alumni representing over 50 states and 100 countries across the globe.There are various benefits and services provided exclusively to the alumni of the University use: Dwight and Lucille Beeson Alumni Centre, a building for alumni’s use, Can join Rotunda club, Access to many alumni groups, Career Development Centre for professional opportunities, Summer program discount for alumni families, Access to the Davis Library.

FAQs

Ques. Is scholarship available for international students at Samford University?

Yes, international students are eligible for scholarships based on merit at Samford University.

Ques. Is there any support for placement by Samford University?

Yes, Samford University supports its students with their job/internship search. It also assists students with resume/cover letters. A lot of companies visit the campus to hire their graduates.

Ques. What are the most popular programs at Samford University?

The most popular programs offered by the university are Health Professions and related programs; Business, Management, Marketing, and related support services; Communication, Journalism, and related programs; Visual and Performing Arts; and Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Science. 

Ques. What is the application fee for international students at Samford University?

The application fee to apply to Samford University is 40 USD. 

Ques. What is the average salary of Samford University graduates?

According to PayScale the average Salary for Samford University Graduates is USD 63,945.

Ques. What programs are offered by Samford University?

It offers undergraduate majors, majors, and concentration; and graduate majors, minors, and concentration; Non-Degree programs; Continuing Education; Online programs and combined-degree programs. Samford University offers 177 undergraduate programs and 70 graduate programs.

Ques. Is Samford University accredited?

Yes, it is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Ques. How many students attend Samford University?

More than 5, 729 students comprising 3,576 undergraduates and 2,153 graduates are enrolled in Samford University.

Ques. What is the median starting salary of alumni at Samford University?

According to U.S News and World Reports, the median starting salary of alumni at Samford University is 45,000 USD.