Payback
EarningsPlus
Economic score
Samford University is a private national university located in Birmingham, Alabama. Samford University is very inclusive in their admissions.
Return on educational investment at Samford University is in the bottom 50% of all ranked schools. The median student earns $53,223 10 years after enrolling, 3rd in Alabama, and in the top 50% nationally. When adjusted for earning differences by major, Samford University bachelor students earn 13% less than the national average. Samford University is ranked 9th in Alabama.
Samford University’s median net annual cost of $30,072 and average years to graduate of 4.3 are reported only at the school level. We assume these same costs and graduation time for all programs.
The top 6 programs at Samford University sorted by number of graduates - Registered Nursing, Journalism, Marketing, Education, Business Administration, Finance - are shown below. To see more programs, click on "see additional programs".
Annual net cost
$30,072
Average years to graduate
4.3
Design & Applied Arts
Rank: #212
Economic score: 15.07
Health & Fitness
Rank: #382
Economic score: 20.76
Psychology
Rank: #775
Economic score: 58.25
EarningPlus compares the three-year post graduate earnings to the median earnings of the same graduating class, with the same graduate degree. These 2 metrics, debt-to-earnings and EarningsPlus, are combined into an economic score. The lower the economic score the better.
The most popular 6 graduate programs at Samford University - Theological Studies, Registered Nursing, Accounting, Education, Social Work, Communication disorder sciences - are shown below. To see more programs, click on "see additional programs".
Educ. Administration
Rank: -
When a school's graduation rate falls in the bottom 25% in the country, we do not display an economic ranking.
Economic score: 0.5
The average full-time graduate completes their degree in 4.3 years. 74% of all students graduate within 8 years including part-time students. The graduation rate at Samford University is 22% higher than the state average, and 6% above the average for all national universities in the country.
At Samford University, Pell Grant recipients represent 11% of the measured graduating class, 24% lower than the national average of 35%. The average Pell Grant recipient at Samford University graduates within 4.4 years.
Samford University is in the bottom 5% of schools for graduating Pell recipients.
We calculate this performance by adjusting the graduation rate of Pell students by their percentage of the student body. This adjustment is made to prevent schools with large numbers of Pell students from underperforming in comparison to schools with few Pell students but high graduation rates.
Samford University’s economic mobility score of 5.82 is calculated by adjusting the 3.47 economic score of lower-income students by the 11% pell grant recipients within the student body. Samford University’s EMS of 5.82 ranks in the bottom 10% nationally.false
Economic Mobility
To calculate economic mobility of low-income (household earnings below $30,000) students, we adjust each institution’s economic score by their percentage of Pell Grant students. The logic of this Pell-adjusted calculation is derived from Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index (EMI).
Bottom 10%
The average Title IV recipient at Samford University pays $30,072 a year, $21,242 less than the $51,314 advertised. See below the cost breakdown for students who receive Title IV grants, broken down by income level.
Average net price
The average net price shown by income level for all students that receive Title IV aid. Calculated by deducting the average grant and scholarship aid from tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Limited to first-time, full-time students. Public institution figures are calculated using in-state tuition figures.
Median net price $30,072
Much of the gap between net price and sticker price is filled by institutional and government grants. At Samford University, 99% of students receive some grants and scholarships, compared to the national average of 87% for all colleges and universities. The average amount of federal, state, and institutional grants that students receive is shown on the right.
This leaves a total of $30,072 on average to be covered by the student – be it through loans or out of pocket. In total, 32% of students take out loans, federal or private, at an average amount of $8,928. This is 22% less than the national average.
Federal grants
$5,320
Pell grants
$4,588
State grants
$1,398
Institutional grants
$18,614
Samford University offers 1 exclusively online program. At the master’s level Samford University offers 11 programs, all of which are held exclusively online. We use the IPEDS July '20 — July '21 Distance Education report to determine which programs are online. EarningsPlus data is provided when available.
Online programs
12
Percentage of programs online
12%
Samford University's very inclusive admissions are indicated by their 84% acceptance rate. In 2021, the school had 4,217 applicants, of which 3,537 were admitted and 920 enrolled. Samford University has a rolling admissions policy, which means applications are reviewed as they arrive until all spaces are filled.
Full time
95%
83%
Female
66%
59%
First time
80%
59%
In-state
24%
68%
1st generation
14%
35%
White
86%
52%
Black
6%
14%
Hispanic
4%
15%
Asian
1%
5%
American Indian
N/A
1.6%
Pacific Islander
N/A
0.3%
Other
4%
12%