Samford University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 82%, Samford University is an accessible private college in Alabama. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Samford University weighs, where it ranks among Alabama schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1280, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Samford University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Samford University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Samford University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Samford University?
Samford University admits most qualified applicants (around 82%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Samford University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Samford University hard to get into?
Samford University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 82% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Samford University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Samford University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Samford University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Samford University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Samford University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Samford University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1160 SAT?
About 95% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1160 SAT, the middle of Samford University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1250 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/samford-university.
How to get into Samford University
Built from Samford University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Samford University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Samford University carries about a 3.10 core GPA and a 1200 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1070 to 1250 SAT (22 to 28 ACT). Submit a score at 1160 or higher; below 1070, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Samford University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Samford University's exact dates at www.samford.edu.
How many students apply to Samford University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Samford University received 4,541 applications and admitted 3,734, an acceptance rate of 82.2%. 1,080 enrolled. Only about 29% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Samford University enrolls about 4,206 undergraduates in total, 65% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 14 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Samford University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Samford University scored between 1070 and 1250 on the SAT (average 1201). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 22 to 28. A score above 1250 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1070 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Samford University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Samford University looks for
What Samford University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Samford University leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Samford University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Samford University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Samford University cost after financial aid?
Samford University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $57,456 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $40,150. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $32,622 a year, and it ranges from $22,716 for families earning under $30,000 to $36,235 for families earning over $110,000. 11% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Samford University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Samford University student who received federal aid earns $58,469 a year, up from $49,466 at six years. 77% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $19,500; 27% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Samford University compares in Alabama
Samford University ranks #16 most selective of 22 schools in Alabama in our database.
Among the 22 Alabama schools we track, Samford University ranks #16 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Oakwood University (45%) and Auburn University (46%) sit nearby, which makes Alabama a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Samford University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Samford University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Gonzaga University, Loyola University Chicago, and St. Bonaventure University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Samford University's acceptance rate?
Samford University admitted 3,734 of 4,541 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 82.2% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 29% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Samford University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1070 to 1250 on the SAT and 22 to 28 on the ACT. A score above 1250 is in the top quarter of admits. Samford University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Samford University test-optional?
Yes. Samford University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Samford University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Samford University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $32,622 a year against a sticker price of about $57,456. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $22,716 on average.
What do Samford University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Samford University are $58,469 a year among students who received federal aid, and 77% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Samford University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Samford University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Samford University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Samford University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Samford University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Samford University specifically.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.