Nationally Ranked

Samford University is a leading nationally ranked Christian university. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Located in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Homewood, the university’s campus covers approximately 247 acres and is renowned for its beauty and Georgian-Colonial style architecture. The university currently enrolls 5,758 students from 48 states and 22 countries.

Recognized for Academic Quality and Value

Samford is regularly recognized as one of the best Christian universities in the United States, receiving high marks for academic quality and value. Samford is the top-ranked university in Alabama in national rankings published by The Wall Street Journal. Additionally, The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education ranks Samford 1st in the nation for student engagement. Samford is ranked 37th in the country for best undergraduate teaching and 97th nationally for best value by U.S. News & World Report. According to The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, Samford students are more likely to recommend their university than students at any other college or university in the country.

Accredited Nationally and Regionally

Samford offers undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts and a distinct blend of graduate and professional schools through 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy, and public health. The university has one of three accredited law schools and one of only two accredited pharmacy schools in Alabama. Samford’s Beeson Divinity School is the only fully accredited graduate divinity school based in Alabama. The university is classified by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education as a doctoral/professional institution and the student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1.

Renowned for Student Engagement

Samford’s mission to nurture student development intellectually, ethically and spiritually is fostered through an array of opportunities, including 166 student organizations, global engagement in more than 19 different countries and nearly 300 courses that incorporate community service. Additionally, undergraduate students complete Samford’s core curriculum, providing a well-rounded foundation in the liberal arts. The result is a highly-tailored educational experience that results in 97% of undergraduate alumni employed or in further study within six months of graduation.

Strategic Plan for the Future

Samford’s strategic plan expresses four focus areas: emphasize student success, enhance our community, extend our reach and ensure financial strength. To support the continued advancement of this strategic plan, the university launched in fall 2016 a capital campaign titled Forever Samford. The six-year, $300 million campaign is intended to provide new financial resources to support student scholarship, academic programs and capital projects. Samford maintains a strong endowment with investments totaling $297 million (September 2020), which helps support scholarships, study abroad opportunities, general operations and other programs. In addition to the main campus in Homewood, the university owns a house in Marion, Alabama, used for cultural study and service, and the Daniel House, a study center located in the heart of London, near Kensington Park.

Accomplished Alumni

Samford’s 55,923 alumni have included more than 60 members of the U.S. Congress, eight state governors, two U.S. Supreme Court justices, one U.S. Secretary of State, four Rhodes Scholars, multiple Emmy and Grammy award-winning artists, two national championship football coaches, and recipients of the Pulitzer and Nobel Peace prizes.

NCAA Division I Athletics

The university fields 17 intercollegiate sports—eight men’s and nine women’s—that participate at the NCAA Division I level. The Samford Bulldogs have won 57 conference championships since joining the Southern Conference in 2008. Samford’s athletic teams are among the top schools in the nation in the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR). The university received an overall score of 97%, tying for 3rd place among all Division I universities in the country.