Posted by William Nunnelley on 2010-01-12

Samford University has been selected as one of the 50 "Best-Value" four-year private universities in the nation in the annual USA Today Princeton Review listing. The listing highlights 50 private and 50 public schools that provide high quality academics at a reasonable price.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville, selected as a top 50 public university “Best value,” was the only other Alabama school listed.

Samford “is in many ways an ideal mix of different college environments,” according to the listing. “Just like at a small college, you get accessible professors who are dedicated to undergraduate teaching for all your classes. There are no massive lecture halls, and there are zero graduate assistants. Just like at a big university, you get tons of academic and research resources and a lot of majors to choose from.”

Samford President Andrew Westmoreland said, “To be part of this latest ranking affirms the efforts of our students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and friends who work every day to make Samford the top university that it is. The Princeton Review has acknowledged the things that we see as the ultimate Samford experience – accessible faculty, rigorous academics, academic and research options and living and learning experiences beyond the classroom.”

Outstanding disciplines at Samford include English, journalism, nursing, pharmacy, business, music and theater, according to the USA Today and Princeton Review listing. Samford offers a mandatory core curriculum that ensures a well-rounded education, it noted.

The online publication described Samford as “distinctly Christian,” and added that religious groups are popular on campus and many students are involved in campus ministries.

Samford works hard to keeps its tuition low, and its costs are about 25 percent less than other private schools of its caliber, said the listing. One way it does this is by offering need-based and merit-based scholarships. Samford tuition, room and board is about $27,000 per year, but a variety of financial aid opportunities and Birmingham’s comparatively low cost of living balance this out, said USA Today and Princeton Review.

Samford regularly appears in the Princeton Review’s list of the 371 Best Colleges and Universities in America and is ranked in the top tier of national doctoral research universities by the widely-acclaimed U. S. News & World Report annual college rankings.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.