Published on October 16, 2025  
Reid Chapel

Samford University is ranked in the 2026 list of “Best Christian Colleges in America” by the school search platform Niche.com in their annual rankings of colleges and universities. The rankings are based on rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with millions of reviews from students and alumni. According to the company, the Best Christian Colleges ranking features “leading academic institutions that offer students an education and college experience rooted in Christian traditions and faith.”

Samford is also featured in the Niche 2026 ranking of “Most Conservative Colleges in America” based upon direct student input of their own political leaning and their perceptions of the campus political preferences.

In both rankings, Samford is the highest ranked university in the state of Alabama. To learn more about these national rankings and the methodologies used, see Niche.com     

These recognitions affirm the growing profile of Samford, regularly recognized among the leading Christian universities in the nation today. Founded in the Baptist tradition in 1841, Samford University is faithful to its mission of developing students’ intellect, creativity and faith while fostering academic, career and ethical competency, civic responsibility and service. Student demand continues climbing for a Christ-centered university committed to its core values. Samford entered the 2025 fall semester celebrating its largest-ever enrollment of 6,324 students, marking 17 years of enrollment growth.

Samford has received global recognition for the integration of faith and learning, combining the spiritual formation of its students within the pursuit of academic excellence. The university recently announced plans to establish the Mann Institute for Christian Faith and Learning, aspiring to create globally renowned theological programming.

“The integration of Christian faith with rigorous academic and professional education is the most important educational distinctive at Samford,” said university President Beck A. Taylor. “The university’s Christ-centered mission compels us to form graduates and citizens who can think critically and Christianly about the world around them and the disciplines they study. We seek to develop people who can employ biblical and theological perspectives as they endeavor to act justly, love mercifully and walk humbly with our Creator.”

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, 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 enrolls 6,324 students from 44 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 is widely recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in America, featuring rolling hills, meticulously maintained grounds and Georgian-Colonial architecture. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second-highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.