BYU–Provo vs Samford

Brigham Young University (BYU) and Samford University are two distinct institutions of higher learning that offer unique educational experiences. BYU, located in Provo, Utah, is a private research university affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while Samford, situated in Birmingham, Alabama, is a private Christian university affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. With acceptance rates of 50% and 78%, respectively, both universities offer a competitive admissions process. BYU boasts a larger student body, with over 30,000 undergraduates compared to Samford's approximately 5,000. While BYU's popular majors include business, engineering, and nursing, Samford's strengths lie in business, health sciences, and education. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with BYU's four-year rate at 70% and Samford's at 75%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we
Brigham Young University logo

Brigham Young University

Samford University logo

Samford University

Overview

Location Provo, Utah Birmingham, Alabama
Campus setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 89.0% 89.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Mormon Baptist

Admission

Acceptance rate 59.2% 83.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $35
SAT range 1220 - 1440 1100 - 1290
ACT range 26 - 32 23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score 20.0% 22.0%
Students submitting ACT score 76.0% 66.0%
Total number of applicants 11,608 4,217
Total number of admissions given out 6,870 3,537
Admitted students who chose to enroll 5,413 920
Yield rate 78.8% 26.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $20,146 $53,100
Average net price $13,432 $31,871
Tuition $6,120 $34,410
Room & board $8,048
Room/dormitory: $6,150

Meal plan: $5,110
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

48.0%
Average amount $5,867
99.0%
Average amount $19,443
Students receiving federal student loan 10.0%
Average amount $5,278
31.0%
Average amount $5,320
Students taking out private loans 0.0%
Average amount $9,371
6.0%
Average amount $19,317

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 31,642
Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
3,607
Men 33.4% Women 66.6%
Graduate students 3,169
Men 54.4% Women 45.6%
2,151
Men 32.3% Women 67.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 73.0%
International students 3.6% 0.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 7,073 2,375
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Alabama Georgia Tennessee Texas Florida

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Education
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 21:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 76.8% 78.9%
Dropout rate 15.6% 20.9%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $122,288
  • Year 2: $119,642
  • Year 3: $131,537
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,326
  • Year 2: $87,604
  • Year 3: $103,770
Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,071
  • Year 2: $86,498
  • Year 3: $103,443
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,667
  • Year 2: $83,848
  • Year 3: $99,723
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $83,177
  • Year 3: $95,117
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,340
  • Year 2: $83,177
  • Year 3: $93,220
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,754
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $88,329
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,199
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $86,347
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,287
  • Year 2: $75,989
  • Year 3: $85,287
Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,484
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $83,356
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,542
  • Year 2: $120,880
  • Year 3: $122,995
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,811
  • Year 2: $99,380
  • Year 3: $104,909
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,528
  • Year 2: $91,363
  • Year 3: $88,884
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,304
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $67,171
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,217
  • Year 2: $59,124
  • Year 3: $64,364
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,785
  • Year 2: $48,667
  • Year 3: $61,547
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,967
  • Year 2: $54,851
  • Year 3: $57,875
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,355
  • Year 2: $54,948
  • Year 3: $54,480
Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,947
  • Year 2: $39,585
  • Year 3: $46,442
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,337
  • Year 2: $43,638
  • Year 3: $46,369

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