Samford vs Harvard

Samford University and Harvard University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, stand apart in their unique offerings and student experiences. Samford, a private Christian university in Birmingham, Alabama, boasts a close-knit community and a strong emphasis on faith-based education. Harvard, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is renowned for its academic rigor, world-class faculty, and extensive resources. While both universities provide excellent educational opportunities, they differ significantly in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Harvard University	Samford University
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	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	96.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	4.0%	83.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $105	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1480 - 1580	1100 - 1290
ACT range	33 - 36	23 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	54.0%	22.0%
Students submitting ACT score	31.0%	66.0%
Total number of applicants	57,786	4,217
Total number of admissions given out	2,318	3,537
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,951	920
Yield rate	84.2%	26.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$78,028	$53,100
Average net price	$13,910	$31,871
Tuition	$51,143	$34,410
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,705 Meal plan: $7,236	Room/dormitory: $6,150 Meal plan: $5,110
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	56.0% Average amount $59,840	99.0% Average amount $19,443
Students receiving federal student loan	3.0% Average amount $5,180	31.0% Average amount $5,320
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $8,080	6.0% Average amount $19,317

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,579 Men 49.0% Women 51.0%	3,607 Men 33.4% Women 66.6%
Graduate students	21,766 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%	2,151 Men 32.3% Women 67.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	73.0%
International students	23.9%	0.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	12,874	2,375
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey	Alabama Georgia Tennessee Texas Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Social Sciences Education Legal Profession	Health Professions Legal Profession Business Education Family and Consumer Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	7:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	96.7%	78.9%
Dropout rate	2.0%	20.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,193 Year 2: $128,716 Year 3: $240,408 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $184,307 Year 2: $165,340 Year 3: $199,043 Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $171,333 Year 2: $171,907 Year 3: $187,553 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $140,072 Year 2: $128,737 Year 3: $163,896 Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $151,371 Year 2: $174,023 Year 3: $163,512 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $123,508 Year 2: $117,916 Year 3: $129,281 Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $121,832 Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $102,707 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $121,771 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $97,905 Year 2: $98,670 Year 3: $107,389 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,745 Year 2: $71,486 Year 3: $106,375	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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