Notre Dame vs Samford

Nestled in the heart of Indiana, the University of Notre Dame and Samford University, located in Alabama, stand as two distinct beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they offer unique experiences that cater to different aspirations and preferences. Notre Dame, a renowned Catholic research university, boasts a highly selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 18%, while Samford, a private Christian university, offers a more accessible pathway to higher education, with an acceptance rate of 80%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into the nuances that set these two universities apart, including popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Samford University logo

Samford University

University of Notre Dame logo

University of Notre Dame

Overview

Location Birmingham, Alabama Notre Dame, Indiana
Campus setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 89.0% 98.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Baptist Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 83.9% 15.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $35
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1100 - 1290 1410 - 1550
ACT range 23 - 29 32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 22.0% 33.0%
Students submitting ACT score 66.0% 36.0%
Total number of applicants 4,217 23,642
Total number of admissions given out 3,537 3,562
Admitted students who chose to enroll 920 2,059
Yield rate 26.0% 57.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not 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 $53,100 $78,347
Average net price $31,871 $30,513
Tuition $34,410 $58,336
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,150

Meal plan: $5,110
$16,304
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $19,443
57.0%
Average amount $46,306
Students receiving federal student loan 31.0%
Average amount $5,320
30.0%
Average amount $4,134
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $19,317
12.0%
Average amount $8,564

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,607
Men 33.4% Women 66.6%
8,973
Men 51.6% Women 48.4%
Graduate students 2,151
Men 32.3% Women 67.7%
4,166
Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students 73.0% 93.1%
International students 0.8% 12.1%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,375 6,919
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Alabama Georgia Tennessee Texas Florida Illinois California Texas Indiana New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Education
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Social Sciences
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 78.9% 95.9%
Dropout rate 20.9% 3.9%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $124,439
  • Year 2: $123,601
  • Year 3: $135,572
Finance and Financial Management Services (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,269
  • Year 2: $89,674
  • Year 3: $126,773
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $120,074
  • Year 2: $108,092
  • Year 3: $123,182
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,638
  • Year 2: $85,243
  • Year 3: $110,135
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,593
  • Year 2: $89,968
  • Year 3: $105,831
Mathematics and Statistics, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,224
  • Year 2: $80,273
  • Year 3: $99,815
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,618
  • Year 2: $86,375
  • Year 3: $95,904
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,178
  • Year 2: $74,307
  • Year 3: $92,866
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,118
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $87,393
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,070
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $85,821

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