Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Samford University, Hampden-Sydney College, Baylor University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Samford UniversityBirmingham, AL | Hampden-SydneyHampden-Sydney, VA | Baylor UniversityWaco, TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 82.4% | 40.9% | 51.3% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1070–1250 | 1030–1250 | 1200–1400 |
| Average net price | $32,62211.1% on Pell grants | $22,40022.6% on Pell grants | $41,10412.4% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $40,150Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $54,550Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $58,100Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 77.0% | 62.2% | 80.0% |
| First-year retention | 92.9% | 83.7% | 91.0% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 11.1% | 22.6% | 12.4% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $58,469 | $67,640 | $65,793 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,500 | $26,000 | $23,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | 9:1 | 15:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,206 | 946 | 14,785 |
| Consensus percentile | 47Lower is better | 46Lower is better | 44Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 73 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 78 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 60 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Samford University | Hampden-Sydney | Baylor University |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #179 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #103 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #88 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #254 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #318 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #188 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #1245 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1286 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #954 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #248 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #115 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #340 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #246 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #208 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #215 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #1018 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing Samford University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Hampden-Sydney College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Baylor University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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