Mercer University vs Samford University
Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.
VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.
The short version
- Samford places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 7.9% of the Class of 2025, against 6.3% at Mercer.
- Mercer costs about $31K less over three years after the average scholarship: $153K against $184K.
- Mercer is harder to get into: a 157 median LSAT and a 37.8% acceptance rate, against 156 and 49.0% at Samford.
- Samford has the higher first time bar pass rate: 90.4% against 86.5%.
Mercer
vs
Samford
Where graduates go
Samford leads 4 of 5
6.3%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓7.9%
4.9%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓5.8%
1.4%
Federal clerkships
✓2.2%
✓94.4%
Graduates employed
92.8%
86.5%
First time bar passage
✓90.4%
What it costs
Mercer leads 2 of 4
✓$153K
Three year net cost
$184K
87%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓93%
$20,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$20,000/yr
✓$17,467/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$17,389/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Mercer 37.8% · Samford 49.0%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Mercer
155157160
Samford
154156160
152154156158160162
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Mercer
3.303.623.80
Samford
3.423.633.84
3.253.353.453.553.653.753.85
Mercer University
Samford University
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Frequently asked questions
Is Mercer or Samford better for BigLaw?
Samford placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 7.9% against 6.3%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Mercer placed 4.9% and Samford placed 5.8%. Federal clerkships were 1.4% at Mercer and 2.2% at Samford.
Which is harder to get into, Mercer or Samford?
Mercer's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 157 and a median GPA of 3.62, with a 37.8% acceptance rate. Samford's had 156 and 3.63, with 49.0%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Mercer or Samford?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $153K at Mercer and $184K at Samford, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, Mercer or Samford?
87% of Mercer students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $20,000 a year among recipients. 93% of Samford students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $20,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
86.5% of Mercer's first time takers passed in 2025, against 90.4% at Samford. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Mercer or Samford?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.
What a higher LSAT changes
Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.
Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology