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Samford University vs West Virginia 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

  • =About the same placement. 7.9% of Samford's Class of 2025 and 8.8% of West Virginia's went to BigLaw or federal clerkships.
  • West Virginia costs about $6K less over three years after the average scholarship: $178K against $184K.
  • Samford is harder to get into: a 156 median LSAT and a 49.0% acceptance rate, against 155 and 40.3% at West Virginia.
  • Samford has the higher first time bar pass rate: 90.4% against 78.7%.
Samford
vs
West Virginia

Where graduates go

Samford leads 3 of 5

7.9%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓8.8%
✓5.8%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
5.5%
2.2%
Federal clerkships
✓3.3%
✓92.8%
Graduates employed
82.4%
✓90.4%
First time bar passage
78.7%

What it costs

Samford leads 3 of 4

$184K
Three year net cost
✓$178K
✓93%
Students receiving a scholarship
77%
✓$20,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$17,500/yr
✓$17,389/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$14,320/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Samford 49.0% · West Virginia 40.3%

LSAT

Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.

Samford
154156160
West Virginia
151155159
148150152154156158160162

GPA

Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.

Samford
3.423.633.84
West Virginia
3.343.653.89
3.253.353.453.553.653.753.853.95

Frequently asked questions

Is Samford or West Virginia better for BigLaw?
West Virginia placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 8.8% against 7.9%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Samford placed 5.8% and West Virginia placed 5.5%. Federal clerkships were 2.2% at Samford and 3.3% at West Virginia.
Which is harder to get into, Samford or West Virginia?
Samford's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 156 and a median GPA of 3.63, with a 49.0% acceptance rate. West Virginia's had 155 and 3.65, with 40.3%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Samford or West Virginia?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $184K at Samford and $178K at West Virginia, 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, Samford or West Virginia?
93% of Samford students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $20,000 a year among recipients. 77% of West Virginia students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $17,500 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
90.4% of Samford's first time takers passed in 2025, against 78.7% at West Virginia. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Samford or West Virginia?
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.

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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

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