Samford University Cumberland School of Law is a private law school located in Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest law school in the state and the largest in the Southeast. The curriculum at Cumberland emphasizes professional education and practical skills, with courses focusing on legal practice, legal research, and ethical issues. The faculty consists of distinguished practitioners and scholars from across the country who are committed to providing an exceptional legal education to each student. The school offers a variety of extracurricular activities for students to participate in as well, including moot court competitions and student organizations. In addition to its J.D. program, Cumberland also offers several dual degree programs that allow students to pursue an LLM or a Master’s Degree along with their J.D., as well as joint degree programs with other Samford University Schools such as Business or Divinity.
This page focuses on national rankings, acceptance rates, program costs, and merit-based scholarships of Samford University Cumberland School of Law, an accredited law program in the United States. Should you be interested in official name and common abbreviation of Samford University Cumberland School of Law, please follow this link: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/su_samford-university.html
Established: July 29, 1847
School type: Private
Dean: Blake Hudson
Location: Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Enrollment: 434
Faculty: 45 professors, 43 adjunct / student to faculty ratio of 20:1
USNWR ranking: 139th (2023)
Bar pass rate: 79.84% (2019)
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Ranking: Samford University (Cumberland)
Samford University Cumberland School of Law is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States. According to U.S. News & World Report, Cumberland is ranked as the 95th best law school in the nation and is one of only five law schools in Alabama with an ABA-accredited program. The school has also earned a ranking of 18th for its legal writing program, and its trial advocacy program was recently ranked 11th in the nation by US News & World Report. Additionally, Cumberland was recognized for having one of the best bar passage rates among all accredited law schools in the United States, with a rate of 97% over the past three years. The school also consistently ranks among the top 20 schools in terms of employment outcomes for graduates, with many graduates securing positions at some of the most prestigious firms and organizations around the country. Finally, it has been recognized for its commitment to diversity, with a student body that is more than 30 percent minority students or students from other underrepresented backgrounds.
| Top Law Schools of 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Score | N/A |
| Peer assessment score (5.0 highest) | 2.0 |
| Assessment score by lawyers/judges (5.0 highest) | 2.3 |
| 25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students | 2.97-3.53 |
| 25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students | 154-158 |
| Overall acceptance rate | 47.0% |
| Student/faculty ratio | 17.1 |
| Graduates employed at graduation | 56.1% |
| Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation | 95.6% |
| School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 94.9% |
| State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar | AL |
| Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers | 78.2% |
Tuition & Scholarships: Samford University (Cumberland)
Samford University Cumberland School of Law offers a variety of tuition and scholarship options to help students pay for their education. All students are eligible to apply for scholarships and grants, which can help cover the cost of tuition or provide additional funding. The school also offers need-based scholarships that are awarded based on financial need, as well as merit-based awards that recognize academic achievement. In addition, many employers offer tuition reimbursement programs that can help cover the cost of attending Samford University Cumberland School of Law. Finally, the school has loan programs available for those who may not qualify for other forms of aid. These loans can be used to pay for tuition and other costs associated with attending law school.
| Financial Aid Office Information | |
|---|---|
| Financial aid application deadline | 03/01 |
| Financial aid director | Lane Smith |
| Financial aid telephone | (205) 726-2905 |
| 2019-2020 Expenses | |
| Tuition | Full-time: $29,776 per year, part-time: $16,960 per year |
| Room and board | $13,699 |
| Books | $1,597 |
| Miscellaneous expenses | $5,000 |
| Is the tuition the same for first-, second-, and third-year students? | Yes |
| Does the university offer housing restricted to law students? | No |
| Does the university offer graduate student housing for which law students are eligible? | No |
| Does the university offer a public-interest scholarship program to current J.D. students? | No |
| 2019 Grants | |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition | 14.0% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of less than one-half tuition | N/A |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | 6.1% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of one-half tuition or more but less than full | N/A |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of full tuition | 9.1% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of full tuition | N/A |
| Percentage of full-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition | 6.7% |
| Percentage of part-time students receiving grants of more than full tuition | N/A |
| 25th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient | $5,000 |
| Median grant amount of aid per full-time recipient (50th percentile) | $20,000 |
| 75th percentile grant amount of aid per full-time recipient | $27,892 |
| 25th percentile grant amount of aid per part-time recipient | N/A |
| Median grant amount of aid per part-time recipient (50th percentile) | N/A |
| 75th percentile grant amount of aid per part-time recipient | N/A |
| Indebtedness | |
| Average indebtedness of 2019 graduates who incurred law school debt | $96,580 |
| Proportion who borrowed | 85.4% |
| Does the school offer a loan repayment assistance program for 2019 J.D. graduates? | No |
