1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Southern Nazarene University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Southern Nazarene University OK · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #567 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/southern-nazarene-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/southern-nazarene-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/southern-nazarene-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/southern-nazarene-university/majors/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Southern Nazarene University #567 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Southern Nazarene University is a private nonprofit university in Bethany, Oklahoma, where Business and Health Professions account for the largest shares of degrees. Return is above average. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes part of that to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — and the remainder to what it cannot explain. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. Pell recipients finish within a few points of the overall rate, and access is above average. The lowest income band averages a net price well below the published cost, and the spread between the lowest and highest bands is modest. Mobility is below the levels seen at many peers, so the strongest return picture coexists with a weaker mobility result. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are not the largest. ## Southern Nazarene University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** Not reported **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 50.5% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $60,691 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $22,590 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,900 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $12,550 ## Southern Nazarene University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Southern Nazarene University is a private nonprofit university in Bethany, Oklahoma, enrolling 1,455 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits just above the middle of the field among nonprofit four-year institutions (61st percentile). The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is 74.2%. The peer median is the middle value for comparable institutions as a whole, defined by the same type and size. The four pillars show a clear shape: return is the strongest, with access close behind. Affordability sits near the middle of the field, and mobility is the weakest of the four. Azimuth evaluates Southern Nazarene University across four pillars, and the profile is led by return, which sits at the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Access is close behind at the 68th percentile. Affordability lands at the 57th percentile. Mobility is the weakest of the four, at the 24th percentile. 47.0% of undergraduates at Southern Nazarene University receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks the university #465 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #1,119 for mobility. Graduates earn about $5,504 more than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Southern Nazarene University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #567 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 24 **Access & reach** National percentile: 68 **[Affordability](/school/southern-nazarene-university/cost/)** National percentile: 57 **[Return on investment](/school/southern-nazarene-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 72 01 / Southern Nazarene University briefing ## [Southern Nazarene University cost & financial aid](/school/southern-nazarene-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Southern Nazarene University publishes a cost of attendance of $46,465, with tuition and fees at $31,190 and room and board at $9,474. For the average aid recipient, grants and scholarships cover about 52% of that sticker price, bringing the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) down to $22,084. That average net price is $263 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #603 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Financial aid reduces the published cost by $24,381 on average. The published cost of attendance at Southern Nazarene University is $46,465. Azimuth ranks the university #603 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $18,931, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $22,590, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $27,434. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,503. Aid covers about 52% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average net price across all bands to $22,084. That figure is $263 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $21,900 in federal student loans, which is $3,100 below the $25,000 peer median. 89.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $12,550. If repaid over ten years, the median student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $249 a month. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$22,590** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Southern Nazarene University Among borrowers who complete a degree at Southern Nazarene University, median federal student loan debt is $21,900. That median runs $3,100 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $12,550 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Southern Nazarene University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $60,691. That places the earnings level at the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,504 more than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a typical outcome of $60,691, a downside of $47,030, and an upside of $79,204. Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $21,900 in federal loans, $3,100 below the peer median. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $249 a month. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $12,550. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $249 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $21,900 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $12,550 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $249/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $159/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=southern-nazarene-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/southern-nazarene-university/cost/) 02 / Southern Nazarene University briefing ## [Southern Nazarene University career outcomes & earnings](/school/southern-nazarene-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) The earnings scenarios range from $47,030 on the downside to $79,204 on the upside, with $60,691 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where graduates earn $80,005 four years after completion, from 32 degrees awarded. Human Resources Management and Services follows at $78,093, with 57 degrees awarded. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, reports $71,133. Graduates of Southern Nazarene University earn a median of $60,691 four years after completing a degree, measured among 548 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That is $4,776 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That median lands at the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,504 more than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios are estimated from the program mix, not observed outcomes. The downside earnings scenario is $47,030, the typical scenario is $60,691, and the upside scenario is $79,204. An estimated 22.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The median exceeds both the comparable-institution median and the model's expectation. Four years after completing a degree, the median for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled is $60,691, at the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits $4,776 above the $55,915 median reported for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Southern Nazarene University #407 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions nationally. Graduates earn about $5,504 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome falls at the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $3,743. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $1,761. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $130. The program mix leans heavily toward business and health professions, with smaller shares in liberal arts and general studies as well as STEM fields. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed outcomes, range from $47,030 on the downside to $79,204 on the upside across fields. An estimated 22.2% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the program mix. Borrowers who finish at Southern Nazarene University hold a median of $21,900 in federal student loans. That amount is $3,100 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among all undergraduates, 89.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parent borrowers hold a separate median of $12,550 in Parent PLUS loans. That figure covers only parent borrowers and is not added to student debt. Graduates earn about $5,504 more than the model expects for similar students. That earnings advantage and the below-peer debt point the same way. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$3,743 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$1,761 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$5,504 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/southern-nazarene-university/outcomes/) 03 / Southern Nazarene University briefing ## [Southern Nazarene University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/southern-nazarene-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) At Southern Nazarene University, 47.0% of the 1,455 undergraduates receive Pell Grants. An estimated 18.1% of the student body arrived as transfers or part-time students from other colleges. That combination suggests a campus where many students need federal grant aid and many also switch institutions before finishing a degree here. These numbers picture the enrolled population, not the admission process. Before applying, Pell-eligible students should check what aid recipients in their income band actually pay. Admissions **Admission rate** Not reported [Read the full admissions brief](/school/southern-nazarene-university/admissions/) 04 / Southern Nazarene University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Southern Nazarene University?](/school/southern-nazarene-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Nursing reports the highest median earnings among the largest programs with published earnings at Southern Nazarene University, at $80,005 four years after completion, from 32 degrees awarded. Human Resources Management and Services follows at $78,093, with 57 degrees awarded. Business Administration and Management, the largest program at 91 degrees awarded, posts a median of $71,133. That figure sits below the two highest earners. At the more moderate end, Human Development and Family Studies records $47,976 from 32 degrees awarded. The spread between the highest- and lowest-earning large programs is wide. Business accounts for 44.2% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Health Professions second at 14.5%. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, at 91 degrees a year, and its completers earn a median of $71,133 four years after completion. Nursing is the highest-earning program, at $80,005, from 32 degrees awarded. Human Resources Management and Services follows at $78,093, with 57 degrees awarded. The spread between the best-paid and the lowest-earning programs is wide. Kinesiology and Physical Education completers earn a median of $44,821 four years after completion, from 22 degrees awarded. Human Development and Family Studies completers earn a median of $47,976 four years after completion, from 32 degrees awarded. Southern Nazarene University publishes four-year earnings data for 7 bachelor's programs. Business accounts for 44.2% of degrees awarded, with Health Professions at 14.5% and Liberal Arts & General Studies at 11.1%. With 91 degrees awarded, Business Administration and Management is the largest program with published earnings, ahead of Human Resources Management and Services at 57 and Human Development and Family Studies at 32. Nursing tops the program earnings list at $80,005, from 32 degrees awarded. Human Resources Management and Services is next at $78,093, from 57 degrees awarded. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, shows median earnings of $71,133. Human Development and Family Studies and Kinesiology and Physical Education show four-year earnings of $47,976 and $44,821. Business Administration and Management and Human Resources Management and Services land above the national median for their fields, at 1.04x and 1.15x. Human Development and Family Studies, Nursing and Kinesiology and Physical Education sit at or below their field medians, at 0.99x, 0.90x and 0.82x. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 91 degrees awarded** $71,133 **Human Resources Management and Services 57 degrees awarded** $78,093 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 39 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services 32 degrees awarded** $47,976 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 32 degrees awarded** $80,005 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 22 degrees awarded** $44,821 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/southern-nazarene-university/majors/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)