Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Southwestern University #1207 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $14,339 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Southwestern University in the 11.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Southwestern University #1002 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks Southwestern University #1207 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private baccalaureate college in Georgetown, Texas, Southwestern University enrolls roughly 1,440 undergraduates. Retention is 80.6% and the six-year graduation rate is 72.8%, reflecting strong student persistence through degree completion. Southwestern University performs strongest on return on investment. Azimuth ranks Southwestern University #1002 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $14,339 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Southwestern University in the 11.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. This earnings advantage reflects the institution's program mix, anchored in Social Sciences, which connects students to stable career pathways with meaningful long-term financial returns. Access and affordability sit lower in the composite. Southwestern University sits in the 40.9 percentile for access and the 13.2 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. As a selective private institution, Southwestern University enrolls 25.3% Pell-eligible students and 20.3% first-generation undergraduates — smaller shares than many public universities, reflecting the institution's admissions selectivity and pricing structure. Mobility outcomes rank in the 46.0 percentile, indicating that while the institution serves a more affluent student body on average, graduates who do attend achieve solid career outcomes and upward economic positioning relative to their peers.
Southwestern University's published cost of attendance is $67,493. Need-based financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $22,478, families in the lower-middle range pay around $19,096, middle-income families pay about $28,175, families in the upper-middle range pay approximately $30,387, and higher-income families pay around $36,332. Azimuth ranks Southwestern University #1237 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. The gap between published cost and actual net price reflects Southwestern's need-based aid structure. The university applies the FAFSA to determine eligibility, and aid packages combine institutional grants, federal and state aid, and work-study opportunities. Understanding how your specific family circumstances map to these income bands is important, since aid formulas account for family size, assets, and other factors that individual aid offices can clarify. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $46,546; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $59,994, median federal debt of $25,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $282 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Southwestern University is a strong fit for students drawn to the social sciences and humanities who want a private liberal arts college experience in TX. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $59,994, placing Southwestern University in the 45.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $14,339 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 11.5 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures track TX's regional labor market and represent meaningful returns relative to the state's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $31,626. The aid structure is need-based. For admitted Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 25.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 20.3% are first-generation — that structure can meaningfully close the gap between the published cost and what families actually pay. Southwestern University's program portfolio favors the liberal arts and social sciences — students interested in these fields will find strong outcomes. The application process is selective, with an admit rate of 43.0%, so fit depends on navigating a competitive admissions process.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Southwestern University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Business/Commerce, General
60 graduates
Biology, General
27 graduates
Political Science and Government
21 graduates
Communication and Media Studies
20 graduates
Education, General
22 graduates
Southwestern University's program mix is anchored in social sciences and humanities — a signature aligned with the institution's liberal arts identity. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 60 graduates, followed by Psychology, General, Biology, General, Kinesiology, and Education, General.
Across 26 total programs, 0 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, reflecting a portfolio oriented toward analytical, communicative, and professional-preparation fields. The earnings pattern across the institution's largest programs shows variation by field.
Business/Commerce, General graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $71,342, while Psychology, General graduates earn $50,426 and Biology, General graduates earn $62,928. The highest-earning programs at Southwestern University are concentrated in business and quantitative fields: Business/Commerce, General graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $71,342, Biology, General graduates earn $62,928, and Political Science graduates earn $61,935.
This earnings spread reflects the institution's breadth — strong outcomes in professional fields paired with solid mid-career earnings in humanities and social sciences. The program portfolio balances direct-to-workforce pathways with graduate-school-dependent fields.
Business and economics programs deliver high-mobility outcomes where graduates enter the labor market immediately and earnings reflect national demand for those skills. By contrast, programs in Biology, General and related humanities fields serve students who often continue to graduate or professional school, where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory.
Explore alternatives with comparable outcomes based on location, selectivity, and value:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas State University Higher acceptance rate (50.4 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 54 miles away; similar graduate earnings | TX | 89% | $56,906 | Compare |
St. Mary's University Higher acceptance rate (49.9 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 98 miles away; similar graduate earnings | TX | 89% | $56,955 | Compare |
University Of The Incarnate Word Higher acceptance rate (54.3 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 94 miles away; similar graduate earnings | TX | 93% | $56,733 | Compare |
Dallas Baptist University Higher acceptance rate (52 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | TX | 91% | $56,807 | Compare |
Abilene Christian University Higher acceptance rate (60.9 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | TX | 100% | $55,736 | Compare |
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Livingstone College Similar quality tier (#32768 ranked) | NC | 59% | $32,600 | #32768 | Compare |
Cedarville University Similar quality tier (#32763 ranked) | OH | 65% | $55,443 | #32763 | Compare |
Alfred University Similar quality tier (#32762 ranked) | NY | 74% | $54,897 | #32762 | Compare |
Cornerstone University Similar quality tier (#32761 ranked) | MI | 78% | $47,314 | #32761 | Compare |
University Of Lynchburg Similar quality tier (#32759 ranked) | VA | 43% | $56,380 | #32759 | Compare |
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Southwestern University's published cost of attendance is $67,493. Need-based financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $22,478, families in the lower-middle range pay around $19,096, middle-income families pay about $28,175, families in the upper-middle range pay approximately $30,387, and higher-income families pay around $36,332.
Azimuth ranks Southwestern University #1237 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
The gap between published cost and actual net price reflects Southwestern's need-based aid structure. The university applies the FAFSA to determine eligibility, and aid packages combine institutional grants, federal and state aid, and work-study opportunities.
Understanding how your specific family circumstances map to these income bands is important, since aid formulas account for family size, assets, and other factors that individual aid offices can clarify. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $46,546; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $59,994, median federal debt of $25,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $282 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Southwestern University earn median 4-year earnings of $59,994, placing Southwestern University in the 45.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $14,339 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Southwestern University in the 11.5 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks Southwestern University #1002 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These outcomes reflect both the university's social-sciences focus and its ability to position graduates into careers with sustained earning growth.
The earnings pattern is anchored in Social Sciences, which shapes the institution's overall economic profile. Business/Commerce, General is the largest program with 60 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $71,342, performing at 1.0x the national benchmark for the field.
The Psychology, General program graduates 34 students with median 4-year earnings of $50,426, and Biology, General delivers median 4-year earnings of $62,928 across 27 graduates. Together, these programs form the core of Southwestern University's degree output and contribute meaningfully to the institution's above-average return on investment profile among comparable private institutions.
