More selective than 0% of South Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $39,914. College Scorecard.
Higher than 65% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 47% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 65% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 34% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
SWU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 472 applicants, Southern Wesleyan University admitted 472 and 159 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1040–1210 on the SAT or 22–28 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
SWU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What SWU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Southern Wesleyan University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in South Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $14,084 | $59,153 | 4.2 years |
| $30–48k | $14,218 | $59,716 | 4.2 years |
| $48–75k | $14,230 | $59,766 | 4.2 years |
| $75–110k | $14,899 | $62,576 | 4.4 years |
| $110k+ | $17,381 | $73,000 | 5.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (43% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($47,756) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,240 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
SWU majors, earnings & careers
Southern Wesleyan University offers 31 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Business & Finance · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Education · 3
- Arts & Design · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at SWU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $62,278 | $40,323 |
| Criminology | $52,534 | $25,000 |
| Biology | $47,882 | — |
| Human Services | $47,528 | $41,027 |
Quick list of all 31 majors
- Accounting—
- Biology$47,882
- Business—
- Business Administration$62,278
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminology$52,534
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Services$47,528
- Intercultural / Multicultural and Diversity Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Sciences—
- Special Education—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Greenville
Overall prices in the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,507. Housing costs 23% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 52 inches of rain a year, 2 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Pickens County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Pickens County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare SWU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in South Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Wesleyan University | 100% | $15,464 | 52% | $47,756 | This school |
| Columbia International University | 94% | $26,036 | 47% | $38,951 | |
| Coker University | 94% | $20,286 | 40% | $40,117 | |
| Newberry College | 90% | $21,656 | 45% | $48,040 | |
| Columbia College | 94% | $18,408 | 37% | $41,338 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Southern Wesleyan University would cost you $10,572 less per year than Columbia International University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Southern Wesleyan University, mostly from more Southern Wesleyan University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$3,520).
- Southern Wesleyan University gives aided families $7,441 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Carolina resident | SWU | CIU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $29,800 | $27,900 | +$1,900 |
| Books & supplies | $1,060 | $200 | +$860 |
| Housing & meals | $10,654 | $11,950 | −$1,296 |
| Personal & travel | $2,325 | $3,400 | −$1,075 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,925 | −$405 | −$3,520 |
| Sticker price | $39,914 | $43,045 | −$3,131 |
| Average grants | −$24,450 | −$17,009 | −$7,441 |
| You pay | $15,464 | $26,036 | −$10,572 |
“+” means SWU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about SWU
What is the SWU acceptance rate?
Southern Wesleyan University accepts 100% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 472 of 472 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1040–1210 on the SAT or 22–28 on the ACT.
How much does Southern Wesleyan University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $39,914 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,464 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,084 and families earning $110k+ pay $17,381.
How much do SWU graduates earn?
Former Southern Wesleyan University students earn a median $47,756 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the SWU graduation rate?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 69% return for their second year.
How long does a SWU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Southern Wesleyan University costs about $59,766 after grants ($14,230 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $47,756 ten years after starting, $14,240 more than high school graduates in South Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Southern Wesleyan University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-wesleyan-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).