More selective than 76% of Missouri colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $40,301. College Scorecard.
Higher than 54% of Missouri colleges we cover and 53% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 33% of Missouri colleges we cover and 20% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Southwest Baptist University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,057 applicants, Southwest Baptist University admitted 1,054 and 270 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 810–1210 on the SAT or 17–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Southwest Baptist University 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 Southwest Baptist University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Southwest Baptist 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 Missouri. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $21,978 | $92,967 | 12.1 years |
| $30–48k | $17,947 | $75,916 | 9.9 years |
| $48–75k | $19,633 | $83,048 | 10.8 years |
| $75–110k | $22,016 | $93,128 | 12.1 years |
| $110k+ | $23,857 | $100,915 | 13.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (51% 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 ($43,112) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $7,674 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.
Southwest Baptist University majors, earnings & careers
Southwest Baptist University offers 43 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Business & Finance · 6
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Science & Math · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at Southwest Baptist University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $78,525 | $29,171 |
| Computer Science | $62,016 | — |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $58,770 | $19,550 |
| Business Administration | $56,182 | — |
| Psychology | $43,058 | $26,348 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $41,618 | $25,762 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $36,697 | $21,250 |
Quick list of all 43 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Bible Studies—
- Biology—
- Business—
- Business Administration$56,182
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science$62,016
- Criminal Justice—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$36,697
- Education (Subject Teaching)$41,618
- English—
- English Language and Literature / Letters, Other—
- Finance—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- History—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$58,770
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$78,525
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$43,058
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Education—
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Theology / Ministry—
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Springfield
Overall prices in the Springfield, MO area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $962. Housing costs 34% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 46 inches of rain a year, 9 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Polk County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Polk County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Southwest Baptist University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Missouri 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Baptist University | 68% | $21,677 | 55% | $43,112 | This school |
| Missouri Baptist University | 69% | $27,006 | 48% | $46,660 | |
| William Woods University | 71% | $26,569 | 47% | $42,401 | |
| Cottey College | 69% | $13,805 | 56% | $35,422 | |
| Evangel University | 72% | $18,669 | 65% | $46,573 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Southwest Baptist University would cost you $5,329 less per year than Missouri Baptist University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Southwest Baptist University, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$5,388).
- Missouri Baptist University gives aided families $3,627 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Missouri resident | Southwest Baptist University | MBU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $30,566 | $34,612 | −$4,046 |
| Books & supplies | $1,500 | $1,298 | +$202 |
| Housing & meals | $8,952 | $14,340 | −$5,388 |
| Personal & travel | $2,000 | $3,260 | −$1,260 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,717 | −$4,253 | +$1,536 |
| Sticker price | $40,301 | $49,257 | −$8,956 |
| Average grants | −$18,624 | −$22,251 | +$3,627 |
| You pay | $21,677 | $27,006 | −$5,329 |
“+” means Southwest Baptist University 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 Southwest Baptist University
What is the Southwest Baptist University acceptance rate?
Southwest Baptist University accepts 68% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,054 of 1,057 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 810–1210 on the SAT or 17–26 on the ACT.
How much does Southwest Baptist University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $40,301 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $21,677 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $21,978 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,857.
How much do Southwest Baptist University graduates earn?
Former Southwest Baptist University students earn a median $43,112 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Southwest Baptist University graduation rate?
55% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 65% return for their second year.
How long does a Southwest Baptist University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Southwest Baptist University costs about $83,048 after grants ($19,633 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,112 ten years after starting, $7,674 more than high school graduates in Missouri ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 10.8 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: “Southwest Baptist University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southwest-baptist-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).