Southwestern Adventist University

Southwestern Adventist University is a less selective private nonprofit university in Keene, Texas. It admits most applicants, graduates 52% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $52,946 ten years after starting college, more than 53% of the Texas colleges we cover.

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Acceptance rate
78%

More selective than 58% of Texas colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$22,778 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $35,592. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
52%

Higher than 67% of Texas colleges we cover and 47% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$52,946

Higher than 53% of Texas colleges we cover and 49% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Southwestern Adventist University acceptance rate & admissions

Of 1,468 applicants, Southwestern Adventist University admitted 815 and 159 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 910–1200 on the SAT or 17–25 on the ACT.

1,468
Applied
815
Admitted
159
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

SAT total, middle 50% of first-years910–1200
ACT composite, middle 50% of first-years17–25
First-years who sent SAT scores78%
First-year students who return73%
Pell Grant recipients42%
First-generation students34%
Women / men56% / 44%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Southwestern Adventist 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)

Tuition & fees$25,380
Housing & meals, on campus$9,032
Books & supplies$1,200
Total cost of attendance$35,592

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$21,500
Loan default rate7.4%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

State aid: Texas residents with financial need attending eligible private nonprofit Texas colleges may receive a Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG); amounts are set each year. Not included in the prices above. Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (College for All Texans)

What Southwestern Adventist University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Southwestern Adventist University took 4.4 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 Texas. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$16,725$73,5903.8 years
$30–48k$21,462$94,4334.9 years
$48–75k$15,441$67,9403.5 years
$75–110k$27,439$120,7326.2 years
$110k+$31,475$138,4907.1 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (26% 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 ($52,946) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $19,430 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.

Best-value colleges in Texas for your income →

Southwestern Adventist University majors, earnings & careers

Southwestern Adventist University offers 31 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Business & Finance · 5
  • Humanities & Languages · 5
  • Science & Math · 5
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
  • Communications & Media · 3
  • Education · 3
  • Health & Medicine · 3
  • Arts & Design · 1
  • Technology & Computing · 1

Highest-earning majors at Southwestern Adventist University

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Nursing$88,324$31,000
Quick list of all 31 majors
  • Accounting—
  • Biochemistry—
  • Biology—
  • Broadcasting / Digital Media—
  • Business Administration—
  • Chemistry—
  • Communications—
  • Computer Science—
  • Criminal Justice—
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
  • Education—
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
  • Education (Subject Teaching)—
  • English—
  • Finance—
  • History—
  • International Business—
  • International Relations—
  • Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Marketing—
  • Mathematics—
  • Medical Laboratory Science—
  • Music—
  • Nursing$88,324
  • Psychology—
  • Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
  • Public Relations and Advertising—
  • Religious Studies—
  • Social Sciences—
  • 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

$101,420
Dallas
$95,970
Texas
$97,550
U.S.

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

Communications → Public relations specialist

$69,280
Dallas
$65,160
Texas
$74,750
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Dallas

Cost of living
3% above the U.S. average

Overall prices in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,481/mo

2 bedrooms $1,745. Housing costs 18% above the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
57° / 95°

January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Moderate

Highest: tornado (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Johnson County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)817
First-year students from Texas77%
Next most common home statesCalifornia, Arizona, Florida
AthleticsNCCAA Division II · 4 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-2499% bachelor's · 1% associate
Campus typePrimarily residential
Student bodyHispanic 50% · White 19% · Black 12% · Asian 6%International 5%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Johnson County at a glance

Population195,597
Median household income$84,859
Adults with a bachelor's degree25%
Median age37

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Southwestern Adventist University with similar schools

Similar private colleges in Texas by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Southwestern Adventist University78%$22,77852%$52,946This school
Lubbock Christian University73%$24,45651%$53,787
Schreiner University88%$21,50743%$52,228
Hardin-Simmons University90%$19,55546%$54,771
Concordia University Texas91%$23,13145%$60,883

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Southwestern Adventist University would cost you $1,678 less per year than Lubbock Christian University, on average.

  • Lower sticker price at Southwestern Adventist University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$3,160).
  • Lubbock Christian University gives aided families $4,674 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Texas residentSouthwestern Adventist UniversityLCUDifference
Tuition & fees$25,380$28,540−$3,160
Books & supplies$1,200$1,300−$100
Housing & meals$9,032$8,898+$134
Personal & travel$3,000$5,488−$2,488
Living-at-home adjustment−$3,020−$2,282−$738
Sticker price$35,592$41,944−$6,352
Average grants−$12,814−$17,488+$4,674
You pay$22,778$24,456−$1,678

“+” means Southwestern Adventist 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 Southwestern Adventist University

What is the Southwestern Adventist University acceptance rate?

Southwestern Adventist University accepts 78% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 815 of 1,468 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 910–1200 on the SAT or 17–25 on the ACT.

How much does Southwestern Adventist University cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $35,592 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,778 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,725 and families earning $110k+ pay $31,475.

How much do Southwestern Adventist University graduates earn?

Former Southwestern Adventist University students earn a median $52,946 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Southwestern Adventist University graduation rate?

52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 73% return for their second year.

How long does a Southwestern Adventist University degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Southwestern Adventist University costs about $67,940 after grants ($15,441 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $52,946 ten years after starting, $19,430 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.5 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: “Southwestern Adventist University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southwestern-adventist-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).