More selective than 90% of Texas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $67,493. College Scorecard.
Higher than 89% of Texas colleges we cover and 83% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 71% of Texas colleges we cover and 61% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
SU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,585 applicants, Southwestern University admitted 2,573 and 403 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1130–1300 on the SAT or 26–30 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
SU 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
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 SU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Southwestern University took 4.1 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 income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,478 | $92,834 | 4.0 years |
| $30–48k | $19,096 | $78,866 | 3.4 years |
| $48–75k | $28,175 | $116,363 | 5.0 years |
| $75–110k | $30,387 | $125,498 | 5.4 years |
| $110k+ | $36,332 | $150,051 | 6.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (61% 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 ($56,878) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,362 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.
SU majors, earnings & careers
Southwestern University offers 33 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Science & Math · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at SU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business | $71,342 | $25,475 |
| Biology | $62,928 | $21,250 |
| Political Science | $61,935 | $24,625 |
| Communications | $59,372 | $26,000 |
| Education | $52,035 | — |
| Psychology | $50,426 | $26,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $48,338 | $26,500 |
Quick list of all 33 majors
- Accounting—
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$62,928
- Business$71,342
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications$59,372
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Economics—
- Education$52,035
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- German—
- History—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$48,338
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$61,935
- Psychology$50,426
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— 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 → 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
Communications → Public relations specialist
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 Austin
Overall prices in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,817. Housing costs 20% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 37 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Williamson County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Williamson County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare SU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern University | 43% | $29,224 | 73% | $56,878 | This school |
| Austin College | 48% | $21,107 | 67% | $61,296 | |
| University of Dallas | 53% | $22,610 | 73% | $58,285 | |
| LeTourneau University | 38% | $28,185 | 59% | $57,103 | |
| Hallmark University | 51% | $12,513 | 66% | $40,183 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Southwestern University would cost you $8,117 more per year than Austin College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Southwestern University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$5,133).
- Austin College gives aided families $2,231 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Texas resident | SU | Austin College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $53,813 | $48,680 | +$5,133 |
| Books & supplies | $1,300 | $1,250 | +$50 |
| Housing & meals | $13,628 | $13,495 | +$133 |
| Personal & travel | $1,620 | $1,375 | +$245 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,868 | −$3,193 | +$325 |
| Sticker price | $67,493 | $61,607 | +$5,886 |
| Average grants | −$38,269 | −$40,500 | +$2,231 |
| You pay | $29,224 | $21,107 | +$8,117 |
“+” means SU 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 SU
What is the SU acceptance rate?
Southwestern University accepts 43% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,573 of 6,585 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1130–1300 on the SAT or 26–30 on the ACT.
How much does Southwestern University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $67,493 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $29,224 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,478 and families earning $110k+ pay $36,332.
How much do SU graduates earn?
Former Southwestern University students earn a median $56,878 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the SU graduation rate?
73% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 81% return for their second year.
How long does a SU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Southwestern University costs about $116,363 after grants ($28,175 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $56,878 ten years after starting, $23,362 more than high school graduates in Texas ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 5.0 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 University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southwestern-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).