More selective than 88% of Tennessee colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $71,986. College Scorecard.
Higher than 94% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 89% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 89% of Tennessee colleges we cover and 80% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
The University of the South acceptance rate & admissions
Of 5,018 applicants, The University of the South admitted 2,554 and 449 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1260–1390 on the SAT or 27–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
The University of the South 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 The University of the South costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of The University of the South 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 Tennessee. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,485 | $43,198 | 1.4 years |
| $30–48k | $10,704 | $44,100 | 1.5 years |
| $48–75k | $17,746 | $73,114 | 2.4 years |
| $75–110k | $22,563 | $92,960 | 3.1 years |
| $110k+ | $38,762 | $159,699 | 5.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (74% 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 ($64,911) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $30,393 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.
The University of the South majors, earnings & careers
The University of the South offers 35 bachelor's majors across 6 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Science & Math · 11
- Arts & Design · 3
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at The University of the South
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $87,762 | $24,798 |
| Political Science | $72,682 | $24,267 |
| International / Global Studies | $70,907 | $19,500 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $59,821 | — |
| Psychology | $58,715 | $17,148 |
| English | $58,164 | $21,175 |
| Biology | $47,695 | $25,000 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$47,695
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Computer Science—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$87,762
- English$58,164
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance—
- Forestry—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History—
- International / Global Studies$70,907
- Literature—
- Mathematics—
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$72,682
- Psychology$58,715
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$59,821
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— 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 →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
Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Sewanee
2 bedrooms $1,060.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 64 inches of rain a year, 5 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Franklin County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Franklin County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare The University of the South with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of the South | 57% | $27,872 | 80% | $64,911 | This school |
| Rhodes College | 50% | $28,585 | 85% | $66,651 | |
| Freed-Hardeman University | 60% | $21,574 | 71% | $47,485 | |
| Union University | 60% | $27,171 | 66% | $53,990 | |
| Lipscomb University | 68% | $24,739 | 72% | $55,541 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
The University of the South would cost you $713 less per year than Rhodes College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at The University of the South, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,428).
- The University of the South gives aided families $1,563 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Tennessee resident | The University of the South | Rhodes College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $56,120 | $57,110 | −$990 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,125 | +$75 |
| Housing & meals | $15,338 | $12,910 | +$2,428 |
| Personal & travel | $1,750 | $2,619 | −$869 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,422 | −$2,628 | +$206 |
| Sticker price | $71,986 | $71,136 | +$850 |
| Average grants | −$44,114 | −$42,551 | −$1,563 |
| You pay | $27,872 | $28,585 | −$713 |
“+” means The University of the South 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 The University of the South
What is the The University of the South acceptance rate?
The University of the South accepts 57% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,554 of 5,018 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1260–1390 on the SAT or 27–31 on the ACT.
How much does The University of the South cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $71,986 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $27,872 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,485 and families earning $110k+ pay $38,762.
How much do The University of the South graduates earn?
Former The University of the South students earn a median $64,911 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the The University of the South graduation rate?
80% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 89% return for their second year.
How long does a The University of the South degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at The University of the South costs about $73,114 after grants ($17,746 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $64,911 ten years after starting, $30,393 more than high school graduates in Tennessee ($34,518), so the cost is repaid in 2.4 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: “The University of the South: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-the-south (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).