# The University of the South

Private nonprofit college in Sewanee, TN. IPEDS ID 221519.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-the-south · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/the-university-of-the-south.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 57% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $27,872 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 80%; beats 94% of TN colleges and 89% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $64,911; beats 89% of TN colleges and 80% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $17,750

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $10,485 |
| 30-48k | $10,704 |
| 48-75k | $17,746 |
| 75-110k | $22,563 |
| 110k+ | $38,762 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.12 years on average (74% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $64,911 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $71,986
- Tuition and fees: $56,120
- Housing and meals: $15,338; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 640–710; SAT math: 620–680; ACT: 27–31 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 5,018 applicants, 2,554 admitted, 449 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 57%, ACT 27–31 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 51%, ACT 27–32 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (35 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics | $58,532 | $87,762 | $24,798 |
| Political Science | $31,831 | $72,682 | $24,267 |
| International / Global Studies | $42,390 | $70,907 | $19,500 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | $59,821 | not reported |
| Psychology | $35,379 | $58,715 | $17,148 |
| English | $31,218 | $58,164 | $21,175 |
| Biology | $23,932 | $47,695 | $25,000 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $35,204 | not reported | not reported |
| Forestry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Literature | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sustainability Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Finance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | $22,750 |

## Major to career
- Biology → Biological technician: median wage not reported (metro), $50,840 (TN), $57,510 (U.S.)
- Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist: median wage not reported (metro), $76,840 (TN), $82,220 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).