Southwest Baptist University
Southwest Baptist University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Southwest Baptist University Featured Rankings
- #2 Online Associate in Health Science
- #8 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in Missouri
- #9 Best Christian Colleges in Missouri 2026
- #12 Best Grad Schools in Missouri
- #14 Best Small Colleges in Missouri
- #16 Best Private Colleges in Missouri
- #19 Missouri's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #20 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Missouri
- #22 Online Bachelor’s in Health Science
About Southwest Baptist University
According to Wikipedia, Southwest Baptist University is a private Baptist university in Bolivar, Missouri. It is affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention, which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 2019, it had a total enrollment of 3,280 students attending at one of SBU's four Missouri campuses in Bolivar, Mountain View, Salem, or Springfield.
Southwest Baptist University's Online Degrees
MS Education in Curriculum and Instruction
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MS Education in Educational Instructional Technology and Design
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MS in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
- Nursing Education
- Nursing Administration
- Required Credits: 39-42
- Format: Fully online
Southwest Baptist University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,057 | 68% | 65% | 43% | 1010 | 21 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Southwest Baptist University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $31,500 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $25,555 |
| 30K - 48K | $20,245 |
| 48K - 75K | $19,388 |
| 75K - 110K | $19,278 |
| 110K+ | $18,697 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Southwest Baptist University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Southwest Baptist University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $50,155 a year, and 90% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Southwest Baptist University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 2,469 | 1,841 | 628 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Southwest Baptist University?
Southwest Baptist University is located at 1600 University Ave, Bolivar, MO 65613-2596.
How Safe is Southwest Baptist University?
Southwest Baptist University reported 0.5 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most small residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Southwest Baptist University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Bolivar has a violent crime rate of 0.19% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.04%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Southwest Baptist University Known For?
Southwest Baptist University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Medical
- Sociology
- Computer Science
- Religious Studies
- Social Work
- History
- Business
- Literature
- Psychology
- Education
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Communications
- Political Science
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
Southwest Baptist University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Southwest Baptist University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Southwest Baptist University ranks #422 in the U.S. and #1145 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #897 in the U.S. and #3155 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1097 in the U.S. and #3693 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1120 in the U.S. and #4874 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1198 in the U.S. and #5571 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1213 in the U.S. and #2898 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1454 in the U.S. and #4657 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1663 in the U.S. and #5976 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1672 in the U.S. and #5139 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1753 in the U.S. and #4620 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1912 in the U.S. and #7273 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1930 in the U.S. and #7770 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #1974 in the U.S. and #7026 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #2088 in the U.S. and #7325 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #2177 in the U.S. and #8080 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #2206 in the U.S. and #9383 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #2473 in the U.S. and #8736 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesSouthwest Baptist University ranks #2678 in the U.S. and #5546 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWho Are Southwest Baptist University's Most Influential Alumni?
Southwest Baptist University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Social Work, and Medical. Here are some of Southwest Baptist University's most famous alumni:
- Nancy Ammerman
- An American professor of sociology of religion.
- Roy Blunt
- An American politician .
- Paul R. House
- An American scholar.
- Buddy Baker
- An American composer, big band arranger, orchestra leader .
- Lynn Nance
- An American basketball player-coach.
- J. T. Wall
- An American football player.
- Charity Elliott
- An American basketball player-coach.
- Linda Black
- An American politician.
- Nathaniel Simmons
- A Researcher .
