Southwestern University

Southwestern University logo
#2280 / #628
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#1188
Most Desirable School
Private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas, U.S.

Southwestern University at a Glance

U.S. influence rank
#628
Acceptance rate (fall 2024)
43%
Tuition and fees (2025–26)
$56,944
Graduation rate
74%
Undergraduates (fall 2024)
1,440

Reviewed by , 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

Southwestern University Featured Rankings

About Southwestern University

According to Wikipedia, Southwestern University is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern offers 40 bachelor's degrees in the arts, sciences, fine arts, and music as well as interdisciplinary and pre-professional programs. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the National Association of Schools of Music and historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Southwestern University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceRetention RateGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
6,58543%81%74%121528

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 Southwestern University Cost To Attend?

Tuition and fees (in-state)
$56,944
Average Net Price by Family Income (2024–25)
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$21,387
30K - 48K$21,786
48K - 75K$26,367
75K - 110K$27,586
110K+$36,551

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 Southwestern University Graduates Make?

Ten years after starting college, former Southwestern University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $63,314 a year, and 91% 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.

Southwestern University's Demographics

Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.

Student BodyUnder-Grads
1,4921,492

Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.

Where is Southwestern University?

Southwestern University is located at 1001 E. University Avenue, Georgetown, TX 78626.

How Safe is Southwestern University?

Like every college that receives federal student aid, Southwestern University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.

Relative to its enrollment, Southwestern University has a violent crime rate of 0.21% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Georgetown has a violent crime rate of 0.19% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.18%. 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 Southwestern University Known For?

Southwestern University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:

Southwestern University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Each rank compares how much Southwestern 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

Religious Studies
#1288
World Rank
#1309
Historical Rank
#301
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #301 in the U.S. and #1288 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.

religious-studies-hub Degrees
Philosophy
#1344
World Rank
#1400
Historical Rank
#403
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #403 in the U.S. and #1344 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.

philosophy Degrees
Chemistry
#2048
World Rank
#2066
Historical Rank
#404
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #404 in the U.S. and #2048 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.

chemistry Degrees
Literature
#1283
World Rank
#1343
Historical Rank
#426
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #426 in the U.S. and #1283 worldwide for influence in Literature.

literature Degrees
Sociology
#1552
World Rank
#1561
Historical Rank
#447
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #447 in the U.S. and #1552 worldwide for influence in Sociology.

sociology Degrees
Computer Science
#2246
World Rank
#2252
Historical Rank
#480
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #480 in the U.S. and #2246 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.

computer-science Degrees
Political Science
#2015
World Rank
#2022
Historical Rank
#488
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #488 in the U.S. and #2015 worldwide for influence in Political Science.

political-science Degrees
Economics
#3150
World Rank
#3161
Historical Rank
#529
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #529 in the U.S. and #3150 worldwide for influence in Economics.

economics Degrees
Mathematics
#2219
World Rank
#2264
Historical Rank
#537
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #537 in the U.S. and #2219 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.

math Degrees
History
#1588
World Rank
#1432
Historical Rank
#541
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #541 in the U.S. and #1588 worldwide for influence in History.

history Degrees
Education
#2446
World Rank
#2452
Historical Rank
#554
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #554 in the U.S. and #2446 worldwide for influence in Education.

education Degrees
Communications
#2320
World Rank
#2344
Historical Rank
#626
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #626 in the U.S. and #2320 worldwide for influence in Communications.

communications Degrees
Anthropology
#2050
World Rank
#2061
Historical Rank
#659
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #659 in the U.S. and #2050 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.

anthropology Degrees
Biology
#3019
World Rank
#3042
Historical Rank
#691
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #691 in the U.S. and #3019 worldwide for influence in Biology.

biology Degrees
Business
#2689
World Rank
#2690
Historical Rank
#706
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #706 in the U.S. and #2689 worldwide for influence in Business.

business Degrees
Physics
#3075
World Rank
#3099
Historical Rank
#714
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #714 in the U.S. and #3075 worldwide for influence in Physics.

physics Degrees
Psychology
#2028
World Rank
#2039
Historical Rank
#777
USA Rank

Southwestern University ranks #777 in the U.S. and #2028 worldwide for influence in Psychology.

psychology Degrees

Who Are Southwestern University's Most Influential Alumni?

Southwestern University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Religious Studies, Literature, and Philosophy. Here are some of Southwestern University's most famous alumni:

Stanley Hauerwas
Stanley Hauerwas
An American theologian.
J. Frank Dobie
J. Frank Dobie
An American writer .
Jay W. Richards
An American theologian.
John Tower
A Senator from Texas and chairman of the Tower Commission .
Robert Simpson
Robert Simpson
An American meteorologist.
Joseph Tyree Sneed III
An American judge .
Ernest H. Hereford
Ernest H. Hereford
A .
Serena DeBeer
An American-born chemist.
Mike Timlin
Mike Timlin
An American baseball player.
Bill Engvall
Bill Engvall
An American comedian and actor.
Susan Youens
An American musicologist.
Pete Sessions
An American politician.