Southwestern University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Houston, Texas · Private nonprofit · Open access
Southwestern University is a private nonprofit university in Houston, Texas that admits about 85% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $19,710 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General and Psychology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 1.4 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Southwestern University is a private institution located in Houston, Texas. For the most recent reporting cycle, Southwestern University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 85%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1092 and an ACT composite around 25. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $19,710 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Southwestern University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Southwestern University?
Southwestern University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Southwestern University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 480–590, with an EBRW midpoint near 580. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 19–28. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does Southwestern University actually cost?
Published tuition is $38,100 for in-state students and $38,100 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $10,816 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $19,710 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 54% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at Southwestern University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Southwestern University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General and Psychology, General. Across all programs, Southwestern University confers roughly 378 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $94,329 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 97 | $94,329 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | 85 | $44,573 |
| Psychology, General | 50 | $53,568 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 43 | $61,591 |
| Biology, General | 42 | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 30 | $44,049 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 16 | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 15 | — |
Is Southwestern University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Southwestern University disclosed 4 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 1.4 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 1 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Texas parents ask about
- Rice University29% acceptance
- University of Texas at Austin63% acceptance
- Texas A&M University-College Station8% acceptance
- Southern Methodist University89% acceptance
- Baylor University85% acceptance
- Texas Christian University71% acceptance
- University of Houston97% acceptance
- Texas State University88% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Southwestern University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Southwestern University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Southwestern University
What GPA do I need for Southwestern University?
Southwestern University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Southwestern University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 480–590, with an EBRW midpoint near 580. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 19–28.
How much does Southwestern University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Southwestern University after grants and scholarships is $19,710 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Southwestern University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Southwestern University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Southwestern University?
Southwestern University accepts about 85% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Southwestern University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Southwestern University is a private nonprofit institution located in Houston, Texas.
What are the most popular majors at Southwestern University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Southwestern University by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General and Psychology, General. The school awards about 378 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Southwestern University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Southwestern University reported 4 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 1.4 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.