Southwestern University

• At Southwestern University, you will engage in dynamic classroom discussions and real-world learning experiences that empower you to think effectively, collaborate, and view problems from multiple perspectives.
• Our professors are award-winning scholars, but they genuinely care about you, providing one-on-one attention through rigorous teaching and collaborative research.
• Our top-ranked career-services staff and active alumni mentors will provide you with professional-networking opportunities and insider advice. You can find our recent graduates studying at Stanford and Vanderbilt and working at the Texas Capitol, Google, NASA, and the Smithsonian Institution.
• Southwestern is located in historic Georgetown, Texas, just north of Austin, the 11th largest city in the U.S.
• Through our many undergraduate research opportunities, you will develop authentic, previously unexplored questions and test your own hypotheses, making original contributions to your fields of study. Our students regularly present at professional conferences and even coauthor publications.
• Southwestern is a four-year, independent, undergraduate, national liberal arts and sciences college consisting of the Brown College of Arts and Sciences, the Sarofim School of Fine Arts, and the Garey School of Natural Sciences.
• Chartered by the Republic of Texas in 1840, Southwestern is the first institution of higher learning in Texas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

• Southwestern University is consistently recognized for excellence. U.S. News & World Report ranks Southwestern as one of the top national liberal arts colleges in Texas and #83 nationally. The Princeton Review places Southwestern at #2 in the nation—and #1 in Texas—for “Best Career Services,” marking the University’s highest-ever ranking, up from #5 nationally in 2024. The New York Times Magazine highlights Southwestern as the top university in Texas for economic diversity among its students. Additionally, the Fiske Guide to Colleges names Southwestern among the best colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, Britain, and Ireland.
• Paideia® is our innovative approach to education promoting interdisciplinary study. You will learn to find connections across majors, between disciplines, and in relation to your experiences outside the classroom. Paideia helps create a powerful intellectual practice, empowering you to think in broader, more collaborative, and more original ways. You will graduate with a cultivated curiosity and the desire to learn, explore, and create change—in your careers and in life.
• We have Pirate Bikes! Pirate Bikes are a Southwestern fixture and are scattered across campus, ready to ride anytime, day or night. Whether you are an avid cyclist or a rookie, bright yellow Pirate Bikes are a fun way to move you around campus.
• Southwestern is proud to be recognized as one of the 511 most environmentally responsible colleges by The Princeton Review. It is also the only institution in Texas to be ranked among the nation’s Top 50 Green Colleges in their 2025 Guide to Green Colleges. Our commitment to sustainability includes 100% wind-powered electricity, LEED-certified buildings, campus-wide composting and recycling programs, electric vehicle charging stations, and a thriving community garden—just to name a few.
• Southwestern students develop a broader perspective because many have been exposed to a larger world. Our students study abroad across all majors and all across the world, from England, France, and Italy to South Africa, Nepal, and China.
• High-Impact Experiences are at the heart of a Southwestern education, with 84% of students participating in at least one.  Through study abroad, collaborative research, internships and community engaged learning, these transformative opportunities encourage students to deepen their understanding of the world and make meaningful connections across disciplines, cultures, economies, and ways of life. By engaging in high-impact experiences, Southwestern students cultivate the skills of critical thinking, creativity, and connection—practices that shape their lives and careers far beyond the classroom.

• Forget the 300-seat classrooms. Here at Southwestern, you’ll study in small classes averaging just 16 students. More importantly, over 80% of our classes have 25 students or less. In this more intimate, more active learning environment, you’ll engage, you’ll discuss, you’ll debate, you’ll connect—and, as a result, you’ll thrive.
• In 2019, Southwestern completed Phase 2 of a $37 million Science Center. Phase 2 contains 58,000 square feet of space for teaching laboratories, state-of-the-art student-faculty research spaces, and outdoor classrooms.
• Southwestern faculty are nationally recognized experts in their fields. They are also caring mentors who work alongside their students, sharing valuable advice, guidance and experience. These close mentoring relationships distinguish a Southwestern education. And if you come here, they will help to distinguish you.
• Southwestern students often engage in research as undergraduates. Working across a wide variety of areas, ranging from breast cancer and genetic sequencing to ecology, our students are not only conducting research, but they often present at conferences and publish manuscripts as well. Each year, Southwestern students and faculty take a day off for the Research and Creative Works Symposium, a daylong celebration of the work of our students, faculty, and staff. Southwestern aims for diversity in the presentations to provide an opportunity for everyone to engage in conversations on thought-provoking topics, to question our own perspectives, and to see the world from a multifaceted view.
• Our Honor Code creates a unique bond of trust among our students and faculty. Our students write and sign the honor pledge when completing every exam, paper, and assignment. It’s a reminder for how we should work and who we should be.
• Southwestern offers bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, bachelor of music, bachelor of fine arts, and bachelor of science in education degrees.

Majors
Anthropology
Applied Physics
Applied Movement and Sports Studies*
Art (Studio)
Art History
Biochemistry
Biology
Business
Chemistry
Chinese*
Classics
Communication Studies
Computational Mathematics
Computer Science
Data Analytics*
Design Thinking*
Early Modern Studies*
East Asian Studies*
Economics
Education
English
Environmental Studies
Feminist Studies
French
Generic Special Education*
German
Greek
Health Studies*
History
Independent Major
International Studies
Kinesiology
Latin
Latin American & Border Studies
Mathematics
Music
Neuroscience*
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Race & Ethnicity Studies*
Religion
Sociology
Spanish
Theatre
* Indicates Minor Only

Pre-Professional Pathways
Pre-Dentistry
Pre-Engineering
Pre-Law
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Ministry
Pre-Physical Therapy
Pre-Veterinary Medicine

• Southwestern’s tree-shaded campus is everything you can imagine when you dream about college—and then some. Grand buildings radiate around the heart of the campus, offering a spacious sports and recreational center, research laboratories, two live performance theaters, an observatory, and a community garden. In total, 74% of students live in roomy on-campus apartments or residence halls, which include wireless Internet, cable TV, and housekeeping service.
• Southwestern Pirates compete in NCAA Division III athletics, excelling in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, men’s baseball and football, and women’s volleyball and softball. Beyond varsity sports, Campus Recreation offers opportunities for physical, social, and educational growth through intramural sports, fitness and wellness programs, sport clubs, and outdoor adventures. With Southwestern Outdoor Adventure, you can explore nature and build outdoor skills in a fun and safe environment. From hiking and backpacking to camping, rock climbing, caving, mountain biking, kayaking, and paddleboarding, you’ll have countless opportunities to experience the great outdoors across Texas and beyond!
• Southwestern has more than 60 scholastic and honorary, government, special interest, Greek, and departmental student organizations.
• Student Activities at Southwestern offers a range of entertainment including magicians, jugglers, comedians, poets, casino nights, ventriloquists, movie nights, and bands or artists covering a multitude of musical genres, from pop, folk, country, bluegrass, Latin, and fusion to rock, punk, indie, zydeco, hip-hop, and blues.

Southwestern University fields 20 varsity teams, competing at the NCAA Division III level as a member of the Southern Athletic Association. Southwestern offers a full athletic experience: more than 60% of our students participate in intercollegiate athletics, intramurals, or club sports.

Our varsity teams include:
Baseball (Men)
Basketball
Cross Country
Football (Men)
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball (Women)
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball (Women)

• The results are impressive! Postgraduate survey data for the Class of 2023 reveal that 95% of graduates were employed or attending graduate or professional school within 10 months of graduation.
• Students begin thinking about their futures as early as their first year and can use the Center for Career and Professional Development to access internships and externships, career advising, graduate and professional school resources, personality or interest assessments, interview preparation and resume building, dress-for-success and dining etiquette workshops, job fairs, and networking. It must be why the Princeton Review ranked Southwestern #2 in the nation—and #1 in Texas—for “Best Career Services.”

• Middle 50% on the SAT 1140-1320
• Middle 50% on the ACT 24-30
• Of those providing a class rank, 26% were in the top 10% of their high school class.
• Of those providing a class rank, 63% were in the top 25% of their high school class.