Southwestern University

the Southwestern Arch

“Southwestern is one of the few jewels of the Southwest whose mission is to prepare a new generation to contribute to a changing society, and to prosper in their jobs, whatever and wherever in the world they may be.
Colleges That Change Lives

Southwestern University is hosting on-campus daily visits at this time. With protocols in place for your health and safety, we invite you to participate in the Southwestern Experience Monday–Friday and selected Saturdays; advanced registration is required.

If your travels are limited at this time, visit Virtual Southwestern to tour our historic campus; meet some of our wonderful community members, including current students; have your questions answered during virtual information sessions; and get the latest updates. The Offices of Admission and Financial Aid remain dedicated to providing you with personal attention, so please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email if you have any questions or concerns.

Southwestern University
1001 East University Avenue
Georgetown, Texas 78626
512.863.1200 / 800.252.3166
admission@southwestern.edu
southwestern.edu
⋅ 1,504 students; 355 new students in 2021
⋅ 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio
⋅ 13% are from out of state, with 1% being international students.
⋅ Students from 37 states and 15 nations are represented on campus.
⋅ Underrepresented (Hispanic/Latinx, Black, Indigenous, and multiracial) students constitute 35% of the student body.
⋅ Tuition and Fees: $46,800
⋅ Room and Board: $12,000
⋅ Books, Transportation, and Personal Expenses: $2,720
⋅ Total: $61,520
⋅ Southwestern considers every individual student’s needs when it comes to financial assistance. We partner with students and their families to explore every possible financing option available, whether it’s assistance in the form of scholarships, grants, work-study, low-interest loans, or payment plans. The FAFSA submission deadline is March 1, except for Early Decision candidates who must submit a FAFSA by December 1.

Softball player jumps in celebration
Students in a science lab
a student holds her diploma on graduation day
students sit around a table in the costume design class
Students gather in the library
Character
  • 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.

Worth Noting
  • S. News and World Report ranks Southwestern the #1 national liberal arts college in Texas. The Princeton Reviewrated SU among the Top 20 in the nation for Best Private Schools for Internships and named us #1 in Texas among its Impact Schools. Washington Monthly ranks Southwestern first among Texas liberal arts universities and in the top 115 nationwide based on our contribution to the public good. Forbes ranks Southwestern the #1 private liberal arts and sciences college in Texas. The Fiske Guide to Colleges features Southwestern as one of 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 named one of the 420 most environmentally responsible colleges according to The Princeton Review. Southwestern has also taken top honors in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Challenge for using 100 percent wind power electricity. Other sustainable initiatives include LEED-certified buildings, campus-wide composting and recycling, electing car charging stations, and a 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.
  • Community-engaged learning is at the core of a Southwestern education. More than 62% of 2019-2021 graduates volunteered through coursework and opportunities such as the SU Project for Civil Discourse. By engaging in the community, we’re helping to change lives. And in the process, our lives are changed, too.

Faculty & Academics
  • Forget the 300-seat classrooms. Here at Southwestern, you’ll study in small classes averaging just 17 students. 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.

Areas of Study
For the most current listings, please check the college website.

Majors
Animal Studies *
Anthropology
Applied Physics
Architecture and Design Studies *
Art (Studio)
Art History
Biochemistry
Biology
Business
Chemistry
Chinese *
Classics
Communication Studies
Computational Mathematics
Computer Science
Data Science *
Design Thinking *
Early Modern Studies *
Economics
Education
English
Environmental Studies
Exercise and Sports Sciences *
Feminist Studies
Financial Economics
French
German
Greek
Health Studies *
History
Independent Major
International Studies
Kinesiology
Latin
Latin American & Border Studies
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Race and Ethnicity Studies *
Religion
Sociology
Spanish
Theatre

* Minor Only

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

Campus Life
  • 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, 64% 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 basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, men’s baseball and football, and women’s volleyball and softball. Intramural and club sports include handball, rock climbing, ultimate frisbee and dodgeball, to name a few.
  • Southwestern has more than 100 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.

Varsity Sports

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

20 varsity teams in the NCAA Division III, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference:

Baseball (Men)
Basketball
Cross Country
Football (Men)
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball (Women)
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball (Women)

Life After College
  • The results are impressive! Postgraduate survey data for the Class of 2020 reveal that 86% 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 among the unranked 17 Great Career Services in the nation.

Academic Profile of Entering Class
  • Middle 50% on the SAT 1155-1320
  • Middle 50% on the ACT 25-31
  • Of those providing a class rank, 28% were in the top 10% of their high school class.
  • Of those providing a class rank, 59% were in the top 25% of their high school class.