Key differences on Getting in

1
Hillsdale's yield is 38 pts higher than U. the South's
Yield rate
2
Hillsdale is 2.7× more selective than U. the South
Acceptance rate
3
Hillsdale's SAT midpoint is 115 points higher than U. the South's
SAT midpoint

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate

Hillsdale21%Most selective

U. the South56%

Applicants

Hillsdale3.2K

U. the South4.6KMost

Admitted

Hillsdale659

U. the South2.6KMost

Yield rate

Hillsdale56%Highest

U. the South18%

Quad's selectivity

HillsdaleHighly selective
U. the SouthSelective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted

Hillsdale21%

U. the South61%

Men admitted

Hillsdale21%

U. the South52%

Test scores

SAT total,

Hillsdale

1320–1490

U. the South

1210–1360

Axis runs 1100–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Hillsdale

30–33

U. the South

27–31

Axis runs 23–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

Hillsdale32%

U. the South24%

Submitted ACT

Hillsdale34%

U. the South36%

Test policy

HillsdaleTest-optional
U. the SouthTest-optional

How they read a record

Hillsdale
, GPA, and tests are all very important. 94% of first-years who sent test scores had a 3.75 or higher, so and rarely sets an applicant apart; the courses behind it carry more of the weight.
U. the South
and GPA are both very important; class rank and tests are both considered.

What they look at

Factor	Hillsdale	U. the South
High school GPA	Very important	Very important
High school record	Required	Required
Class rank	Not considered	Considered
College-prep program	Considered	Required
Recommendations	Important	Very important
Essay	Very important	Important
Legacy status	Considered	Considered
Work experience	Important	Important
Demonstration of competencies	Not considered	Considered
English proficiency test	Considered	Required
Other tests	Considered	Not considered

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent release;The University of the South (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;The University of the South Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;The University of the South Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why