Quad

Head-to-head

Southwestern
Methodist

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Southwestern graduates 9 pts more of its students than Methodist (47% vs. 38%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    Southwestern has 8 pts more first-gen students than Methodist (40% vs. 32%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    Southwestern grads earn $7.6K more ten years out than Methodist's ($55,646 vs. $48,050)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    Methodist has 1.6× as many undergrads as Southwestern

    Undergrads
  5. 5

    Southwestern's yield is 4 pts higher than Methodist's

    Yield rate
  6. 6

    Methodist costs about $2.4K less per year on average than Southwestern ($27,824 vs. $30,259, all students)

    Average cost, all students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Methodist admits 75%, Southwestern 76%; Southwestern's yield is higher, at 19%.

Acceptance rate
Southwestern76%
Methodist75%
Quad's selectivity
  • SouthwesternOpen
  • MethodistAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
SouthwesternTest-blind
Methodist
1080–1250
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • SouthwesternGPA and school record required
  • MethodistGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Methodist has 1.6× as many undergrads as Southwestern; both have the same Pell share, 41%.

Undergrads
Southwestern924
Methodist1.4K
Pell Grant share
Southwestern41%
Methodist41%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at both; Southwestern has 10 students per faculty member to Methodist's 11.

Students per faculty member
Southwestern10 to 1
Methodist11 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • SouthwesternBusiness Administration and Management, General14%
  • MethodistBusiness Administration and Management, General16%

What each costs

Methodist costs about $2.4K less a year than Southwestern on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Southwestern$30.3K
Methodist$27.8K
Aid generosity
Southwestern48%
Methodist51%

What each pays off

Southwestern's former students earn more, a median $55.6K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 47% at Southwestern to 38% at Methodist.

Median earnings, 10 years
Southwestern$55.6K
Methodist$48.1K
Graduation rate
Southwestern47%
Methodist38%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Southwestern but fell at Methodist; Southwestern got more selective while Methodist got less.

Applications, 10-year change
  • SouthwesternGrowing+231%
  • MethodistShrinking−39%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About 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