Quad

Head-to-head

Hillsdale
U. the South

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Hillsdale's yield is 38 pts higher than U. the South's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Hillsdale costs about $11.1K less per year on average than U. the South ($24,283 vs. $35,395, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Hillsdale is 2.7× more selective than U. the South

    Acceptance rate
  4. 4

    Hillsdale's SAT midpoint is 115 points higher than U. the South's

    SAT midpoint
  5. 5

    Hillsdale graduates 4 pts more of its students than U. the South (86% vs. 81%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    U. the South's grants cover 51% of its full price on average, vs. 50% at Hillsdale

    Aid generosity

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

Hillsdale admits 21%, U. the South 56%; Hillsdale's yield is higher, at 56%.

Acceptance rate
Hillsdale21%
U. the South56%
Quad's selectivity
  • HillsdaleHighly selective
  • U. the SouthSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1100–1600
Hillsdale
1320–1490
U. the South
1210–1360
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • HillsdaleRigor, GPA, and tests very important94%
  • U. the SouthRigor and GPA very important

Who's on each campus

Hillsdale and U. the South are about the same size; U. the South has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Hillsdale1.6K
U. the South1.6K
Pell Grant share
Hillsdale0%
U. the South16%

Majors and faculty

History leads at Hillsdale, and Econometrics and Quantitative Economics at U. the South; Hillsdale has 8 students per faculty member to U. the South's 9.

Students per faculty member
Hillsdale8 to 1
U. the South9 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • HillsdaleHistory, General11%
  • U. the SouthEconometrics and Quantitative Economics15%

What each costs

Hillsdale costs about $11.1K less a year than U. the South on average; U. the South's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Hillsdale$24.3K
U. the South$35.4K
Aid generosity
Hillsdale50%
U. the South51%

What each pays off

U. the South's former students earn a median $64.9K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
HillsdaleNot reported
U. the South$64.9K
Graduation rate
Hillsdale86%
U. the South81%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • HillsdaleGrowingsince fall 2015+71%
  • U. the SouthGrowing+58%
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;Hillsdale College Common Data Set 2018–19, Fall 2018;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 2018;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 2024;The University of the South Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2019About 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