Southwest Baptist University

Bolivar, MO · MidwestQuad's selectivityAccessible

Known forFaith-centered

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

7 in 10 applicants admitted

Southwest Baptist admits about 7 in 10 applicants (68%). That puts it in the "Accessible" tier, more selective than 66% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

68%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityAccessible

Applied

1,275

Admitted

872

Yield

34%

of admits enroll

SAT middle 50%

810–1210

4001600

ACT middle 50%

17–26

1236

Applications −21% since fall 2014 · admit rate 62% → 68%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 1,341 undergrads, where 36% receive Pell Grants, a typical share compared to other colleges.

1.3K

undergrads · larger than 45% of colleges

Diversity index

0.44

Pell Grant

36%

above the median

First generation

35%

above the median

Distant townNCAA D-II · Great Lakes Valley ConferenceROTCStudy abroad

More diverse · index 0.30 → 0.44 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Exercise Science and Kinesiology (14% of graduates). 10 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 76% of colleges. 39% of faculty are full-time. Spends $10,376 a year on instruction per student.

10 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 76% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $22,101 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $2.2K less than the national median. The 98% who received grants paid $21,336 on average; the other 2% paid the full sticker price of $40,772.

46%

$22.1K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $2.2K below the national median

Full price: $40,772 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Merit aid: 26% · avg $20K; of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)

Aid generosity

Generous

grants cover 46% of full price

Federal loans

50%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Cost falling · −7% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $43,112 ten years after enrolling, more than at 19% of colleges; 52% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 2.1 years of that salary.

52%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$43.1K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$21K

≈ $222/month for 10 years

Retention

65%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 49% → 55% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price rose 2% after inflation, while what the average first-year paid fell 7%, because grants grew faster. Applications fell 21% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 62% to 68%.

Cost
Falling
−7% after inflation
Applications
Shrinking
−21%
Selectivity
Less selective
admit rate 62% → 68%
Diversity
More diverse
index 0.30 → 0.44

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

Millikin University

67% admit · SAT 995 · 1.4K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar scoresSimilar size

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Tennessee Wesleyan University

69% admit · 846 undergrads

Similar selectivityAlso private

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Maryville College

61% admit · 1K undergrads

Also private

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Bob Jones University

2K undergrads

Also private

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
Southwest Baptist University (2026)
Southwest Baptist University · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 179326 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything