Southern Nazarene University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Bethany, Oklahoma. It enrolls 1,455 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Open / Online). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
69/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes76
Value37
Affordability43
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Admissions data is not yet reported for Southern Nazarene University.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Southern Nazarene University isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $22,084 per year. That's in line with the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$22,084
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
47%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
60%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$31,190
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,474
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,762
Books & Supplies
$1,528
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,056
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,516
Total Cost of Attendance
$46,465
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$18,931
$30,001 – $48,000
$18,323
$48,001 – $75,000
$22,590
$75,001 – $110,000
$27,082
Over $110,000
$27,434
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,75010%percentile
$8,73325%percentile
$21,900Medianpercentile
$23,50075%percentile
$31,19090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $18,750
↓ $3,150
No Pell $14,491
↓ $7,409
Dependent students $13,942
↓ $7,958
Independent students $18,750
↓ $3,150
Female students $18,750
↓ $3,150
Male students $14,323
↓ $7,577
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($21,900), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
52% of full-time students who enrolled at Southern Nazarene University graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
52%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Southern Nazarene University earn a median of $54,951 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$54,951
Earning > $25K
79%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$48,000
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$59,600
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$42,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$54,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$60,300
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,600, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
12.6 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 82% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Southern Nazarene University is home to 1,455 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 38% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
1,455
Part-Time
19%
First-Generation
38%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 49.1%715
Hispanic 18.4%267
Other 14.4%210
Black 13.1%191
International 2.5%37
Asian 1.2%18
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Southern Nazarene University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large SuburbBethany, Oklahoma
Housing
Mostly residential690 beds on campus
Adult Learners
31%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated
What You Can Study
Southern Nazarene University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
42 distinct programs across
20 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Southern Nazarene University is 11:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$97M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$56,925
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
70 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
20
29%
$65,493
Associate Professors
17
24%
$53,423
Assistant Professors
32
46%
$53,798
Instructors
1
1%
$45,166
Pros & Cons of Southern Nazarene University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Southern Nazarene University tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
Solid post-graduation earnings
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
Above-average net price
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Below-average completion rate
Best for:
Based on the data, Southern Nazarene University is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Nazarene University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Southern Nazarene University.
How much does Southern Nazarene University cost?
The average net price after aid at Southern Nazarene University is $22,084 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southern Nazarene University worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $54,951 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $22,084 per year. That's roughly 2.5x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Southern Nazarene University known for?
Southern Nazarene University is best known for its programs in Business Administration, Business Administration, Educational Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Southern Nazarene University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Southern Nazarene University are $54,951, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Southern Nazarene University accredited?
Yes. Southern Nazarene University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Southern Nazarene University?
Southern Nazarene University enrolls 1,455 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Nazarene University?
Southern Nazarene University graduates 52% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Southern Nazarene University a public or private college?
Southern Nazarene University is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Southern Nazarene University located?
Southern Nazarene University is located in Bethany, Oklahoma.
What programs does Southern Nazarene University offer?
Southern Nazarene University offers 42 distinct programs. The most popular include Business Administration, Business Administration, Educational Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Southern Nazarene University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Southern Nazarene University is 11:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Oklahoma
Other colleges in Oklahoma share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.