The University of the South is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Sewanee, Tennessee. It enrolls 1,607 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
69/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes87
Value34
Affordability15
Selectivity81
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
The University of the South admits 56.9% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
56.9%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1260 – 1390
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
27 – 31
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether The University of the South is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
15.8 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $27,872 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$56,120
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,028
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,028
Books & Supplies
$500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,750
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,750
Total Cost of Attendance
$71,986
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
$10,485
$30,001 – $48,000
$10,704
$48,001 – $75,000
$17,746
$75,001 – $110,000
$22,563
Over $110,000
$38,762
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.
$3,50010%percentile
$7,50025%percentile
$22,855Medianpercentile
$24,00075%percentile
$27,96690%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 $16,000
↓ $6,855
No Pell $19,500
↓ $3,355
Female students $18,250
↓ $4,605
Male students $16,000
↓ $6,855
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,731, less than completers ($22,855), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
72% of students who start here finish within six years, and 89% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
72%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
89%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $64,911 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$64,911
Earning > $25K
86%
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
$43,700
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$60,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $16,400, about 27% 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 ↑
9.6 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,607 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,607
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
13%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 82.5%1,325
Hispanic 5.5%88
Black 4.0%65
International 3.6%57
Other 3.2%52
Asian 0.8%13
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at The University of the South. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
The University of the South offers
a varied set of programs:
35 distinct programs across
16 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.
There are 9 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
9:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$709M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$88,047
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
183 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
63
34%
$114,096
Associate Professors
47
26%
$88,953
Assistant Professors
66
36%
$65,047
Instructors
7
4%
$64,368
Pros & Cons of The University of the South
No college is right for everyone. Here is where The University of the South is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Frequently Asked Questions about The University of the South
The questions families ask most about The University of the South, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is The University of the South hard to get into?
Admissions at The University of the South are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 56.9%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at The University of the South?
56.9% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for The University of the South?
Aim for 1390 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1260 and 1390 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for The University of the South?
Aim for 31 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 27 and 31 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does The University of the South cost?
Budget around $27,872 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is The University of the South worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $64,911 a year against a net price of $27,872, about 2.3 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is The University of the South known for?
Mostly Psychology, Economics, Political Science. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do The University of the South graduates earn?
About $64,911 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is The University of the South accredited?
Yes. The University of the South is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend The University of the South?
1,607 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at The University of the South?
72% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is The University of the South a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is The University of the South located?
The University of the South is located in Sewanee, Tennessee.
What programs does The University of the South offer?
35 different programs, most commonly Psychology, Economics, Political Science. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at The University of the South?
9 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Tennessee
Other colleges in Tennessee 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.
Business Administration
Education, General
Kinesiology
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