Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Southern Wesleyan University

Central, South Carolina·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·swu.edu
6-yr Graduation
52%
-1.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Total enrollment
980
peer median 1,756
Avg net price
$15,464
-$3.9k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Use this data
Ask Clema
AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR Office

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
427
427 candidates competed
Admitted
425
99.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
142
33.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
52%-1.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
4-year graduation
50%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
57%
Full-time retention
69%

Pell equity

16.6pp gap
Pell recipients
44%48 of 108
Non-Pell (all)
61%63 of 104
Subsidized loan, no Pell
65%24 of 37
No Federal Aid
58%39 of 67

Non-Pell students graduate at a 16.6-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 44 Title IV programs, 9 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 35 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
44
Passing
9
20.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

44programs
  • Passing9 · 20.5%
  • No Data35 · 79.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
9
No data
35

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

9
Human Resources Management and Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+26.9%
$65,410 vs $51,545
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+32.0%
$55,963 vs $42,400
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+35.9%
$44,824 vs $32,989
Human Services General
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+44.1%
$47,528 vs $32,989
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+45.1%
$47,882 vs $32,989
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
+57.7%
$66,845 vs $42,400
Criminology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+59.2%
$52,534 vs $32,989
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+62.6%
$83,798 vs $51,545

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

8
Human Services General
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
64%
$30,493 debt · $47,528 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
56%
$27,000 debt · $47,882 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
51%
$22,653 debt · $44,824 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
48%
$30,147 debt · $62,278 earn
Human Resources Management and Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
42%
$27,333 debt · $65,410 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
39%
$26,262 debt · $66,845 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
35%
$29,680 debt · $83,798 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
30%
$16,935 debt · $55,963 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1973Next review Dec 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 3

Action history · 10

  1. Dec 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Jun 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Apr 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Sep 2022Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  5. Dec 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$14,084
$30–48k$14,218
$48–75k$14,230
$75–110k$14,899
$110k+$17,381

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$15,464
-$3,883vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs median $19,347
Federal loans
78.2%
In-state tuition
$29,800
Out-of-state
$29,800

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 417 students received $2.2M in Pell grants, alongside $5.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
417
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$2.2M
$2,193,588 total
Direct Loans
$5.6M
995 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
0k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.3M
359 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.7M
439 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$1.5M
119 loan awards
Parent PLUS$994K
73 loan awards
Grad PLUS$81K
5 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 538 borrowers who entered repayment, 13 (2.4%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.4%
+0.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
538
Defaulted
13
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.7%
2017
10.0%
2018
7.1%
2019
2.4%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Southern Wesleyan

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs42
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

209 total completions
01Business
5425.8%
02Education
5023.9%
03Health Professions
199.1%
04Parks/Recreation
199.1%
05Psychology
167.7%
06Family/Consumer Sci
157.2%
07Philosophy/Religion
125.7%
08Public Admin
94.3%
09Biological Sciences
83.8%
10Social Sciences
73.3%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
980
12-mo unduplicated
1,108
Undergraduate
867
Graduate
241

Gender split

Men
34%382
Women
66%726

Race / ethnicity composition

White
68.8%
Black
15.0%
Hispanic
8.6%
Two or more
4.3%
Unknown
1.5%
Non-resident
1.2%
Asian
0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
307
172 M · 135 W
Women athletes
44.0%
Athletic aid
$2.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$4.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.0M
$1.0M
Recruiting expense
$3K
$6K
Head-coach salaries
$36K
$34K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
75 M · 43 W
$640K
Baseball
72 M · —
$711K
Soccer
31 M · 29 W
$614K
Basketball
28 M · 17 W
$728K
Softball
— · 33 W
$363K
Lacrosse
— · 21 W
$285K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 1,188 students

3-year trend

2.312 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
3
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs01
    Liquor03

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    IPEDS
    Student-to-faculty
    10.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    46

    Southern Wesleyan vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Southern Wesleyan selected for federal comparison reporting.

    IPEDS
    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectSouthern Wesleyan University
    		52%—980$15,464Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Coker University
    		40%94.0%1,325$20,286Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Converse University
    		62%67.7%1,787$23,283Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Columbia College
    		37%93.9%1,725$18,408Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    North Greenville University
    		55%66.7%2,304$21,063Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Bob Jones University
    		63%86.2%2,734$16,641Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Peer group median54%86.2%1,756$19,347

    Institutions like Southern Wesleyan

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Southern Wesleyan's comparison group.

    IPEDS

    Southern Wesleyan Institutional Research office

    The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

    Office
    Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Institutional Research
    Phone
    864-644-5043
    Address
    907 Wesleyan Dr, Central, SC 29630

    The primary mission is to collect data, conduct research, facilitate institutional assessments, and analyze information in order to provide guidance that supports policy formulation, institutional planning, decision-making, and institutional effectiveness.

    Visit IR office page
    Team
    2 members
    • Caleb Southern
      Director of Institutional Effectiveness
    • Todd Cockrell
      Director of Institutional Research

    Frequently asked questions about Southern Wesleyan University

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Southern Wesleyan.

    What is the graduation rate at Southern Wesleyan University?

    Southern Wesleyan University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 52% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend Southern Wesleyan University?

    Southern Wesleyan University reports a total enrollment of 980 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Southern Wesleyan University?

    The average net price at Southern Wesleyan University is $15,464 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at Southern Wesleyan University?

    Southern Wesleyan University's yield rate is 33.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is Southern Wesleyan University located?

    Southern Wesleyan University is located in Central, South Carolina 29630-1020.

    Who runs Institutional Research at Southern Wesleyan University?

    Southern Wesleyan University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Institutional Research.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    U.S. Department of Education
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    U.S. Department of Education
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
    U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
    Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

    Have a question this page can’t answer?

    Ask Clema anything about Southern Wesleyan University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

    Try for freeBook a demo

    Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card