Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate nonprofitHSI

University of the Southwest

Hobbs, New Mexico·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southwest·usw.edu
Acceptance
45.4%
-8.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
6-yr Graduation
17%
-32.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
1,130
peer median 1,737
Avg net price
$16,927
-$5.7k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

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

Applied
282
282 candidates competed
Admitted
128
45.4% acceptance rate
Enrolled
89
69.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
17%-32.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
13%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
17%
Full-time retention
55%

Pell equity

4.2pp gap
Pell recipients
19%5 of 26
Non-Pell (all)
15%4 of 27
Subsidized loan, no Pell
22%2 of 9
No Federal Aid
11%2 of 18

Pell recipients here graduate at a 4.2-point higher rate than non-Pell students, unusual and worth a closer look.

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.

Of 55 Title IV programs, 4 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 49 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
55
Passing
4
7.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
2
3.6% of portfolio
Fail rate
3.6%
+3.0pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

55programs
  • Passing4 · 7.3%
  • No Data49 · 89.1%
  • Failing2 · 3.6%

Severity spectrum

Critical
1
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
1
Watch
0
Safe
3
No data
49

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.

6
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-21.0%
$47,483 vs $60,112
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
-4.0%
$49,484 vs $51,545
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+9.4%
$38,080 vs $34,808
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+28.4%
$59,588 vs $46,391
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+36.2%
$47,402 vs $34,808
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+74.0%
$104,595 vs $60,112

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
-4.0%
$2,061

Debt vs earnings

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

6
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
139%
$65,986 debt · $47,483 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
69%
$41,001 debt · $59,588 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
54%
$20,500 debt · $38,080 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
52%
$25,656 debt · $49,484 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
52%
$24,484 debt · $47,402 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
33%
$34,508 debt · $104,595 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1980Next review Aug 2034

Action history · 1

  1. Apr 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$15,384
$30–48k$14,090
$48–75k$15,943
$75–110k$20,077
$110k+$21,985

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

Avg net price (private)
$16,927
-$5,683vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $22,610
Federal loans
64.1%
In-state tuition
$16,670
Out-of-state
$16,670

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 224 students received $1.2M in Pell grants, alongside $10.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
224
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$1.2M
$1,241,254 total
Direct Loans
$10.6M
1,076 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
0k
23
0k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$689K
187 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$577K
183 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$8.2M
617 loan awards
Parent PLUS$206K
27 loan awards
Grad PLUS$919K
62 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.

Of 394 borrowers who entered repayment, 18 (4.5%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
4.5%
+2.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
394
Defaulted
18
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
9.8%
2017
12.8%
2018
12.2%
2019
4.5%
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 University of the Southwest

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs36
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

302 total completions
01Education
10334.1%
02Health Professions
5919.5%
03Business
4013.2%
04Parks/Recreation
299.6%
05Psychology
268.6%
06Biological Sciences
268.6%
07Liberal Arts
155.0%
08Philosophy/Religion
31.0%
09Security/Protective
10.3%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
1,130
12-mo unduplicated
1,410
Undergraduate
385
Graduate
1,025

Gender split

Men
33%472
Women
67%938

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
64.7%
White
16.2%
Unknown
8.1%
Black
7.8%
Two or more
1.5%
Asian
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.9%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
275
169 M · 106 W
Women athletes
38.5%
Athletic aid
$2.0M
Total student aid
Budget
$3.8M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.2M
$783K
Recruiting expense
$6K
$5K
Head-coach salaries
$31K
$33K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Soccer
45 M · 29 W
$766K
Baseball
68 M ·
$731K
Basketball
35 M · 21 W
$726K
Softball
· 28 W
$330K
Golf
13 M · 11 W
$298K
Volleyball
· 15 W
$186K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 1,034 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.941 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
1
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
    Drugs00
    Liquor02

    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.

    Student-to-faculty
    21.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    28

    University of the Southwest vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions University of the Southwest selected for federal comparison reporting.

    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
    SubjectUniversity of the Southwest
    17%45.4%1,130$16,927Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
    892Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
    45%91.3%1,396$23,131Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
    73%53.4%2,078$22,610Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
    49%2,198$22,084Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
    50%2,308$29,135Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
    Peer group median49%53.4%1,737$22,610

    Institutions like University of the Southwest

    Explore the federal data for institutions in University of the Southwest's comparison group.

    University of the Southwest Institutional Research office

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

    Office
    Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness
    Phone
    (575) 392 - 6561
    Address
    6610 N Lovington Highway, Hobbs, NM 88240

    The webpage provides general information about the University of the Southwest, its values, mission, and commitment to providing a supportive and inclusive educational environment. There is a focus on developing leadership skills, experiential learning, and community involvement. Contact information is provided for inquiries.

    Visit IR office page

    Frequently asked questions about University of the Southwest

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about University of the Southwest.

    What is the acceptance rate at University of the Southwest?

    University of the Southwest's acceptance rate is 45.4% (128 admitted from 282 applicants), based on the latest IPEDS.

    What is the graduation rate at University of the Southwest?

    University of the Southwest reports a 6-year graduation rate of 17% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend University of the Southwest?

    University of the Southwest reports a total enrollment of 1,130 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at University of the Southwest?

    The average net price at University of the Southwest is $16,927 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at University of the Southwest?

    University of the Southwest's yield rate is 69.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is University of the Southwest located?

    University of the Southwest is located in Hobbs, New Mexico 88240.

    Who runs Institutional Research at University of the Southwest?

    University of the Southwest's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness.

    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.
    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.
    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.
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    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.
    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.
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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