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Southwest Baptist University

Southwest Baptist University is based in the town of Bolivar, MO — a private campus in a small-town setting. The school reports a Southern Baptist affiliation in its federal filings.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$22,672

family income
under $30k

$18,056

$30–48k

$20,785

$48–75k

$21,889

$75–110k

$21,292

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$21,6772023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Southwest Baptist University rose from $13,469 (2008) to $21,677 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$13,469
2009	$14,245
2010	$14,822
2011	$16,209
2012	$17,344
2013	$16,739
2014	$14,810
2015	$16,481
2016	$17,959
2017	$16,532
2018	$17,682
2019	$17,291
2020	$17,369
2021	$18,748
2022	$21,082
2023	$21,677

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$40,3012024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Southwest Baptist University rose from $23,696 (2009) to $40,301 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$23,696
2010	$25,305
2011	$26,379
2012	$27,607
2013	$28,948
2014	$29,870
2015	$30,797
2016	$32,059
2017	$32,924
2018	$33,935
2019	$34,692
2020	$35,243
2021	$36,077
2022	$36,941
2023	$38,035
2024	$40,301

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2001	$10,326
2002	$10,932
2003	$11,591
2004	$11,800
2005	$12,450
2006	$13,300
2007	$14,950
2008	$15,704
2013	$20,040
2014	$20,840
2015	$21,908
2016	$22,508
2017	$23,358
2018	$24,078
2019	$24,578
2020	$25,508
2021	$26,128
2022	$27,038
2023	$28,320

IPEDS Published price 2001–02 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Southwest Baptist University reports published tuition of $30,566 in this record. Southwest Baptist University's $30,566 tuition excludes other attendance costs; aid can reduce the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Southwest Baptist University reports 1,341 undergraduates. This count does not measure class size or advising access.

55.3% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Southwest Baptist University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

55.3%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Southwest Baptist University has wandered from Fall 1993 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts — up to 56.3% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 55.3%.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1993 cohort	56.3%
1994 cohort	54.9%
1995 cohort	47%
1996 cohort	48.4%
1997 cohort	49.3%
1998 cohort	43.5%
1999 cohort	46.3%
2000 cohort	45.9%
2001 cohort	46.8%
2002 cohort	56.2%
2003 cohort	47.2%
2004 cohort	50.1%
2005 cohort	50.1%
2006 cohort	53.7%
2007 cohort	51.8%
2008 cohort	49.2%
2009 cohort	49.8%
2010 cohort	48%
2011 cohort	45.4%
2012 cohort	48.2%
2013 cohort	46.5%
2014 cohort	47.8%
2015 cohort	51.7%
2016 cohort	43.1%
2017 cohort	51.2%
2018 cohort	55.3%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1993–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$10,500	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$10,588	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$11,625	$3,938
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$11,776	$4,797
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$12,297	$5,625
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$11,960	$3,750
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$11,625	$3,938
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$12,551	$3,938
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$12,688	$3,938
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$13,782	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$15,785	$7,120
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$17,865	$7,250
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$19,548	$7,000
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$20,000	$7,000
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$20,000	$7,000
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$21,088	$8,100
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$21,128	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$21,735	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$20,717	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$21,393	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$21,490	$7,784
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$20,957	$7,444

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$38,855

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$42,382

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$43,112

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Southwest Baptist University admitted 872 of 1,275 applicants in Fall 2024. The 68.4% rate describes that application pool.

68.4%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $28,320 tuition · 2023–24 1,341 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 810–12101600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Southwest Baptist University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Southwest Baptist University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 430–610 and Math was 380–600 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 810–1210 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	430	520	610
SAT Math	380	530	600
ACT Composite	17	21	26

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Southwest Baptist University received 1,275 applications and admitted 872 (68.4%), with 299 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

68.4%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	47.7%
Fall 2002	90.5%
Fall 2003	71.6%
Fall 2004	90.8%
Fall 2005	93.1%
Fall 2006	62.6%
Fall 2007	64.6%
Fall 2008	89.1%
Fall 2009	92.3%
Fall 2010	90.4%
Fall 2011	88.2%
Fall 2012	90.5%
Fall 2013	90.2%
Fall 2014	61.9%
Fall 2015	90.5%
Fall 2016	89.7%
Fall 2017	73.2%
Fall 2018	70.4%
Fall 2019	70.9%
Fall 2020	73.4%
Fall 2021	96.2%
Fall 2022	99.6%
Fall 2023	99.7%
Fall 2024	68.4%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

810–1210Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	880	1220
Fall 2005	930	1190
Fall 2006	870	1140
Fall 2007	830	1190
Fall 2008	860	1190
Fall 2009	860	1160
Fall 2010	870	1120
Fall 2011	830	1150
Fall 2012	850	1080
Fall 2013	830	1110
Fall 2014	910	1220
Fall 2015	830	1060
Fall 2016	860	1100
Fall 2017	900	1180
Fall 2018	990	1213
Fall 2019	890	1165
Fall 2020	950	1153
Fall 2021	1000	1210
Fall 2022	928	1148
Fall 2023	960	1200
Fall 2024	810	1210

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

17–26Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	20	25
Fall 2002	19	26
Fall 2003	18	25
Fall 2004	20	26
Fall 2005	20	26
Fall 2006	20	26
Fall 2007	20	26
Fall 2008	20	26
Fall 2009	20	26
Fall 2010	20	25
Fall 2011	20	26
Fall 2012	19	26
Fall 2013	20	26
Fall 2014	20	26
Fall 2015	20	26
Fall 2016	19	25
Fall 2017	20	26
Fall 2018	18	25
Fall 2019	19	25
Fall 2020	19	25
Fall 2021	18	25
Fall 2022	19	25
Fall 2023	18	24
Fall 2024	17	26

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

1,341Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Southwest Baptist University fell from 2,465 (Fall 2002) to 1,341 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	2,465
Fall 2003	2,452
Fall 2004	2,362
Fall 2005	2,355
Fall 2006	2,612
Fall 2007	2,443
Fall 2008	2,507
Fall 2009	2,646
Fall 2010	2,598
Fall 2011	2,584
Fall 2012	2,595
Fall 2013	2,515
Fall 2014	2,477
Fall 2015	2,394
Fall 2016	2,337
Fall 2017	2,252
Fall 2018	2,126
Fall 2019	2,068
Fall 2020	1,954
Fall 2021	1,700
Fall 2022	1,475
Fall 2023	1,339
Fall 2024	1,341

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

65%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Southwest Baptist University fell from 73% (Fall 2003) to 65% (Fall 2023).

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	73%
Fall 2004 cohort	68%
Fall 2005 cohort	71%
Fall 2006 cohort	72%
Fall 2007 cohort	72%
Fall 2008 cohort	68%
Fall 2009 cohort	68%
Fall 2010 cohort	62%
Fall 2011 cohort	67%
Fall 2012 cohort	64%
Fall 2013 cohort	67%
Fall 2014 cohort	67%
Fall 2015 cohort	69%
Fall 2016 cohort	64%
Fall 2017 cohort	71%
Fall 2018 cohort	69%
Fall 2019 cohort	64%
Fall 2020 cohort	67%
Fall 2021 cohort	67%
Fall 2022 cohort	66%
Fall 2023 cohort	65%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Southwest Baptist University

Faculty pay at Southwest Baptist University averages $72,864 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Southwest Baptist University as a primarily residential campus of 1,341 undergraduates — and 64.8% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Southwest Baptist University's SAT section-percentile sums are 810–1210 — their midpoint is below the MO four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Southwest Baptist University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Southwest Baptist University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Southwest Baptist University68.4%

Missouri median72.6%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Southwest Baptist University$30,566

Missouri median$20,293

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Southwest Baptist University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Southwest Baptist University$43,112

Missouri median$47,885

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Southwest Baptist University, Missouri and national reference values
Metric & basis	Southwest Baptist University	Missouri median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	68.4%	72.6%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$30,566	$20,293	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$43,112	$47,885	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Southwest Baptist University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Southwest Baptist University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 7 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$78,525
Computer Science	$62,016
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$58,770
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$56,182
Psychology, General	$43,058
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$41,618
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$36,697

These 7 fields listed for Southwest Baptist University measure earnings after completion. The $43,112 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 36 additional Southwest Baptist University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Southwest Baptist University report?

Southwest Baptist University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 810–1210 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Southwest Baptist University's acceptance rate?

68.4% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 872 admitted from 1,275 applicants.

How much does Southwest Baptist University cost?

At Southwest Baptist University, tuition is $30,566. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Southwest Baptist University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $43,112. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Missouri

Saint Louis University — 75% admitted
Stephens College — 77.2% admitted
Southeast Missouri State University — 73.5% admitted
Rockhurst University — 69.6% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.