Southwestern University

"Southwestern is one of the few jewels of the Southwest whose mission is to prepare a new generation to contribute to a changing society, and to prosper in their jobs, whatever and wherever in the world they may be."
-Loren Pope

CHARACTER

• Selective, independent, four-year, undergraduate, national liberal arts college consisting of The Brown College of Arts and Sciences and The Sarofim School of Fine Arts

• Southwestern's core purpose is to foster a liberal arts community whose values and actions encourage contributions toward the well-being of humanity.

• Chartered by the Republic of Texas in 1840, Southwestern was the first institution of higher learning in Texas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

• Southwestern is located in historic Georgetown, Texas, just north of Austin and within a three-hour drive of three of the nation's 10 largest cities.

WORTH NOTING

• Southwestern's Paideia® Program is a different kind of honors program, one that emphasizes intellectual curiosity and civic engagement.It is an academically rigorous, student-professor collaborative experience designed to foster and promote connections between civic engagement, intercultural experiences, and undergraduate research and creative works. Each student enrolled in Paideia® becomes part of a cohort of up to ten Paideia® Scholars who meet with the same Paideia® Professor for their three years in the program. Scholars earn four to six hours of upper-level elective credits and up to $1000 for Paideia®-related expenses. Scholars graduate with special Paideia® distinction.

• Southwestern University's $314 million endowment is one of the largest per student in the nation.

• More than 60 percent of Southwestern students volunteer on campus or in the community—a rate that is twice the national average. In 2006-07, Southwestern students contributed more than 17,000 hours of service to nearly 100 different agencies or programs. For more than 12 years, students have participated in Destination: Service, Southwestern’s alternative Spring Break, volunteering to build and repair homes, working in national parks, and serving in urban social programs and ministries nationally and abroad.

• Southwestern’s commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility has lead to it being the second university in Texas to sign the Talloires Declaration, an initiative that calls on the University to envision programs and practices that make our world more sustainable. Initiatives include a Green/Civic Engagement residence hall, computer based effluent water irrigation systems, an alternative transportation Pirate Bike Program, use of sustainable/recycled products, low/no maintenance building finishes and products, low-volume shower heads and LEED certification on all new construction projects—just to name a few.

• Extensive campus facilities include two live-performance theaters, a spacious sports and recreational center, a human performance laboratory, an aquatic animal research laboratory, an observatory, and a teaching greenhouse.

• 50% of students study abroad during their time at Southwestern. Approximately 50% of the students participate in at least one internship prior to their graduation.

ENROLLMENT

• 1,271 men and women; 371 new students in 2008

• 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio

• 93% of students are from Texas and 7% are from other states or nations; altogether 37 states and 9 countries are represented on campus.

• Minority students constitute 23% of the student body.

FACULTY & ACADEMICS

• 99% of tenure-track faculty hold the most advanced degree in their field.

• Collaborative research and publication between faculty and students is common and encouraged.

• Students may earn Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees.

• No graduate degrees or programs are offered.

TUITION & FEES

• Tuition and Fees: $27,940

• Room and Board: $8,380

• 52% of students received need-based financial aid last year

• 32% of students received merit-based aid last year

CAMPUS LIFE

• 85% of students live in residential housing, which includes Internet, cable, and voice-mail access.

• NCAA Division III competition in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference with varsity basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis for men and women; baseball for men, volleyball and softball for women; teams have recently won SCAC championships in baseball, volleyball, and women's golf.

• 90% student participation in 36 different intercollegiate, club, intramural, and recreational activities, including handball, men's and women's lacrosse and rock climbing.

• More than 100 student organizations

• Southwestern University's Athletic Page

• Men's Lacrosse (varsity play begins Spring 2010)

ACADEMIC PROFILE OF ENTERING CLASS

• Middle 50% on the SAT 1130-1310

• Middle 50% on the ACT 24-29

• 50% of students ranked in the top 10% of their high school class.

• 81% of students ranked in the top 25% of their high school class.