Private Nonprofit · Bolivar, Missouri

Southwest Baptist University

Southwest Baptist University is a private nonprofit institution in Bolivar, Missouri. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.

$43,112
10-yr median earnings
68.4%
Acceptance rate
$21,677
Avg net price / yr
53.2%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Southwest Baptist University pairs above-median former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 43%
former-student earnings, US
68.4%
acceptance rate
53.2%
150%-time completion
+11%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Distant Carnegie: Master's (L)
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Southwest Baptist University profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

D
College Value Score
44/100
Southwest Baptist University

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings C-
$43,112
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$21,677
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
53.2%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$20,957
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B+
73.8%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
64.8%
First-year students returning for year two
Southwest Baptist University vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$43,112

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$21,677

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

53.2%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 53.2%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Southwest Baptist University vs peers

Southwest Baptist University positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Southwest Baptist University positioned by e… Carnegie Classification: Master's (L) Master's (… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $33K $55K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $5K $28K Avg Net Price ($) Southwest Baptist University (you are here): $43K earn · $22K net · 53% grad You are here - Southwest Baptist … Avila University: $53K earn · $16K net · 47% grad Avila University William Woods University: $42K earn · $27K net · 52% grad William Woods Univ… Drury University: $41K earn · $21K net · 64% grad Drury University Missouri Valley College: $43K earn · $18K net · 23% grad Missouri Valley Co… College of the Ozarks: $42K earn · $6K net · 62% grad College of the Oza… Evangel University: $47K earn · $19K net · 65% grad Mission University: $39K earn · $21K net · 41% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Southwest Baptist University ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Southwest Baptist University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$43,112 Top 43% higher than 57% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric Southwest Baptist University National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $43,112 #2218 of 5103 57th
Average net price $21,677 #3395 of 5020 32nd (lower is better)
150%-time completion 53.2% #2732 of 4858 44th
Undergraduate enrollment 1,341 #1881 of 5462 66th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

1,341
Undergraduate enrollment
68.4%
Acceptance rate
1,088
SAT average
53.2%
150%-time completion
$43,112
10-yr median earnings
64.8%
First-year retention

How Southwest Baptist University ranks in Missouri

State rank among 120 reporting Missouri colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Southwest Baptist University State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $43,112 #52 of 120 57th
Average net price $21,677 #85 of 119 29th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 53.2% #67 of 107 37th
Undergraduate enrollment 1,341 #39 of 125 69th

Highest former-student earnings in Missouri

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis$137,047$31,817
2Chamberlain University-Missouri$92,405$30,716
3Washington University in St Louis$86,182$21,786
4Research College of Nursing$85,910-
5Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing$84,393-
6Missouri University of Science and Technology$82,957$16,298
7Saint Louis University$70,783$24,398
8Rockhurst University$67,102$25,884
9University of Missouri-Columbia$63,403$20,268
10Maryville University of Saint Louis$62,105$22,066
11Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences$60,918$19,390
12University of Missouri-Kansas City$59,637$13,310
52Southwest Baptist UniversityThis school$43,112$21,677

Admissions

Admission Rate 68.4%
SAT Average 1,088
SAT Math (25th-75th) 380 – 600
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 430 – 610
ACT Average 22
ACT (25th-75th) 17 – 26
0%100%68.4%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Southwest Baptist University

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Southwest Baptist University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $30,566
Out-of-State Tuition $30,566
Average Net Price $21,677
36.3%
Pell Grant Rate
50.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$20,957
Median Debt
$222/mo
Monthly Payment

2013–2023: what Southwest Baptist University costs has stayed close to flat

Average net price moved +21.6% over 10 years, from $17,344 to $21,082 in nominal dollars. The median college measured over the same span moved +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $17,3442014: $16,7392015: $14,8102016: $16,4812017: $17,9592018: $16,5322019: $17,6822020: $17,2912021: $17,3692022: $18,7482023: $21,082
2013 · $17,3442023 · $21,082

Over the same years, enrollment went -46.8% (2,515 → 1,339 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

65.2%
Female
35.5%
First Generation

Outcomes

64.8%
Retention Rate
$38,855
Median Earnings (6yr)
61.2%
Earning Over $25K
73.8%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 53.2%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 64.8%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $38,855
Median earnings 10 years after entry $43,112
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 61.2%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 73.8%
Median federal student debt At completion $20,957
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $222/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 12 248 $53,838 $78,525 $23,189
Master's 3 152 $53,377 $56,186 $17,863
Doctoral 2 0 $79,059 $80,017 $115,500
Associate's 2 140 $63,286 $71,927 $16,300

Top programs at Southwest Baptist University by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Education, General Doctoral 0 $80,017 -
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 63 $78,525 $22,308
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions Doctoral - $78,101 $115,500
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate's 127 $71,927 $18,600
Computer Science Bachelor's 18 $62,016 -
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Bachelor's 28 $58,770 $19,550
Educational Administration and Supervision Master's 41 $56,186 $22,238
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 25 $56,182 -
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate's 13 $54,644 $14,000
Education, General Master's 98 $50,567 $13,487
Psychology, General Bachelor's 26 $43,058 $23,512
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Bachelor's 15 $41,618 $25,762
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's 22 $36,697 $23,000
Biology, General Bachelor's 20 - -
Mathematics Bachelor's 7 - -

Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Southwest Baptist University?
Southwest Baptist University is a private nonprofit institution in Bolivar, Missouri. The acceptance rate is 68.4%. The average SAT score is 1,088. Undergraduate enrollment is 1,341 students.
How much do Southwest Baptist University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Southwest Baptist University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $43,112 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $38,855.
How much does Southwest Baptist University cost?
The average net price at Southwest Baptist University is $21,677. In-state tuition is $30,566 and out-of-state tuition is $30,566. Median student debt at graduation is $20,957.
What is the graduation rate at Southwest Baptist University?
Southwest Baptist University has a 53.2% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 64.8%.
Is Southwest Baptist University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Southwest Baptist University is $20,957, while former students earn a median of $43,112 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 49% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 73.8% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $222.

Sources & methodology

Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.

Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from Southwest Baptist University

Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.