The University of the South vs NorthWestern

Nestled in the picturesque landscapes of Tennessee and Illinois, The University of the South and Northwestern University stand as two distinct academic havens, each offering a unique educational experience. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they diverge in several key aspects. The University of the South, with its acceptance rate of 68%, welcomes a diverse student body, fostering a close-knit community. Northwestern University, on the other hand, boasts a highly selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 9%, attracting a globally diverse student population. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you discern the institution that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University

The University of the South logo

The University of the South

Overview

Location Evanston, Illinois Sewanee, Tennessee
Campus setting City: Small Rural: Distant
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Quarter Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 99.0% 90.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 7.0% 60.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1470 - 1570 1200 - 1390
ACT range 34 - 35 26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score 43.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 39.0% 49.0%
Total number of applicants 47,636 4,162
Total number of admissions given out 3,321 2,508
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,086 474
Yield rate 62.8% 18.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $83,838 $66,480
Average net price $29,999 $29,626
Tuition $60,276 $49,146
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,271

Meal plan: $6,993
Room/dormitory: $7,314

Meal plan: $6,798
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

57.0%
Average amount $51,087
95.0%
Average amount $35,383
Students receiving federal student loan 23.0%
Average amount $4,625
74.0%
Average amount $5,329
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $38,595
0.0%
Average amount $0

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 8,847
Men 46.1% Women 53.9%
1,735
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students 14,562
Men 47.3% Women 52.7%
85
Men 58.8% Women 41.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 77.6%
International students 17.8% 3.9%
Campus local/setting City: Small Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity 4,409 1,800
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Tennessee Georgia North Carolina Texas Alabama

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Legal Profession
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Theology
  • History
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.2% 80.2%
Dropout rate 4.2% 1.9%
Transferred out N/A 17.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $150,242
  • Year 2: $188,472
  • Year 3: $221,242
Business/Commerce, General (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $188,472
  • Year 3: $216,176
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $187,194
  • Year 2: $170,971
  • Year 3: $206,288
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $120,709
  • Year 2: $189,565
  • Year 3: $194,961
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $162,478
  • Year 2: $163,561
  • Year 3: $177,652
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,200
  • Year 2: $157,779
  • Year 3: $159,304
Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $140,321
  • Year 2: $141,586
  • Year 3: $154,556
Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,288
  • Year 2: $118,465
  • Year 3: $132,325
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $118,780
  • Year 2: $111,323
  • Year 3: $130,124
Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,760
  • Year 2: $113,668
  • Year 3: $128,046
Theological and Ministerial Studies (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,807
  • Year 2: $75,204
  • Year 3: $77,812
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,532
  • Year 2: $47,595
  • Year 3: $63,733
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,235
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: $52,168
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,960
  • Year 3: $47,601
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,230
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: $38,096
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,774
  • Year 3: $33,693
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $15,922
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,028
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: N/A

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