Private nonprofit · University

The University of the South

Sewanee, Tennessee · Distant rural

#3 graduation rate in Tennessee#5 for grad earnings in Tennessee
56.9%
Admit rate
$27,872
Avg net price
80%
Graduation rate
$64,911
Median earnings

The University of the South is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Sewanee, Tennessee (distant rural setting), enrolling 1,607 undergraduates. It has a Protestant Episcopal religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,607 undergradsDistant ruralSelective · 57% admitNCAA Division III with football · Southern Athletic AsssociationCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against The University of the South's admitted students.

Admit rate
56.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
1260–1390
Avg GPA (est.)
3.75

Enter a test score to see where you land against The University of the South's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and The University of the South's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Sewanee, Tennessee

Sewanee is a census-designated place in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Winchester, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant rural
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
324 miles
Nearest airport
42 miles to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) (CHA)

How The University of the South compares

Selectivity56.9%

More selective than 79% · #7 most selective of 37 in Tennessee

SAT average1344

Higher than 84%

Graduation rate80%

Higher than 89% · #3 of 43 in Tennessee

First-year retention89%

Higher than 84%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$64,911

Higher than 78% · #5 of 43 in Tennessee

Average net price$27,872

Cheaper than 21% · #39 cheapest of 42 in Tennessee

Median debt at graduation$22,855

Lower than 54%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment1,607

Larger than 52%

Percentiles compare The University of the South with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Tennessee.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,687students
  • Undergraduate1,60795%
  • Graduate805%

Undergraduates by gender

1,607undergrads
  • Women92558%
  • Men68242%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White82%
  • Black4.0%
  • Hispanic5.5%
  • Asian0.8%
  • Other or multiracial7.2%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,607
Graduate enrollment
80
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
16%
First-generation students
13%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$79,417
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$91,422
Endowment
$499,943,537

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 449 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Tennessee25%
  • Other U.S. states72%
  • International2.7%

A national draw — only 25% of first-years come from Tennessee; 72% arrive from other states.

3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
56.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1260–1390
SAT average
1344
SAT reading
640–710
SAT math
620–680
ACT composite
27–31
Average GPA (estimated)
3.75

Cost

In-state tuition
$56,120
Room & board
$16,028
Books & supplies
$500
Total cost of attendance
$71,986
Average net price
$27,872

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
80%
Graduated on time (4 years)
73%
First-year retention
89%
Transferred to another college
18%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$53,456
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$64,911
Median debt at graduation
$22,855
Students with federal loans
34%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
76%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
73%
Low-income (Pell)
76%
First-generation
72%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,800
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$7,948
Meal plan (year)
$7,390
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Southern Athletic Asssociation
Varsity athletes
594 (343 men · 251 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (15)

Football90
Lacrosse80
Soccer64
Baseball48
Track and Field (Outdoor)46
Track and Field (Indoor)43
Swimming and Diving (combined)36
Basketball31
Cross Country31
Tennis26
Golf25
Equestrian25
Field Hockey17
Softball17
Volleyball15

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
7
Property offenses (2022–2024)
6

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,724 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

4.3reported offenses a year
2.3 violent a year2.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
1.3
Fondling
1.0
Rape
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$10,485
$30–48k
$10,704
$48–75k
$17,746
$75–110k
$22,563
$110k+
$38,762

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$73,162

$17,746/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

97%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$32,944
average award, among those who get one

The University of the South discounts heavily: 97% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $32,944. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 416 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$64,911
Typical debt at graduation
$22,855
Debt vs. one year's pay
35%
Out-earn a HS grad
64%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$61,512
Men
$70,618

Men out-earn women by $9,106 (15%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
84°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
64″
Annual snow
5.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.26.4JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Sewanee, TN US station (0.2 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to The University of the South

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare The University of the South side by side →

Colleges near The University of the South

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.