Southwestern Adventist University
Keene, Texas · Private Nonprofit · 78.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 41/100 · Poor Value
Southwestern Adventist University scores 41/100 (Poor Value, red tier), a Seventh-day Adventist private nonprofit in rural Texas whose economics, like many small religious schools, depend heavily on nursing. Tuition is $25,380 against a $22,778 net price (a modest 10% institutional discount), with four-year total cost of $91,112. Median 6-year earnings are $39,000, rising to $52,946 by year 10. Median debt is $26,998, yielding a 0.692 debt-to-earnings ratio (30/100 sub-score). The 12.9-year payback period is workable, completion rate of 52.3% is mid-pack, and three-year repayment rate of 72.6% (47/100) shows borrowers manage payments reasonably. Earnings premium of 0.197 over high-school baseline is modest. The 71-graduate nursing program is the school's flagship economic engine with $76,795 first-year earnings and a B ROI grade; outside nursing, the program data thins out fast. SWAU serves 570 students with a 42.1% Pell rate; the school's Adventist mission and rural Keene TX setting attract students for faith and community reasons more than for ROI signals.
The data raises concerns about Southwestern Adventist University
These metrics fall below the thresholds most financial advisors recommend for a sound college investment. Review them carefully before committing.
- ROI Score41/100 - Poor Value tier (below 45). Most 4-year schools we track score 60 or higher.
Southwestern Adventist University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $25,380/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $25,380/yr |
| Average net price | $22,778/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $91,112 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $52,946 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $39,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,998 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 12.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 52.3% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 570 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The sticker price at Southwestern Adventist University is $25,380/year. But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $22,778/year, or roughly $91,112 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $16,725/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $31,475/year.
The median graduate leaves with $26,998 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $286 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $52,946 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.69 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $16,725 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,462 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,441 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $27,439 |
| $110,001+ | $31,475 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $16,725 net, or $66,900 over four years. The bracket pricing is severely inverted: families in $48,001-$75,000 actually pay the least at $15,441, while $30,001-$48,000 pays $21,462. This inversion is the most pronounced in our recent dataset and suggests aid-stacking quirks where mid-bracket families catch institutional merit while lowest-income families don't. Worth contacting the financial aid office to clarify.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The middle-income range shows the inversion clearly: $30,001-$48,000 pays $21,462, $48,001-$75,000 pays $15,441 (the cheapest tier of all), and $75,001-$110,000 pays $27,439. This is a structural aid stacking anomaly. Middle-middle income students apparently get strong merit-need combinations; lower-middle income students do not. Worth modeling explicitly through the net price calculator.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $31,475 net, or $125,900 over four years. Full-pay families should treat SWAU as a faith-mission decision; the cost-to-outcome math at this tier doesn't justify the school over TX public alternatives that produce similar or better earnings outcomes.
Earnings by Major
Top 3 most popular majors at Southwestern Adventist University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $88,324 | B |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $33,999 | D |
| Education, General | $45,551 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is the school's flagship economic engine and only B-grade program: 71 graduates, $76,795 first-year earnings rising to $88,324 by year four, $31,000 debt and a 0.404 debt-to-earnings ratio. Dallas-Fort Worth metro hospital pay scales drive strong wage outcomes, and SWAU's BSN pipeline absorbs graduates well. This single program carries most of SWAU's value proposition; for nursing-track students, the school is a legitimate economic choice.
Education, General
Education produces an unreported number of graduates with $45,551 first-year earnings (no year-4 data) and $27,000 debt for a 0.593 debt-to-earnings ratio and C grade. Texas teacher demand absorbs graduates, but starting a teaching career at this debt level against capped public-school wages is rough. State publics (Texas State, UNT) produce identical employment outcomes at substantially lower debt.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business has just 5 graduates with $33,999 first-year earnings (no year-4 data) against $27,000 debt for a 0.794 debt-to-earnings ratio and D grade. Weak earnings and small sample make the major hard to recommend at SWAU's cost level. DFW-area state universities produce dramatically stronger business outcomes; this is not a defensible major choice at this price.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 62.9% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 72.6% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 56.4% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 64.7% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 78.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 445-590 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 465-610 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 17-25 |
| Enrollment | 570 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 42.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,313 |
SWAU admits 78.4% of applicants with SAT mid-ranges of 445-590 math and 465-610 reading, and ACT mid-range 17-25. These ranges are below national medians, signaling a faith-mission rather than selective-screening admission policy. The 52.3% completion rate aligns: prepared students (nursing track in particular, which has tight academic requirements) complete at higher rates than the schoolwide average. Bottom-half admits face attrition risk.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Abilene Christian University is the largest and best-known TX faith-based peer, typically scoring higher than SWAU due to broader program offerings and stronger earnings. Arlington Baptist University and Briar Cliff University are smaller religious peers with similar Poor Value ROI scores. Westminster College-MO is a slightly different liberal-arts profile. Rabbinical College-Bobover-Yeshiva-Bnei-Zion serves a non-comparable Orthodox Jewish population. Across this set, SWAU's nursing outcomes stand out as a real strength even though the schoolwide score sits in the Poor Value tier.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Adventist University (this school) | 41 | $22,778 | $52,946 |
| Northwest Nazarene University | 41 | $29,580 | $51,719 |
| Clear Creek Baptist Bible College | 41 | $10,949 | $41,623 |
| Westminster College | 41 | $24,314 | $52,199 |
| Hobe Sound Bible College | 40 | $12,074 | $39,863 |
| Eastern Nazarene College | 40 | $25,381 | $54,727 |
Who Thrives Here
Southwestern Adventist University fits Seventh-day Adventist students seeking a small denominational college experience, committed to nursing or education as their major, and able to keep net price in the $15,000-$22,000 range through institutional aid stacking. With 570 students and 42.1% Pell, the campus is intimate and mission-driven. Students drawn to faith-based community over academic prestige fit well; students considering business or non-nursing majors should benchmark TX public alternatives (UT-Arlington, UNT) which produce stronger outcomes at lower cost.
The Verdict: The Numbers Don't Add Up
The financial data raises serious concerns about Southwestern Adventist University. With a net cost of $22,778 per year and median graduate earnings of only $52,946 ten years out, the estimated payback period exceeds 12.9 years. For most students, the financial return does not justify the cost.
Areas of concern include weak earnings relative to cost and a 52.3% graduation rate and high debt relative to what graduates earn.
Median debt of $26,998 against $52,946 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.