University of the Southwest
Hobbs, New Mexico · Private Nonprofit
ROI Score: 27/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
University of the Southwest, a private nonprofit in Hobbs, NM, scores 27 on the ROI index in Below Benchmark tier. Sticker tuition is $16,670 with a net price of $16,927 - meaning net price slightly exceeds tuition, signaling minimal aid offset and meaningful add-on costs. Average earnings at six years are $34,500, rising to a median $45,389 at 10 years - the 10-year recovery is genuinely respectable. Payback period is 20 years, debt-to-earnings is 0.617 against $21,303 median debt - both moderate. The dominant constraint is a 17% completion rate. Three-year repayment rate is 62.5%. Enrollment is 346 with a 55% Pell rate. USW operates as a small southeastern-New-Mexico private with limited program reporting (only teacher education and kinesiology have program-level data), which limits major-by-major guidance for prospective students.
How University of the Southwest scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score27/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate17.0% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period20 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
University of the Southwest
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,670/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,670/yr |
| Average net price | $16,927/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $67,708 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $45,389 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,500 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,303 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $226 |
| Estimated payback period | 20 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 17.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 346 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $16,670/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $16,927/year, or roughly $67,708 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $15,384/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $21,985/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,303, which works out to about $226 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,500) and comes to 0.62, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
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 | $15,384 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,090 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,943 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,077 |
| $110,001+ | $21,985 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Households at $0-$30,000 pay $15,384 net, $30,001-$48,000 pays $14,090 - the lowest band, with the $30-48K band paying less. Both prices are workable in absolute terms but require completion to deliver value, and at a 17% completion rate the expected value is poor.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
$48,001-$75,000 pays $15,943; $75,001-$110,000 jumps to $20,077. The middle bands show normal progressive aid.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $21,985 - the top bracket. Total 4-year cost about $88,000 against $45,389 ten-year median earnings - a 1.9x ratio that is workable if the student finishes, though the completion data makes that a substantial risk.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at University of the Southwest with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $38,080 | D |
| Teacher Education | $47,402 | 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.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education has 9 graduates, $40,282 first-year earnings, $47,402 at four years, $24,312 median debt, 0.604 debt-to-earnings, and a C ROI grade. Career paths run through New Mexico K-12 public schools and regional charter networks. This is the strongest reported pathway at USW.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology has 14 graduates, no first-year earnings reported, $38,080 four-year earnings, $28,011 median debt, 0.736 debt-to-earnings, and a D ROI grade. The debt load is meaningful, producing the D grade. Students drawn to this program for athletic-related career intentions should plan on graduate study or certifications to convert the credential into a wage-clearing outcome.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 50.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 62.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 54.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 59.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How University of the Southwest’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 346 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 55.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $3,737 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. Standardized test scores are also unreported. Without admit-rate data, the 17% completion rate is the dominant signal: roughly one in six enrolling students finishes, an exceptionally weak outcome. This pattern often correlates with significant athletic-recruitment enrollment that does not persist; USW is known regionally for athletics, which would be consistent with the data.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of the Southwest (this school) | 27 | $16,927 | $45,389 |
| St. John's College | 35 | $26,674 | $44,985 |
| Baptist University of Florida | 31 | $10,372 | $42,836 |
| Central Christian College of Kansas | 28 | $11,404 | $44,468 |
| College of the Atlantic | 25 | $25,184 | $40,264 |
| The New England Conservatory of Music | 25 | $46,754 | $34,483 |
Who Thrives Here
Fits southeastern New Mexico residents seeking small-private access, particularly athletes recruited into the school's programs. Enrollment of 346 is very small; 55% Pell rate signals heavy low-income enrollment. The 17% completion rate means prospective students should plan carefully for persistence - the institutional pattern is that most enrollees do not finish. Teacher-education-bound students see the school's most defensible outcomes; kinesiology shows weaker payback math.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, University of the Southwest scores 27/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $16,927 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $45,389 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 20 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 17.0% graduation rate, a three-year loan repayment rate of 62.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $21,303 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,500 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
University of the Southwest: Common Questions
Is University of the Southwest worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. University of the Southwest scores 27/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $16,927 a year after aid against $45,389 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 20 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does University of the Southwest cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $16,927 a year, or roughly $67,708 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do University of the Southwest graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $45,389 ten years after enrolling, roughly $3,589 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off University of the Southwest?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 20 years for University of the Southwest. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do University of the Southwest graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,303, against average earnings of $34,500 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at University of the Southwest?
The six-year graduation rate is 17.0%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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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.