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AlmaSpire

Sewanee, TN · Private · 1,607 undergraduates · rural

The University of the South

Moderately selective

Sewanee's academic and residential campus sits inside a vast university-owned Domain that also functions as a laboratory, trail system, and outdoor classroom.

Rex Hammock / CC BY-SA 2.0

Institutional profile

Highly regarded Strong in student experience, and strong in academic standing.
Academic Strong Affordability Steady Career Solid Mobility Steady Experience Strong
Academic standing Strong
Affordability Steady
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Steady
Student experience Strong
Admission
50.9% admitted

5,018 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
81.3%

$64,911 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets The University of the South apart

Academic design

Courses and research use the Domain's forests, caves, lakes, watersheds, archaeology, and ecosystems for field-based work across multiple disciplines.

Campus pattern

The university's Domain surrounds the Tennessee mountaintop campus with thousands of acres of forests, bluffs, lakes, caves, and recreational trails.

A signature opportunity

The Domain makes university-owned wilderness a routine part of academics, recreation, research, and campus identity.

Can I get in?

50.9% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

5,018

About 51 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 50.9%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1236–1398
11201500
ACT middle 50%27–32
2435

Of admitted students, 17% submitted an SAT, and 39% submitted an ACT. Treat the SAT range as a guide to the students who submitted that test, not to everyone admitted.

Academic benchmarkModerately selective

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for The University of the South, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What The University of the South weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Courses and research use the Domain's forests, caves, lakes, watersheds, archaeology, and ecosystems for field-based work across multiple disciplines.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Sewanee's academic and residential campus sits inside a vast university-owned Domain that also functions as a laboratory, trail system, and outdoor classroom.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Early DecisionDec 1
Early ActionFeb 1
Application routeInstitution application

$0 application fee

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$78,660
Average annual cost after aid$28,000
Affordability profileSteady

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at The University of the South

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years81.3%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one88.7%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$64,911

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Psychology, General

Recent graduates46
Median earnings$58,715

Economics

Recent graduates45
Median earnings$87,762

Political Science and Government

Recent graduates38
Median earnings$72,682

Biology, General

Recent graduates35
Median earnings$47,695

Literature

Recent graduates34
Median earnings

What is campus life like?

The University of the South beyond the classroom

The university's Domain surrounds the Tennessee mountaintop campus with thousands of acres of forests, bluffs, lakes, caves, and recreational trails.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Courses and research use the Domain's forests, caves, lakes, watersheds, archaeology, and ecosystems for field-based work across multiple disciplines.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The university's Domain surrounds the Tennessee mountaintop campus with thousands of acres of forests, bluffs, lakes, caves, and recreational trails.

Signature opportunity

A reason to look closer

The Domain makes university-owned wilderness a routine part of academics, recreation, research, and campus identity.

1,607 undergraduatesSoutheastrural setting100% of first-year students live on campus