Southwestern University

What are the graduation rates for students at Southwestern University?

Southwestern's reported four-year graduation rate is 67%, and its six-year graduation rate is 73%. These measures follow entering cohorts of first-time, full-time degree-seeking students; they do not describe the eventual graduation rate of every transfer or part-time student.

The difference between the two rates shows that some students complete after the fourth year but within six years. A separate reported first-year retention rate of 81% measures the share returning for a second year, not the share who ultimately earn a degree. Students comparing colleges should use the same cohort definition and time period for each institution, particularly when considering the financial effect of an additional year of attendance.

What is the earning potential for graduates at Southwestern University?

College Scorecard field-of-study figures report earnings measured approximately one year after completion for qualifying former students in a particular program. They are not starting-salary offers, guaranteed incomes, or estimates for every graduate.

For programs with a reported figure, the one-year median was $47,033 for education, general; $45,975 for business/commerce, general; and $33,504 for biology, general. The reported median was $32,721 for communication and media studies and $25,962 for psychology, general. These program-level medians should not be combined into a university-wide salary figure.

Early-career earnings reflect more than a major. Graduate study, occupation, geography, hours worked, and the population included in federal earnings records can all affect the result. The one-year measure is particularly limited for fields in which further training is common. Southwestern's career services - including counseling, résumé assistance, interview preparation, employer events, and alumni networking - are resources students can use, not evidence that a particular employment outcome will follow.