Southern Wesleyan University (SWU) vs Piedmont University

Southern Wesleyan University and Piedmont University, both located in the heart of the Southeast, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. Southern Wesleyan, a private Christian university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Piedmont's 65%. While Piedmont's student body is slightly larger, Southern Wesleyan maintains a smaller student-to-faculty ratio, fostering a more personalized learning environment. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors including Business, Education, and Psychology. However, Piedmont also excels in STEM fields, with strong programs in Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including graduation rates, financial aid opportunities, and campus life, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Piedmont University	Southern Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Demorest, Georgia	Central, South Carolina
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	76.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	67.0%	56.6%
Application fees	$25	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25
SAT range	1010 - 1220	980 - 1168
ACT range	21 - 25	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	39.0%	45.0%
Students submitting ACT score	20.0%	36.0%
Total number of applicants	2,124	749
Total number of admissions given out	1,423	424
Admitted students who chose to enroll	249	163
Yield rate	17.5%	38.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$42,474	$35,643
Average net price	$19,803	$19,479
Tuition	$28,120	$25,748
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,160 Meal plan: $5,040	Room/dormitory: $4,234 Meal plan: $5,018
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $22,519	100.0% Average amount $18,506
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,735	68.0% Average amount $5,469
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,977	12.0% Average amount $8,327

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,255 Men 33.1% Women 66.9%	1,043 Men 33.9% Women 66.1%
Graduate students	805 Men 20.0% Women 80.0%	257 Men 20.2% Women 79.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	14.2%	N/A
International students	0.6%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	847	570
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Georgia Florida New York Tennessee Connecticut	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Visual & Performing Arts	Business Education Liberal Arts Family and Consumer Sciences Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	48.0%	52.1%
Dropout rate	51.3%	47.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,349 Year 2: $60,481 Year 3: $62,672 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,786 Year 2: $57,047 Year 3: $59,586 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,903 Year 2: $47,192 Year 3: $51,130 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,807 Year 2: $41,342 Year 3: $46,497 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,809 Year 2: $39,648 Year 3: $41,108 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,396 Year 2: $40,140 Year 3: $38,511 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,200 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $37,207 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,027 Year 2: $35,249 Year 3: $37,185 Curriculum and Instruction (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $58,943 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $72,134 Year 3: N/A	Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,550 Year 2: $53,045 Year 3: $55,845 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,273 Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $48,165 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,512 Year 2: $46,556 Year 3: $47,813 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,583 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $44,880 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,637 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $43,594 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,018 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $34,205 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,309 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,561 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,138 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,120 Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A

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