Southwestern University (SU)

Founded in 1840 as the first institution of higher education in Texas, Southwestern University offers a welcoming living and learning environment that will broaden your perspective and open doors to new opportunities. Our top-ranked integrated liberal arts curriculum will empower you to connect different fields of knowledge and innovate solutions to complex problems. You'll engage in dynamic classroom discussions, real-world learning experiences, and cocurricular activities that empower you to think creatively and critically, communicate and collaborate effectively—and ultimately have the impact you want to have on the world.

Redefining the rich tradition of the liberal arts for the 21st century, Southwestern's wide-ranging curriculum encourages you to connect knowledge across the natural and social sciences, humanities, and fine arts. Our students have designed works of art based on mathematical principles, perused archives of medical history, and engineered LED displays to represent global economic data. As you explore multiple fields of study, you'll develop highly marketable skills while forging the foundations of lifelong learning.

At Southwestern, you'll venture beyond the classroom to engage in hands-on learning. Our students have taught Spanish in Argentina and studied Eastern European politics in Estonia. They've interned at a London recording studio, on the set of Saturday Night Live, and at the Texas House of Representatives. They've won national recognition for improving voter participation. And they've engineered high-powered rockets in our state-of-the-art physics lab. These transformative experiences will hone your abilities to think creatively, solve real-world problems, and collaborate productively—skills that are a cornerstone of the Southwestern experience.

Nestled in Georgetown—the fastest-growing city in the U.S.—Southwestern offers the best of both worlds: an idyllic, historic college town just minutes from the vibrant Austin metro. Georgetown's charming Victorian architecture, unique stores, and cultural events create a welcoming atmosphere, while its recreational opportunities, like the Blue Hole swimming area and 40+ parks, provide ample outdoor activities. Just a short drive away, Austin's booming tech and creative industries, home to giants like Apple, Amazon, and Google, offer students unparalleled access to internships, research opportunities, and jobs in a global destination city renowned for live music, iconic festivals, and famous BBQ.

At Southwestern University, you will not only gain a top-tier education but also join a thriving community that prepares you for a dynamic and impactful future. Whether you're delving into interdisciplinary studies on campus or exploring the professional landscape in nearby Austin, Southwestern equips you with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to excel in any field and make a difference in the world.

"Southwestern University helped me challenge myself, explore my found and unfound passions, and learn what I was truly capable of. SU is a special place where thinking and learning lead to developing skills that will last you a lifetime. The University gave me the community and the environment that nurtured my creativity and enabled me to flourish." — Caden Cox '22, Communication Studies

Southwestern University
1001 E. University Avenue
Georgetown, TX 78626
Telephone: 800.252.3166
Email: admissions@southwestern.edu
Website: southwestern.edu

Students excel at Southwestern in a rigorous environment that is challenging but also warm and supportive. Our 1,500 students thrive in a leafy, small-town residential setting, sharing in the excitement of learning and discovery while demonstrating a commitment to civic engagement and social justice. All SU students are encouraged to explore multiple niches in academics, extracurricular activities, and volunteering—you'll meet entrepreneurs who are also football players, chemists who are also opera singers, and computer scientists who are advocates for the environment.

"I love the small-campus feel of Southwestern," said a psychology major. "It has allowed me to build one-on-one relationships with my professors, create connections across campus, and make lifelong friends." Another student, a studio art major, said "I chose Southwestern in part because it's a small school, and I wanted to be able to get to know my professors. But my professors also got to know me. They've guided me, supported me, and believed in me throughout my time here."

Southwestern is home to 60+ student organizations, 24 club and intramural sports, 10 national fraternities and sororities, and numerous honor societies and special-interest groups. Our students discover new passions and develop their skills through engagement and leadership on campus.

This is an "involved, communicative, productive, and supportive" student body where most people "join a lot of extracurriculars and quite a few people have on-campus jobs." While it is not a very racially diverse school, it is an inclusive one, and students are "pretty progressive or cool with everyone and their identity." People may have different ideologies, beliefs, and aspirations "yet we all work successfully in the same setting." Everyone at Southwestern "is seen and heard, and resources can be devoted to every student in need." This is a generally laid-back, well-balanced place where "the vibe on the campus is fun and happy."

Approximately three-quarters of Southwestern University students live on-campus, and to make getting around easier, everyone has access to Pirate Bikes, the rideshare program that provides green transport on campus. The school provides plenty of social opportunities for students. In addition to clubs, organizations, and athletics, the RAs in the residence halls "put on great events such as Just Dance nights, ping pong tournaments, and craft nights," and the university itself "is good with hosting events open to all of the student body" such as the weekly Friday events that include "comedy, magic, trivia, and roller skating." Greek life and varsity athletics (both playing and attending games) are both strong here. While there is a lot of fun to be had, students take their academics seriously. On the whole, students are very busy and most "try to get their social time while being productive (studying at the same time, club activities)," which is made easier by the good weather and green outdoor common spaces like the quad, and most people "go out on the weekends, but chiefly are here to study." The campus is quite self-contained, but when they want to get away, some students "make the drive into the big city that's 30 minutes away for more choices or events."

Many students say that Southwestern’s “stellar career services program” helps distinguish the school. They can turn to the Center for Career & Professional Development for help “creat[ing] resumes, apply[ing] to grad school and find[ing] the perfect career.” SU students frequently attend the myriad of events career services sponsors throughout the year, including the annual SOAR Summit, a two-day professional development conference for sophomores. Most students graduate with at least one internship under their belts, and many choose to complete a high-impact experience (such as faculty-mentored research or service learning) organized through the Center for Integrative Learning. Best of all, SU hosts multiple career fairs, enabling students to network with a wide variety of employers. Of the SU graduates who visited Payscale.com, 55 percent found a high level of meaning in their job and reported a median starting salary of $60,700.