Centenary University vs. Southwestern Adventist University

Centenary University vs. Southwestern Adventist University comparison

	Centenary University	Southwestern Adventist University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Centenary University	Southwestern Adventist University
Location	Hackettstown, NJ	Keene, TX
Setting	Large Suburban	Distant Town
Enrollment	1,498	793
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#722
Religious Affiliation	United Methodist	Seventh Day Adventists	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	centenaryuniversity.edu	swau.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Centenary University	Southwestern Adventist University
Tuition (In State)	$34,890	$23,400
Tuition (Out of State)	$34,890	$23,400
Room & Board	$12,770	$8,600
Avg Net Price	$21,935	$20,028
Avg Grant Aid	$27,592	$13,959
% Receiving Grant Aid	99%	98%

Admission	Centenary University	Southwestern Adventist University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,330	1,438
Admitted	1,284	771
Acceptance Rate	96.5%	53.6%Open
Enrolled %	15.1%	16.9%Open
Avg High School GPA	3.23	3.3
Typical High School Grades	B	B+
Admissions Standards	Extremely Easy	Easy
Applicant Competition		Low
ACT Range	15/22	17/24
SAT Range	990/1170	900/1180
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline		Aug 1, 2025

Academics	Centenary University	Southwestern Adventist University
Student to Faculty Ratio	13:1	12:1
Popular Majors	Business (35%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%) (8%) Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%) Psychology (6%)	Health Professions (29%) Business (22%) Education (13%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%) Psychology (8%)
Outcomes	Centenary University	Southwestern Adventist University
Graduation Rate	49%	38%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$49,600	$42,600
Making Student Loan Payments	68%	49%
Median Student Loan Debt	$25,500	$26,000
Median Loan Payment	$263	$268

Diversity	Centenary University	Southwestern Adventist University
% Men	33%	41%
% Women	67%	59%
Racial Diversity	High	Very High
HBCU	No	No
% White	55%	21%
% Black	11%	14%
% Hispanic	11%	41%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	2%
% Two or More Races	0%	4%
% International	4%	14%
% Unknown Race	17%	2%

Students	Centenary University	Southwestern Adventist University
% In-State	78%	85%
% Out-of-State	22%	13%
Campus	Centenary University	Southwestern Adventist University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	No
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Centenary University is larger than than Southwestern Adventist University based on total student enrollment (1,498 students vs. 793 students)

Centenary University vs. Southwestern Adventist University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Centenary University or Southwestern Adventist University?

• Centenary University is 49.1% more expensive to attend than Southwestern Adventist University for in-state tuition ($34,890.00 vs. $23,400.00)
• Out of state tuition is 49.1% higher at Centenary University than Southwestern Adventist University ($34,890.00 vs. $23,400.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwestern Adventist University than Centenary University ($20,028 vs. $21,935)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southwestern Adventist University are 48.5% lower than costs at Centenary University ($8,600 vs. $12,770)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Centenary University than Southwestern Adventist University (99% vs. 98%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Centenary University students is 97.7% larger than aid received Southwestern Adventist University ($27,592 vs. $13,959)

Centenary University vs. Southwestern Adventist University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Centenary University or Southwestern Adventist University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Southwestern Adventist University or Centenary University .

• The average SAT score at Centenary University (929) is 25 points higher than at Southwestern Adventist University (904)
• Incoming Centenary University students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at Southwestern Adventist University (20)
• Accepted freshman Southwestern Adventist University students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.3) than students at Centenary University (3.23)
• Centenary University has a higher acceptance rate (96.5%) than Southwestern Adventist University (53.6%)

Centenary University vs. Southwestern Adventist University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Centenary University or Southwestern Adventist University? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Southwestern Adventist University and Centenary University.

• The graduation rate at Centenary University is higher than Southwestern Adventist University (49% vs. 38%)
• Graduates from Centenary University earn on average $7,000 more per year than Southwestern Adventist University graduates after ten years. ($49,600 vs. $42,600)
• Centenary University students graduate with a $500 lower median federal student loan debt than Southwestern Adventist University graduates. ($25,500 vs. $26,000)
• Centenary University graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than Southwestern Adventist University graduates. ($263 vs. $268)
• More Centenary University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwestern Adventist University students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 49%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/