Wartburg College vs. Southwestern College

Should I go to Wartburg College or Southwestern College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Wartburg College or Southwestern College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Wartburg College vs. Southwestern College comparison
Wartburg College Southwestern College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Wartburg College Southwestern College
Location Waverly, IA Winfield, KS
Setting Distant Town Distant Town
Enrollment 1,472 1,139
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #577 #517
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wartburg.edu sckans.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Wartburg College Southwestern College
Tuition (In State) $48,490 $38,330
Tuition (Out of State) $48,490 $38,330
Room & Board $11,062 $11,356
Avg Net Price $23,321 $27,337
Avg Grant Aid $38,519 $26,433
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 100%

Admission

 Wartburg College Southwestern College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,543 1,333
Admitted 2,528 866
Acceptance Rate 99.4% 65%
Enrolled % 16.8% 23.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.33
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Very Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/27 17/22
SAT Range 978/1235 900/1220
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2025

Academics

 Wartburg College Southwestern College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Education (15%)
  • Biology (15%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Business (44%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (10%)
  • Health Professions (4%)

Outcomes

 Wartburg College Southwestern College
Graduation Rate 63% 57%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,100 $53,100
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $25,750
Median Loan Payment $279 $266

Diversity

 Wartburg College Southwestern College
% Men 0% 6%
% Women 1% 3%
Racial Diversity Low High
HBCU No No
% White 77% 54%
% Black 5% 12%
% Hispanic 3% 8%
% Native American 0% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 8% 5%
% Unknown Race 4% 15%

Students

 Wartburg College Southwestern College
% In-State 66% 28%
% Out-of-State 29% 70%

Campus

 Wartburg College Southwestern College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Wartburg College is larger than than Southwestern College based on total student enrollment (1,472 students vs. 1,139 students)

Wartburg College vs. Southwestern College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wartburg College or Southwestern College?

  • Wartburg College is 26.5% more expensive to attend than Southwestern College for in-state tuition ($48,490.00 vs. $38,330.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26.5% higher at Wartburg College than Southwestern College ($48,490.00 vs. $38,330.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wartburg College than Southwestern College ($23,321 vs. $27,337)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wartburg College are 2.7% lower than costs at Southwestern College ($11,062 vs. $11,356)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southwestern College than Wartburg College (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wartburg College students is 45.7% larger than aid received Southwestern College ($38,519 vs. $26,433)

Wartburg College vs. Southwestern College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wartburg College (1105) is 106 points higher than at Southwestern College (999)
  • Incoming Wartburg College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Southwestern College (22)
  • Accepted freshman Wartburg College students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Southwestern College (3.33)
  • Wartburg College has a higher acceptance rate (99.4%) than Southwestern College (65%)

Wartburg College vs. Southwestern College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wartburg College or Southwestern College? 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 College and Wartburg College.

  • The graduation rate at Wartburg College is higher than Southwestern College (63% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Southwestern College earn on average $5,000 more per year than Wartburg College graduates after ten years. ($53,100 vs. $48,100)
  • Southwestern College students graduate with a $1,250 lower median federal student loan debt than Wartburg College graduates. ($25,750 vs. $27,000)
  • Southwestern College graduates are paying $13 less per month on federal student loans than Wartburg College graduates. ($266 vs. $279)
  • More Wartburg College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwestern College students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 57%)

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