The average Southwestern student receiving financial aid pays around $18,000 per year toward the full sticker price of $41,240 which includes tuition, fees, room and board, books and a realistic estimate of personal expenses.

That's a lot of money -- college is expensive, after all -- but for a world-class liberal arts education at one of the best schools in the country, it's a great value. And, when comparing college costs, make sure you're looking at the bottom line. Tuition at public universities may seem lower at first glance, but when you factor in financial aid, it can be quite a different story.

Aid packages can include need- and merit-based scholarships, work-study plans, grants, and loans. Read profiles of some of our aid recipients, and learn how assistance helped these families afford a Southwestern education. You can also use our financial aid calculator, which will give you an estimate of what it might cost for you to attend Southwestern.

Southwestern is Affordable

• Southwestern is one of 81 colleges identified by The Princeton Review as being "America's Best Value Colleges." They note that Southwestern is "$10,000 to $15,000 lower than what you would expect for a liberal arts college of its academic caliber."
• More than 80 percent of Southwestern students receive some form of financial assistance from the university.
• 54 percent of Southwestern students get need-based financial aid, averaging almost $26,000 a year.
• Another 32 percent of Southwestern students receive merit scholarships averaging $10,341 a year.