Tuition and fees for 2009-2010

Tuition & Fees: $30,220
Room: $4,350
Board: $4,450

The above are yearly costs for a full-time student living on-campus.

Southwestern & Financial Assistance

Nearly 52 percent of students get need-based financial aid averaging almost $26,000 a year, with another 32 percent receiving merit scholarships averaging $10,341 a year.

Each year, tuition covers about half of the cost of a Southwestern education. The remainder is covered via a "hidden scholarship," made up of earnings from the University's permanent endowment of more than $280 million and gifts from alumni and friends. Conversely, similar top national liberal arts colleges charge up to $45,000 to cover annual tuition, fees, room and board for the same type of educational experience.

Southwestern consistently has maintained its reputation as one of the nation's best liberal arts colleges at a cost notably less than most other highly selective national institutions. Because of this, The Princeton Review identifies Southwestern University as one of the nation's 'best value' undergraduate institutions in its book America's Best Value Colleges. They note that the cost of attending Southwestern is "$10,000 to $15,000 lower than what you would expect for a liberal arts college of its academic caliber."

Southwestern has many types of financial aid available.