Southern University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Southern University, a public university in Louisiana, reports a 35% acceptance rate and sits in the selective band. In practice that means it admits a minority of applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Southern University weighs, where it ranks among Louisiana schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1020, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Southern University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Southern University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Southern University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Southern University?
Your odds at Southern University are not the same as its 35% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Southern University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Southern University hard to get into?
Southern University is selective: it admits a minority of applicants, with about a 35% acceptance rate. A solid academic record puts you in good position, and the rest of your profile can tip the result either way.
What GPA do you need to get into Southern University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Southern University, but admitted students commonly present roughly a 3.5 to 3.9 GPA. Southern University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Southern University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Southern University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Southern University with a 3.5 GPA and a 910 SAT?
About 43% (Target), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 910 SAT, the middle of Southern University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1020 SAT comes out near 66%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/southern-university.
How to get into Southern University
Built from Southern University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Southern University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Southern University carries about a 3.62 core GPA and a 970 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Landing at or above it makes you competitive; the rest of the file decides.
The admitted middle 50% is 790 to 1020 SAT (15 to 19 ACT). Submit a score at 905 or higher; below 790, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Southern University rates academic GPA and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Southern University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.subr.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Southern University, and how many get in?
Southern University admitted 6,095 of the 12,221 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 49.9%. 1,711 enrolled. Only about 28% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Southern University enrolls about 5,519 undergraduates in total, 67% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 21 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Southern University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Southern University scored between 790 and 1020 on the SAT (average 942). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 15 to 19. A score above 1020 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 790 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Southern University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Southern University looks for
What Southern University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Southern University are academic GPA and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Southern University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Southern University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Southern University cost after financial aid?
Southern University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $26,341 per year. Tuition and fees are $9,922 for LA residents and $17,272 for out-of-state students, a $7,350 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $20,077 a year, and it ranges from $19,047 for families earning under $30,000 to $26,069 for families earning over $110,000. 68% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Southern University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Southern University student who received federal aid earns $43,371 a year, up from $33,033 at six years. 27% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 60% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $29,251; 72% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Southern University compares in Louisiana
Southern University ranks #2 most selective of 19 schools in Louisiana in our database.
Among the 19 Louisiana schools we track, Southern University ranks #2 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Tulane University (14%) and Dillard University (42%) sit nearby, which makes Louisiana a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Southern University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Southern University often weigh William & Mary, San Diego State University, and UC Santa Barbara, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Southern University's acceptance rate?
Southern University admitted 6,095 of 12,221 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 49.9% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 28% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Southern University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 790 to 1020 on the SAT and 15 to 19 on the ACT. A score above 1020 is in the top quarter of admits. Southern University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Southern University test-optional?
Yes. Southern University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Southern University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Southern University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $20,077 a year against a sticker price of about $26,341. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $19,047 on average.
What do Southern University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Southern University are $43,371 a year among students who received federal aid, and 27% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Southern University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Southern University weighs academic GPA and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Southern University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Southern University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Southern University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Southern University specifically.
Is Southern University a target or a reach for an average applicant?
For an applicant whose GPA and scores sit near Southern University's admitted range, it generally reads as a target rather than a reach. Run your exact profile through the free calculator to see your personal verdict.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.