The University of the South

Key Highlights

• Private nonprofit university commonly known as Sewanee
• Accredited to award bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees
• College of Arts and Sciences, School of Theology, and School of Letters
• Approximately 13,000-acre Domain on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau

Student Life & Environment

Sewanee is an overwhelmingly residential undergraduate community. The university reports that 99 percent of undergraduates live on campus, and its housing materials describe a general expectation that undergraduates remain in university housing throughout their study in Sewanee. Rising seniors may apply for an exemption to live off campus, but students should not assume that off-campus living is routinely available. Residential Life lists 19 residence halls: 17 coeducational halls, one men’s hall, and one women’s hall. Amenities vary, although the university says each hall has laundry and common study areas. Smaller theme houses provide living-learning options organized around academic, cultural, service, wellness, or other shared interests. Greek organizations are also part of campus life, with both university-managed and privately managed chapter housing arrangements. The Division of Student Life supports student organizations, student government, Greek life, community standards, accessibility, wellness programming, and leadership development. The Sewanee Outing Program coordinates trips and outdoor opportunities, making the Domain a practical part of recreation as well as academics. New undergraduates participate in required orientation, and the institution’s Honor Code is a visible element of community expectations. Students considering Sewanee should review current housing contracts, conduct rules, accessibility procedures, and organization-specific costs before committing.

Location & Surroundings

The university is in Sewanee, Tennessee, on the Cumberland Plateau. This is a rural, campus-centered setting in which the academic core, university housing, wooded land, and the small Sewanee community are closely connected. The Domain encompasses approximately 13,000 acres, including forests, bluffs, meadows, lakes, caves, trails, and research areas. The university distinguishes a 382-acre academic campus from surrounding residential, commercial, and natural lands within the larger property. For students, the setting offers immediate access to hiking, field observation, outdoor recreation, and quiet study environments. It also means that daily life is less integrated with a major city than at an urban institution. Campus housing and dining are consequently important practical considerations, while students seeking frequent access to extensive city entertainment, public transit, or a large off-campus labor market should investigate transportation carefully. The university’s official address is 735 University Avenue, Sewanee, Tennessee 37383. Prospective students should use the institution’s current visitor information when planning travel because airport connections and ground transportation can require more preparation than travel to a metropolitan campus.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For 2026–27, Sewanee publishes an undergraduate comprehensive fee of $78,210 covering tuition, institutional fees, books, a room, and a meal plan. U.S. students are advised to budget another $1,500 for supplies and personal expenses, plus approximately $400 to $1,200 for travel depending on location. The university advises international students to budget roughly $6,000 for supplies, health insurance, personal expenses, immigration-related expenses, and travel. These are planning estimates for 2026–27, not individualized net prices. Sewanee reports that it will provide more than $55 million in undergraduate institutional support during 2026–27 through scholarships, need-based grants, tuition remissions, and institutional employment. Applicants are automatically evaluated for academic scholarships from their completed Common Application, without a separate pre-admission scholarship application. Need-based funding depends on timely financial-aid documents, available funds, and individual eligibility. Domestic and international students follow different aid processes, so each should use the relevant official instructions and compare the resulting aid offer with the full cost of attendance. Career Readiness offers individual advising, workshops, internship and fellowship support, graduate-school preparation, and access to alumni networking resources. For the Class of 2025, the university obtained destination information for 326 of 421 graduates, a 77 percent knowledge rate. Among those graduates with known outcomes, 93 percent were employed, continuing their education, serving in the military, or participating in a fellowship or service commitment within six months. That figure is useful only with its stated response coverage and should not be interpreted as an outcome for every graduate.