ℹ️ A note about this profile

Philander Smith University doesn't publish standardized-test bands or admit-rate data to IPEDS. That usually means the institution is open-admission (no selectivity gate), graduate-focused, or small enough that the federal survey suppresses the numbers. The cost, program, and outcomes data below is still complete — just no admissions-difficulty signal to surface. If you're searching for a more selective Ivy-tier "Philander", try the search at the top of the page.

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Worth a look

Affordable on average — net price runs around $14,224/yr.

✅ Best for

  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Biological & Biomedical Sciences (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Total enrollment
751
Under 1,000
In-state tuition
$13,014
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$13,014
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Philander Smith University, the average net price is $14,224/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$13,393/yr
Family income $30-48k
$14,606/yr
Family income $48-75k
$16,686/yr
Family income $75-110k
$12,847/yr
Family income $110k+
$15,800/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Philander Smith University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Philander Smith University →

Opens on Philander Smith University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Philander Smith University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Philander Smith University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
37 degrees · 38.1%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
20 degrees · 20.6%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
3. Psychology
18 degrees · 18.6%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
4. Computer & Information Sciences
11 degrees · 11.3%
Typical career outcomes
Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.
5. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, & Firefighting
11 degrees · 11.3%
Typical career outcomes
Police Officer $72k Federal Special Agent $102k Detective / Investigator $91k
Public-sector careers in law enforcement, corrections, security. Strong pensions, modest base.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Philander Smith University

CS degrees (annual)
11
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Philander Smith University vs. another college

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