Match #1
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Wake Forest, NC
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate75%
- 585 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 50%, close to 48%
- Acceptance rate 75%, close to 77%
The colleges most similar to Gardner-Webb University are Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Montreat College, and Carolina University. Gardner-Webb University admits 77% of applicants and has an average net price of $21,150 a year; 8 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 2 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Gardner-Webb University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Gardner-Webb University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Montreat College
Montreat, NC
Profile closeness69/100
Admit rate69%
- 762 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 43%, close to 48%
- Acceptance rate 69%, close to 77%
Match #3
Carolina University
Winston-Salem, NC
Profile closeness40/100
Admit rate40%
- 460 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Midsize
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #4
Mid-Atlantic Christian University
Elizabeth City, NC
Profile closeness39/100
Admit rate62%
- 132 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Distant
- Average net price $19,001, close to $21,150
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #5
Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, TN
Profile closeness93/100
Admit rate69%
- 1,737 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 51%, close to 48%
- Enrollment 1,737 students, close to 1,856
Match #6
Carson-Newman University
Jefferson City, TN
Profile closeness85/100
Admit rate90%
- 1,387 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Small
- Graduation rate 54%, close to 48%
- Enrollment 1,387 students, close to 1,856
Match #7
North Greenville University
Tigerville, SC
Profile closeness84/100
Admit rate67%
- 1,819 students
- Private nonprofit
- Rural: Fringe
- Graduation rate 54%, close to 48%
- Enrollment 1,819 students, close to 1,856
Match #8
Charleston Southern University
Charleston, SC
Profile closeness82/100
Admit rate96%
- 2,893 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Midsize
- Graduation rate 50%, close to 48%
- Average net price $20,661, close to $21,150
Match #9
Lee University-Tennessee
Cleveland, TN
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate71%
- 2,617 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Enrollment 2,617 students, close to 1,856
- Average net price $21,034, close to $21,150
Match #10
Erskine College
Due West, SC
Profile closeness74/100
Admit rate63%
- 766 students
- Private nonprofit
- Rural: Distant
- Average net price $19,826, close to $21,150
- Same Carnegie classification
Questions about Gardner-Webb University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Gardner-Webb University?
The closest matches to Gardner-Webb University are Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Montreat College, Carolina University, Mid-Atlantic Christian University, and Trevecca Nazarene University. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Gardner-Webb University hard to get into?
Gardner-Webb University admitted 77% of its 5,657 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 2 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Gardner-Webb University alternatives cost less?
8 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Gardner-Webb University ($21,150 a year), including Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary ($8,500), Carolina University ($12,351), and Carson-Newman University ($18,130). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
