South University Online: Cost and Outcomes (2026)
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- South University Online is one federal ID, and every program is online
- Perdoceo expects the sale to close as early as April 2027, if it is approved
- Scorecard and Navigator say “Private for-profit”; SACSCOC says “Private, Not-For-Profit” (October 2026)
- SACSCOC lists South as accredited with no public sanctions (October 28, 2026)
- South’s 2026-27 catalog lists $475 per quarter credit for online bachelor’s degrees other than RN to BSN
- South’s 2024-25 net price, $26,966, is above the $18,145 Scorecard lists for 2025-26 tuition and fees
- 17% of South Online’s 2017-18 starters earned an award within eight years
- Nursing master’s is South Online’s largest field; median federal debt for its 2022-23 and 2023-24 finishers is $61,500
- Who South Online fits, and the watch-outs
- Check your own aid before you apply to South
South University Online’s average net price was $26,966 for 2024-25, for 761 full-time first-time students with federal aid, and 17% of students who started in 2017-18 earned an award within eight years (College Scorecard, October 15, 2026 release).
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Check my aidPerdoceo Education Corporation agreed on September 14, 2026 to buy South, and South’s October 5, 2026 letter to students says the sale “is anticipated to occur on or after April 1, 2027, pending necessary regulatory approvals.” Perdoceo says that after the closing, “South will operate as a for-profit institution.”
If you are investing your own hard-earned money this time, three things decide whether South fits: what you pay per credit, how students like you finish, and what the sale does to your program. Each answer below comes from the federal record, SACSCOC’s record or South’s and Perdoceo’s own pages.
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South University Online is one federal ID, and every program is online
The federal ID 475121 is “South University-Savannah Online,” separate from South’s Savannah campus. College Scorecard flags it as fully online, and College Navigator says “All programs offered completely via Distance education.” In fall 2024, 100% of its undergraduates and graduate students were enrolled only in distance courses.
| Fact | South University Online |
|---|---|
| Federal school ID (UNITID) | 475121, South University-Savannah Online, Savannah, GA |
| Control, as College Scorecard lists it (October 15, 2026 release) | Private for-profit (see the status table below) |
| Accreditor | SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges) |
| Students studying fully online (fall 2024) | 100% |
| Degree-seeking undergraduates (fall 2024) | 6,433, 23% part-time |
| Graduate students (fall 2024) | 2,364, 47% part-time |
| Undergraduates 25 or older (fall 2023) | 80% |
| Admissions | Open admissions; admission rate Not published |
South’s catalog says its Savannah campus launched online bachelor’s degrees in information technology and business administration in 2004. Students in F-1 visa status “are not eligible for online only programs of study.”
Perdoceo expects the sale to close as early as April 2027, if it is approved
Perdoceo’s September 14, 2026 release says it agreed “to acquire 100% of the membership interests of South University Savannah, LLC” from South University – Member, Inc. “Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory approvals and accreditor approvals.”
Perdoceo “expects to complete the acquisition as early as April 2027.” The release adds that the agreement may be ended in limited cases, “including if the closing has not occurred by July 9, 2027.” Perdoceo’s release names its schools as Colorado Technical University, the American InterContinental University System and the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
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South separates from the Education Principle Foundation
South said it was “returning to being an independent, private institution of higher education.”
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Perdoceo signs the agreement to buy South
Closing needs regulatory and accreditor approvals, Perdoceo’s release says.
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South's letter to current and prospective students
South says the letter is intended to comply with 34 CFR 600.20(g)(4).
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South's letter: 'on or after April 1, 2027'
“On or after April 1, 2027, pending necessary regulatory approvals.”
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The agreement can be ended if not closed by this date
If the closing has not occurred by then, in limited circumstances, Perdoceo’s release says.
The rule South’s letter cites, 34 CFR 600.20(g)(4), says a school “must notify enrolled and prospective students of the proposed change in ownership, and submit evidence that such disclosure was made, no later than 90 days prior to the change.”
What South and Perdoceo say changes for a student who enrolls now
| Point | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Until the closing | The sale has not happened. South’s letter puts it “on or after April 1, 2027, pending necessary regulatory approvals.” |
| Your program, services and aid (South, October 5, 2026) | “This transition is not anticipated to impact you. Specifically, this transition does not contemplate any change to South University’s academic offerings, student services, financial aid, or day-to-day operations.” |
| Faculty and staff (South, October 5, 2026) | “It is anticipated that South University’s faculty and staff will remain substantially unchanged.” |
| After the closing (Perdoceo, September 14, 2026) | South “will operate as a for-profit institution.” |
| Where Perdoceo plans to invest (Perdoceo, September 14, 2026; South as a whole, not the online ID) | Four licensure programs (physician assistant, anesthesiologist assistant, pharmacy and nursing): “clinical placement capacity and preceptor networks, faculty and program leadership, simulation and instructional technology, and licensure exam preparation.” |
Perdoceo describes these four programs for South as a whole, not for the online ID 475121.
South’s letter is its statement of what it expects (“not anticipated,” “does not contemplate”), not a promise about your program. Its letter gives CIOquestions@southuniversity.edu for questions, so before you enroll, get South’s answers on your program, your price and your aid in writing. Our list of questions to ask an enrollment advisor covers the cost and outcome questions to add.
Scorecard and Navigator say “Private for-profit”; SACSCOC says “Private, Not-For-Profit” (October 2026)
The sources do not use the same words for South’s status today. Here is each one, with its date and its own words.
| Source and date | What it says about South’s status |
|---|---|
| College Scorecard, October 15, 2026 release (UNITID 475121) | Control: Private for-profit |
| College Navigator, read October 28, 2026 (UNITID 475121) | “Type: 4-year, Private for-profit” |
| SACSCOC record for South University, as of October 28, 2026 | Control: “Private, Not-For-Profit” |
| South University release, July 14, 2023 | ”returning to being an independent, private institution of higher education” |
| Perdoceo release, September 14, 2026 | ”Following the closing, South will operate as a for-profit institution”; its risk list names “the conversion of the acquired institution from non-profit to for-profit status, including state attorneys general review” |
| South’s letter to students, October 5, 2026 | Names no status |
The two federal rows describe the online ID; the SACSCOC row describes South University as a whole. None of these sources explains why they differ. Our guide to nonprofit and for-profit online colleges explains what a school’s control changes for students.
SACSCOC lists South as accredited with no public sanctions (October 28, 2026)
SACSCOC’s record lists South University as Accredited, with public sanctions “None.” It was reaffirmed in 2024; the next fifth-year review is in 2030 and the next reaffirmation in 2034. The record lists distance education approval on March 22, 2004, and 2025 monitoring reports in its recent history.
South’s own page says SACSCOC accredits it “to award associate, baccalaureate, master, and doctorate degrees.” Its BSN, Bachelor of Science in Nursing. A bachelor’s degree in nursing. Registered nurses can earn it in an RN-to-BSN program., MSN, Master of Science in Nursing. A graduate nursing degree, the usual route to advanced roles such as nurse practitioner. and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. South also says its online Associate of Science in Medical Assisting “is not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.”
South’s 2026-27 catalog lists $475 per quarter credit for online bachelor’s degrees other than RN to BSN
South’s 2026-2027 catalog lists these online tuition rates per quarter credit hour. Its catalog adds a technology fee of $20 per quarter credit hour, a registration fee of $25 per term and a $250 graduation fee.
| Online program (South’s 2026-27 catalog) | Per quarter credit hour |
|---|---|
| Associate and bachelor’s degrees (business, psychology, criminal justice, IT, healthcare management, public health and others) | $475 |
| RN to BSN | $255 |
| MBA, MS in Information Systems, MS in Leadership | $415 |
| Master of Public Health | $550 |
| MSN | $660 |
| MS in Criminal Justice | $669 |
| MHA, MS in Accounting, MS in Human Resources Management, MPA | $695 |
| Doctor of Nursing Practice | $650 |
That total assumes you take all 180 credits at South, so ask South how many of your earlier credits it will count before you enroll. The RN, Registered nurse. A nurse licensed by a state board after passing the NCLEX-RN exam. to BSN works differently: South’s sheet says licensed nurses with an associate degree in nursing “will receive 123 transfer credits” and complete 57 quarter credits at $255, about $14,535.
College Scorecard lists $18,145 in tuition and fees for 2025-26. That equals 36 quarter credits at $475 plus the technology, registration and graduation fees, a full-time year of three 12-credit terms, by our math.
South’s 2024-25 net price, $26,966, is above the $18,145 Scorecard lists for 2025-26 tuition and fees
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships. College Navigator counts “tuition and required fees, books and supplies, and the weighted average for Food and Housing and other expenses” in that cost, so it can run above tuition.
| Family income | Average net price, 2024-25 (full-time first-time students with federal aid) |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $26,949 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $27,845 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $26,543 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | Not published |
| $110,001 and up | $35,821 |
South’s own undergraduate cost of attendance budget, for a full-time academic year of three terms, lists $18,685 in direct costs, $17,100 of it tuition, and a total cost of attendance of $32,504 living with parents and $38,390 not living with parents. The budget shows no year.
84% of South Online undergraduates had a Pell Grant in 2024-25, and 73% had a federal loan. For 2026-27, Pell pays up to $7,395 a year to eligible undergraduates. South’s aid page says to file the FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The free federal form for grants, federal student loans and work-study. Most states and schools use it for their own aid too. with “the FAFSA code for the South University campus location you are interested in,” so ask South which code its online programs use.
17% of South Online’s 2017-18 starters earned an award within eight years
| Measure | South University Online |
|---|---|
| Earned an award within 8 years (all students who started in 2017-18) | 17% |
| Graduated within 150% of normal time (first-time, full-time, fall 2019 cohort) | 9% |
| Returned for a second year (first-time bachelor’s students who began in fall 2023) | 34% full-time, 12% part-time |
| Median earnings 6 years after starting (entered 2015-16 and 2016-17) | $42,688 |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting (entered 2011-12 and 2012-13) | $39,314 |
| Graduates’ median earnings 4 years after finishing (2017-18 and 2018-19 finishers) | $68,975 |
| Graduates’ median federal loan debt (entered repayment in fiscal 2024 and 2025) | $26,417 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan (2024-25) | 73% |
The 8-year rate counts all 2017-18 starters, part-time and transfer-in students included. The 150% rate counts only students who started full-time with no prior college. If you are going back with credits or part-time, the 8-year rate is the one that counts students like you.
Earnings after starting cover students with federal aid. All earnings were measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for the whole online ID; your payoff depends on the program, the job and what you pay.
Nursing master’s is South Online’s largest field; median federal debt for its 2022-23 and 2023-24 finishers is $61,500
These are South Online’s eight largest fields by awards in 2023-24, from Scorecard’s field-of-study file. Scorecard lists every credential in them as fully online.
| Field and credential | Awards, 2023-24 | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered nursing (master's) | 556 | $119,307 | $61,500 |
| Registered nursing (bachelor's) | 133 | $91,363 | $23,833 |
| Health and medical administrative services (bachelor's) | 109 | $46,885 | $28,374 |
| Health and medical administrative services (associate) | 100 | $36,905 | $26,417 |
| Business administration and management (bachelor's) | 90 | $53,445 | $29,166 |
| Health and medical administrative services (master's) | 75 | $65,167 | $41,000 |
| Business administration and management (master's) | 58 | $74,209 | $43,343 |
| Psychology, general (bachelor's) | 51 | $39,694 | $47,148 |
Earnings are graduates’ medians four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Debt is the median federal loan balance of finishers in each field.
For what federal loans cover in a nursing master’s now, read our guide to nursing master’s loan limits. To compare South’s nursing programs with other schools’, see online nursing programs compared.
Who South Online fits, and the watch-outs
It fits if
- You are a registered nurse with an associate degree. South’s RN to BSN charges $255 a quarter credit for 57 credits, about $14,535 on its cost sheet.
- You want a nursing master’s online. It is South Online’s largest field; 2017-18 and 2018-19 finishers earned a median $119,307 four years later.
- You are an adult going back. 80% of South Online’s undergraduates were 25 or older in fall 2023.
Watch-outs
- 83% of 2017-18 starters had not earned a South award within eight years, by our math. Only 17% earned one.
- The sale is pending. It needs regulatory and accreditor approvals. Perdoceo’s September 14, 2026 release says “Following the closing, South will operate as a for-profit institution.”
- One field’s debt is above its earnings. Psychology bachelor’s finishers of 2022-23 and 2023-24 owed a median $47,148; 2017-18 and 2018-19 finishers earned a median $39,694 four years out.
- Net price is above tuition. The 2024-25 average of $26,966 counts living costs; Scorecard’s tuition and fees figure is $18,145 for 2025-26.
Check your own aid before you apply to South
South’s averages describe what other students paid. South’s financial aid office sets your actual offer.
The aid check applies the federal rules for the year you start (2026-27 or 2027-28) to your answers. It takes about two minutes and shows Pell, state or campus grants, Work-Study and federal loans without asking your name, email or phone.
To compare two schools Perdoceo owns (its September 14, 2026 release names them) on the same measures in College Scorecard’s October 2026 data, see Colorado Technical University (26% eight-year rate for 2017-18 starters, $29,971 median debt for graduates entering repayment in fiscal 2024 and 2025) or the American InterContinental University System (15%, $30,084).
Degree Sources may refer readers to schools through partners. School matching is optional, comes after your aid result, is not financial aid, and is not an application or admission to South or any school. The figures here come from federal records, SACSCOC’s record and South’s and Perdoceo’s own pages, and this profile does not rank schools.
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Sources
Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages. How we check sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard: South University-Savannah Online (UNITID 475121)
- College Scorecard data files, October 15, 2026 release
- College Scorecard data dictionary: field definitions and cohort years
- NCES College Navigator: South University-Savannah Online (type, enrollment and distance education fall 2024, retention, net price definition)
- Perdoceo Education Corporation, Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire South University (September 14, 2026), SEC Form 8-K Exhibit 99.1
- South University, letter to current and prospective students (October 5, 2026)
- 34 CFR 600.20(g)(4), notice to students of a proposed change in ownership (eCFR)
- SACSCOC institution record: South University (as of October 28, 2026)
- South University, Returns to Being an Independent University (July 14, 2023)
- South University, Accreditation and Licensing
- South University 2026-2027 Catalog I: Tuition (online program tuition)
- South University 2026-2027 Catalog I: Fees
- South University, online program cost sheet
- South University, undergraduate cost of attendance budgets
- South University, Financial Aid
- South University catalog: Online Programs
- Federal Student Aid, 2026-27 Federal Pell Grant maximum and minimum award amounts
Related Resources
Colorado Technical University Online: Cost, Outcomes (2026)
CTU online charges $352 per quarter credit for most bachelor's degrees. It is HLC accredited, and 26% of 2017-18 starters earned a credential in 8 years.
American InterContinental University: Cost, Outcomes (2026)
15% of AIU undergraduates who started in 2017-18 earned an award in 8 years. The 2024-25 average net price was $16,125. HLC accredited, Perdoceo-owned.
Nonprofit vs for-profit online colleges: the 2026 data
Public, nonprofit, for-profit: in 35 schools we profile, award-rate medians sit close (42%, 44%, 32%); schools span 15% to 74% (2017-18 starters, our math).