Oglethorpe University vs Thomas University

Metric	Oglethorpe University	Thomas University
Undergraduate enrollment	1,352	998
Acceptance rate Lower means more selective	88.4%	38.3%
Average SAT	1,227	1,072
Median ACT	27	20
In-state tuition	$47,590	$11,640
Out-of-state tuition	$47,590	$11,640
Average net price What students actually pay after aid	$19,509	$18,499
Median debt at graduation	$25,000	$21,198
Graduation rate	54.1%	27.5%
First-year retention	73.3%	49.3%
Median salary (10 yr)	$55,232	$49,716

Metric

Oglethorpe University

Thomas University

Undergraduate enrollment

1,352

998

Acceptance rate
Lower means more selective

88.4%

38.3%

Average SAT

1,227

1,072

Median ACT

In-state tuition

$47,590

$11,640

Out-of-state tuition

$47,590

$11,640

Average net price
What students actually pay after aid

$19,509

$18,499

Median debt at graduation

$25,000

$21,198

Graduation rate

54.1%

27.5%

First-year retention

73.3%

49.3%

Median salary (10 yr)

$55,232

$49,716

What the numbers say

Thomas University is the harder admit at 38.3%, against 88.4% at Oglethorpe University.
Thomas University costs less after aid — $18,499 a year versus $19,509, a difference of $1,010 annually, or roughly $4,040 across four years.
Oglethorpe University graduates report higher median earnings — $55,232 against $49,716 ten years after entry.
Oglethorpe University graduates a larger share of its students — 54.1% versus 27.5%.
On pure return — salary divided by net price — Oglethorpe University comes out ahead at 2.8× versus 2.7×.

Comparison tables are a starting point, not a decision. Three things matter more than anything in the table above:

Your real aid offer. Net price is an average across all income levels. Two students at the same school can pay amounts that differ by tens of thousands. Wait for actual award letters before ruling anything out on cost.
Your intended major. Earnings vary more between majors at one school than between schools for one major. A computer science graduate from the "lower earning" school here will likely out-earn a general studies graduate from the other.
Whether you will finish. Graduation rate is the metric most predictive of whether the money spent turns into a credential. Campus fit, support services, and commute all feed into it more than prestige does.

Visit before you commit

Both Oglethorpe University and Thomas University run campus visits. Spending an afternoon on each will tell you things no dataset can.