<ARTICLE>                       6
<LEGEND>
This  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information  extracted  from  the
Consolidated  Statement of Financial Condition at September 30, 2000 (unaudited)
and the  Consolidated  Statement of Operations for the year ended  September 30,
2000 (unaudited) and is qualified in its entirety be reference to such financial
statements.

<CIK>                           0000017313
<NAME>                          Capital Southwest Corporation
<MULTIPLIER>                                                          1
<CURRENCY>                                                   US Dollars

                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   3-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                           MAR-31-2000
<PERIOD-START>                                              APR-01-2000
<PERIOD-END>                                                SEP-30-2000
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                                       1
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST>                                        90,306,943
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>                                      322,204,308
<RECEIVABLES>                                                   330,796
<ASSETS-OTHER>                                                5,054,669
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS>                                          5,211,868
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                              332,801,641
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>                                              0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>                                       5,000,000
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES>                                    93,375,831
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES>                                          98,375,831
<SENIOR-EQUITY>                                                       0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON>                                      3,669,861
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK>                                         3,815,051
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR>                                         3,815,051
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT>                                     4,366,061
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII>                                                0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS>                                      75,055,521
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS>                                              0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC>                                    151,334,367
<NET-ASSETS>                                                234,425,810
<DIVIDEND-INCOME>                                             1,476,672
<INTEREST-INCOME>                                               326,321
<OTHER-INCOME>                                                  267,700
<EXPENSES-NET>                                                  973,527
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME>                                       1,011,967
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT>                                      1,442,220
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT>                                    (4,141,333)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS>                                        (1,687,146)
<EQUALIZATION>                                                        0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME>                                       763,010
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS>                                              0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER>                                                 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD>                                               0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED>                                           0
<SHARES-REINVESTED>                                                   0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS>                                       (2,450,156)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                                       4,117,104
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                                    73,613,301
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                                               0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                                            0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                                                 0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                              535,020
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                                                 973,527
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                                                  0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                                             62.09
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                                     .26
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                                            (.70)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                                               (.20)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                                             0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                                                  0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                                               61.45
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                                       0