Alma College vs Otterbein University

Alma College and Otterbein University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Alma College, nestled in the heart of Michigan, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention, while Otterbein University, located in Ohio, prides itself on its strong liberal arts foundation and commitment to experiential learning. With acceptance rates of 75% and 80% respectively, both universities welcome a diverse student body, creating vibrant and inclusive campus environments. While Alma College excels in the fields of business, education, and nursing, Otterbein University shines in music, education, and communication. Join us as we delve into a comprehensive comparison of these two institutions, exploring their unique strengths, demographics, and outcomes to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Alma College	Otterbein University
Overview
Location	Alma, Michigan	Westerville, Ohio
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	79.0%	80.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.8%	82.9%
Application fees		$40
SAT range	N/A	1028 - 1233
ACT range	N/A	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score		12.0%
Students submitting ACT score		65.0%
Total number of applicants	2,908	3,537
Total number of admissions given out	2,000	2,932
Admitted students who chose to enroll	319	570
Yield rate	16.0%	19.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$54,879	$49,638
Average net price	$24,302	$22,138
Tuition	$43,602	$33,224
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,682 Meal plan: $5,456	Room/dormitory: $6,318 Meal plan: $5,674
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $33,081	100.0% Average amount $23,065
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $5,671	94.0% Average amount $7,792
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $13,784	9.0% Average amount $13,529

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,340 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%	2,253 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%
Graduate students	13 Men 30.8% Women 69.2%	352 Men 29.8% Women 70.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	9.5%	13.3%
International students	2.9%	0.0%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,304	1,268
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Illinois Ohio Texas Indiana	Ohio New York Michigan Florida Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Business Education Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	69.2%
Dropout rate	37.2%	9.2%
Transferred out	N/A	21.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,983 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $46,056 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,213 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $36,758 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,979 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,178 Year 2: $25,596 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,074 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,027 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,918 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,158 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,171 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $102,659 Year 2: $111,017 Year 3: $112,239 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,815 Year 2: $59,858 Year 3: $61,251 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $60,614 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,332 Year 2: $41,342 Year 3: $50,181 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,872 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $43,144 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,792 Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $42,185 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,912 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $37,500 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,416 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $37,480 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,439 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $37,205 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,081 Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $34,506

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