Alma College vs Roanoke College

Alma College and Roanoke College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Alma, nestled in the heart of Michigan, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Roanoke, situated in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, stands out with its slightly smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. While Alma excels in the sciences, particularly biology and chemistry, Roanoke shines in the social sciences, with popular majors like psychology and political science. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their post-graduate endeavors. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two exceptional institutions and discover which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Alma College	Roanoke College
Overview
Location	Alma, Michigan	Salem, Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
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
Students retention rate	79.0%	76.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.8%	80.4%
Application fees		$30
SAT range	N/A	1080 - 1230
ACT range	N/A	22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score		35.0%
Students submitting ACT score		10.0%
Total number of applicants	2,908	4,953
Total number of admissions given out	2,000	3,981
Admitted students who chose to enroll	319	465
Yield rate	16.0%	11.7%
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	$66,888
Average net price	$24,302	$27,758
Tuition	$43,602	$46,510
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,682 Meal plan: $5,456	Room/dormitory: $6,960 Meal plan: $8,030
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 $35,752
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $5,671	68.0% Average amount $5,678
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $13,784	12.0% Average amount $17,112

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,340 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%	1,863 Men 45.8% Women 54.2%
Graduate students	13 Men 30.8% Women 69.2%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	9.5%	47.6%
International students	2.9%	2.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,304	1,540
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	Virginia Maryland North Carolina Pennsylvania New York

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Social Sciences Education History Natural Resources and Conservation Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	69.6%
Dropout rate	37.2%	6.9%
Transferred out	N/A	23.3%
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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,923 Year 2: $36,938 Year 3: $48,275 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,545 Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $40,065 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,241 Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: N/A Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,514 Year 2: $27,476 Year 3: N/A Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,889 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,147 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,496 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,311 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,873 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,658 Year 3: N/A

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