Buena Vista University vs Briar Cliff University

Buena Vista University and Briar Cliff University, both esteemed private institutions in Iowa, offer distinct educational experiences. Buena Vista, nestled in the charming town of Storm Lake, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body. Briar Cliff, located in the vibrant city of Sioux City, excels in nursing and health professions, attracting students seeking careers in these fields. While Buena Vista's smaller size fosters a close-knit community, Briar Cliff's urban setting provides access to a wider range of cultural and social opportunities. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Briar Cliff University	Buena Vista University
Overview
Location	Sioux City, Iowa	Storm Lake, Iowa
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	63.0%	73.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	66.0%
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	963 - 1140
ACT range	N/A	18 - 25
Students submitting SAT score		8.0%
Students submitting ACT score		57.0%
Total number of applicants		1,749
Total number of admissions given out		1,154
Admitted students who chose to enroll		237
Yield rate		20.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$48,190	$53,162
Average net price	$21,734	$18,532
Tuition	$32,526	$37,518
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,713 Meal plan: $5,440	Room/dormitory: $5,114 Meal plan: $5,256
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $25,701	100.0% Average amount $31,137
Students receiving federal student loan	70.0% Average amount $5,210	72.0% Average amount $5,750
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $12,375	29.0% Average amount $5,551

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	766 Men 47.4% Women 52.6%	1,506 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%
Graduate students	234 Men 31.6% Women 68.4%	453 Men 16.3% Women 83.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	62.6%	39.4%
International students	4.8%	0.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	571	836
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Nebraska Texas Virgin Islands Illinois	Iowa Texas Nebraska Minnesota Arizona

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Public Administration and Social Service Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	55.7%	62.8%
Dropout rate	44.3%	36.8%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,675 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $75,805 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,009 Year 2: $57,657 Year 3: $59,664 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,817 Year 2: $47,650 Year 3: $58,240 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,709 Year 2: $47,397 Year 3: $56,596 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $40,775 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,691 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: N/A Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,406 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $62,863 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,501 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $61,003 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,278 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $52,709 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,249 Year 2: $45,455 Year 3: $48,387 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,936 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $46,768 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,901 Year 2: $47,494 Year 3: $46,501 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,530 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $45,327 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,042 Year 2: $40,089 Year 3: $45,181 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,301 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $44,742 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,198 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $43,790 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,262 Year 2: $37,819 Year 3: $37,074

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Buena Vista University vs Briar Cliff University

Briar Cliff University

Buena Vista University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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