Central College vs Bard College at Simon's Rock

Central College and Bard College at Simon's Rock, while both offering unique educational experiences, present distinct differences in their academic offerings, student demographics, and campus environments. Central College, located in Pella, Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, providing a more traditional college experience. Bard College at Simon's Rock, situated in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, offers an early college program for highly motivated high school students, resulting in a lower acceptance rate and a smaller, more diverse student body. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two institutions, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your college decision.
Bard College at Simon's Rock logo

Bard College at Simon's Rock

Central College logo

Central College

Overview

Location Great Barrington, Massachusetts Pella, Iowa
Campus setting Town: Distant Town: Distant
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 72.0% 79.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 80.1% 74.5%
Application fees $25
SAT range N/A 1000 - 1260
ACT range N/A 19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score 10.0%
Students submitting ACT score 67.0%
Total number of applicants 216 2,202
Total number of admissions given out 173 1,641
Admitted students who chose to enroll 111 340
Yield rate 64.2% 20.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,201 $34,302
Average net price $37,869 $22,966
Tuition $59,518 $19,250
Room & board $16,618
Room/dormitory: $4,892

Meal plan: $5,660
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

95.0%
Average amount $38,315
100.0%
Average amount $10,353
Students receiving federal student loan 47.0%
Average amount $5,245
73.0%
Average amount $5,605
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $23,602
13.0%
Average amount $12,712

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 328
Men 36.6% Women 63.4%
1,139
Men 51.3% Women 48.7%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 11.0% 0.1%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 443 1,405
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Liberal Arts
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Education
  • Business
  • English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 69.6% 66.1%
Dropout rate 19.1% 2.5%
Transferred out 11.3% 31.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) N/A
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $53,045
  • Year 3: $57,439
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,169
  • Year 2: $44,542
  • Year 3: $50,519
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,119
  • Year 3: $48,234
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,721
  • Year 3: $41,814
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $36,848
  • Year 3: $40,707
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $37,077
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,314
  • Year 3: $33,927
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,790
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,508
  • Year 3: N/A

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