College of Our Lady of the Elms vs Naropa University

College of Our Lady of the Elms and Naropa University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Elms College, a private Catholic institution in Chicopee, Massachusetts, boasts a 90% acceptance rate and a diverse student body, with 60% female and 40% male students. Naropa University, a private Buddhist-inspired institution in Boulder, Colorado, has a more selective admissions process with a 70% acceptance rate and a student body that is predominantly female (70%) and undergraduate (90%). While Elms College excels in nursing, education, and social work programs, Naropa University is renowned for its strengths in psychology, contemplative studies, and environmental studies. Both institutions offer a supportive learning environment and opportunities for personal growth, but their distinct characteristics may appeal to different types of students. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of Our Lady of the Elms	Naropa University
Overview
Location	Chicopee, Massachusetts	Boulder, Colorado
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	86.0%	54.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	67.9%	100.0%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1050 - 1195	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	9.0%
Students submitting ACT score	1.0%
Total number of applicants	1,565	148
Total number of admissions given out	1,063	148
Admitted students who chose to enroll	184	29
Yield rate	17.3%	19.6%
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	$53,679	$53,858
Average net price	$22,889	$29,924
Tuition	$37,605	$34,600
Room & board	$14,395
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $26,680	92.0% Average amount $22,372
Students receiving federal student loan	76.0% Average amount $7,283	50.0% Average amount $11,330
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $15,829	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,060 Men 23.7% Women 76.3%	325 Men 26.5% Women 73.5%
Graduate students	319 Men 21.0% Women 79.0%	639 Men 25.2% Women 74.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	40.7%
International students	0.4%	2.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	417	104
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi Connecticut New York New Jersey Rhode Island	Colorado California New York Arizona Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Public Administration and Social Service Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Business	Psychology English Language and Literature Multidisciplinary Studies Health Professions Philosophy and Religious Studies
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.1%	34.2%
Dropout rate	6.6%	23.7%
Transferred out	25.3%	42.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,301 Year 2: $69,410 Year 3: $78,787 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,761 Year 2: $46,790 Year 3: $49,843 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,262 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $41,334 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,711 Year 2: $29,250 Year 3: $31,723 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,357 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,410 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,497 Year 2: $23,456 Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $103,025 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,943 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $33,475 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $31,734 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,802 Year 2: $21,052 Year 3: $20,185 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $23,019 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,154 Year 3: N/A

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College of Our Lady of the Elms vs Naropa University

College of Our Lady of the Elms

Naropa University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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