Gustavus Adolphus College vs Calvin University

Gustavus Adolphus College and Calvin University, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Gustavus, located in St. Peter, Minnesota, boasts a higher acceptance rate (68%) compared to Calvin's 79%. Calvin, situated in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has a slightly larger student body, with an undergraduate enrollment of 3,700 compared to Gustavus' 2,500. While both colleges offer a diverse range of majors, Gustavus is known for its strength in the natural sciences, while Calvin excels in the social sciences and humanities. Additionally, Calvin's graduation rate (86%) slightly surpasses Gustavus' 84%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Calvin University	Gustavus Adolphus College
Overview
Location	Grand Rapids, Michigan	Saint Peter, Minnesota
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	86.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	72.6%
Application fees	$35
SAT range	1120 - 1340	N/A
ACT range	24 - 30	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	61.0%
Students submitting ACT score	24.0%	28.0%
Total number of applicants	3,986	3,799
Total number of admissions given out	2,992	2,757
Admitted students who chose to enroll	736	551
Yield rate	24.6%	20.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$52,840	$63,270
Average net price	$27,120	$27,657
Tuition	$37,990	$49,950
Room & board	$10,800	Room/dormitory: $6,750 Meal plan: $3,950
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $24,410	99.0% Average amount $33,174
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,987	49.0% Average amount $6,197
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $16,620	17.0% Average amount $14,100

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,068 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	2,251 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	189 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	19.2%
International students	11.7%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	2,453	2,125
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Minnesota Wisconsin South Dakota Texas Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Theology	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Business Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.3%	78.4%
Dropout rate	7.6%	9.3%
Transferred out	14.7%	12.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,594 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $73,154 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,088 Year 2: $65,188 Year 3: $71,772 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,940 Year 2: $57,564 Year 3: $62,400 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,498 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $60,645 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,593 Year 2: $45,980 Year 3: $53,866 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,275 Year 2: $60,878 Year 3: $51,938 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,034 Year 2: $32,382 Year 3: $44,640 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,528 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,008 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,756 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $37,976 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,469 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $36,953	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $64,196 Year 3: $72,945 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,715 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $68,688 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,092 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $66,456 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,254 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $60,313 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,068 Year 2: $48,302 Year 3: $52,394 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,694 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $48,449 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,021 Year 2: $42,166 Year 3: $45,271 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,866 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $42,958 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,044 Year 2: $35,179 Year 3: $41,058 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,638 Year 2: $36,745 Year 3: $39,885

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Gustavus Adolphus College vs Calvin University

Calvin University

Gustavus Adolphus College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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