Hastings College vs Buena Vista University

Hastings College and Buena Vista University, both esteemed private institutions in the Midwest, offer distinct educational experiences. Hastings College, nestled in the vibrant city of Hastings, Nebraska, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Buena Vista University, located in the charming town of Storm Lake, Iowa, stands out with its smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. While Hastings College excels in the fields of business, education, and nursing, Buena Vista University shines in the areas of biology, psychology, and social work. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover further differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Buena Vista University	Hastings College
Overview
Location	Storm Lake, Iowa	Hastings, Nebraska
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
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 and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	69.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.0%	70.9%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	963 - 1140	N/A
ACT range	18 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%
Students submitting ACT score	57.0%
Total number of applicants	1,749	2,226
Total number of admissions given out	1,154	1,578
Admitted students who chose to enroll	237	294
Yield rate	20.5%	18.6%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,162	$47,494
Average net price	$18,532	$21,347
Tuition	$37,518	$31,810
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,114 Meal plan: $5,256	Room/dormitory: $5,240 Meal plan: $5,570
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $31,137	100.0% Average amount $25,122
Students receiving federal student loan	72.0% Average amount $5,750	71.0% Average amount $5,482
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $5,551	9.0% Average amount $14,825

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,506 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%	924 Men 46.0% Women 54.0%
Graduate students	453 Men 16.3% Women 83.7%	22 Men 54.5% Women 45.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	39.4%	48.6%
International students	0.5%	5.7%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	836	779
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Texas Nebraska Minnesota Arizona	Nebraska Colorado Arizona Kansas Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Computer and Information Science	Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	49.5%
Dropout rate	36.8%	50.5%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,360 Year 2: $32,382 Year 3: $41,930 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,612 Year 2: $36,992 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,673 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,585 Year 2: $42,728 Year 3: N/A

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