Iowa Wesleyan University vs Briar Cliff University

Iowa Wesleyan University and Briar Cliff University, both located in the heart of the Midwest, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. Iowa Wesleyan, a private liberal arts university, boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals. Briar Cliff, a Catholic university, stands out for its strong nursing program, attracting students interested in healthcare professions. While Iowa Wesleyan's student body is predominantly female, Briar Cliff maintains a more balanced gender ratio. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Briar Cliff University	Iowa Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Sioux City, Iowa	Mount Pleasant, 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	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	63.0%	51.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	81.9%
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	820 - 1020
ACT range	N/A	15 - 20
Students submitting SAT score		9.0%
Students submitting ACT score		22.0%
Total number of applicants		3,934
Total number of admissions given out		3,222
Admitted students who chose to enroll		267
Yield rate		8.3%
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	$42,840
Average net price	$21,734	$34,988
Tuition	$32,526	$32,550
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,713 Meal plan: $5,440	Room/dormitory: $4,410 Meal plan: $6,930
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	97.0% Average amount $12,333
Students receiving federal student loan	70.0% Average amount $5,210	92.0% Average amount $4,286
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $12,375	7.0% Average amount $6,430

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	766 Men 47.4% Women 52.6%	758 Men 57.9% Women 42.1%
Graduate students	234 Men 31.6% Women 68.4%	67 Men 52.2% Women 47.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	62.6%	N/A
International students	4.8%	11.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	571	568
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	N/A

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

Outcome
Graduation rate	55.7%	22.5%
Dropout rate	44.3%	32.5%
Transferred out	N/A	44.2%
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	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,594 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,581 Year 2: $49,840 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,362 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Briar Cliff University

Quincy University