Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) vs Bluefield State College

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and Bluefield State College (BSC) stand as distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique educational experiences. MCLA, nestled in the heart of North Adams, Massachusetts, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body. BSC, located in Bluefield, West Virginia, offers a smaller, close-knit community with a focus on affordability. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence, their strengths lie in different areas. MCLA excels in liberal arts and sciences, while BSC specializes in career-oriented programs. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details, such as graduation rates, popular majors, and additional factors that may influence your college decision.

	Bluefield State College	Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Overview
Location	Bluefield, West Virginia	North Adams, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	61.0%	63.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.9%	91.0%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	880 - 1110	N/A
ACT range	17 - 23	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	23.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%
Total number of applicants	1,019	1,371
Total number of admissions given out	987	1,247
Admitted students who chose to enroll	346	167
Yield rate	35.1%	13.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,971 Out of state: $30,169	In state: $25,928 Out of state: $34,873
Average net price	$11,309	$14,902
Tuition	In state: $8,434 Out of state: $15,632	In state: $1,030 Out of state: $9,975
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,600 Meal plan: $4,800	Room/dormitory: $7,240 Meal plan: $5,044
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	85.0% Average amount $7,250	99.0% Average amount $8,496
Students receiving federal student loan	57.0% Average amount $5,367	97.0% Average amount $3,734
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $7,360	12.0% Average amount $9,492

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,358 Men 39.8% Women 60.2%	870 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%
Graduate students	N/A	124 Men 33.1% Women 66.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	0.8%	N/A
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	176	1,020
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Mississippi New York Vermont Connecticut Rhode Island

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Technologies Education Liberal Arts Business	Business Education Computer and Information Science Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	32.3%	58.4%
Dropout rate	48.9%	41.6%
Transferred out	14.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $50,489 Year 2: $48,935 Year 3: $51,981 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,859 Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $51,131 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,154 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,307 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,729 Year 2: $30,554 Year 3: N/A Social Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,986 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: N/A	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,895 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,830 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,172 Year 2: $34,467 Year 3: $40,733 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,359 Year 2: $27,181 Year 3: $40,148 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $35,408 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,617 Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $34,741 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,798 Year 2: $31,828 Year 3: $32,817 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,438 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $32,425 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,231 Year 2: $29,374 Year 3: $31,158 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,032 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: N/A Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,169 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A

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