Randolph College vs Salem College

Randolph College and Salem College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Virginia, offer distinct educational experiences. Randolph College, located in Lynchburg, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Salem College's (68%). While Salem College excels in nursing, with 20% of its students pursuing this major, Randolph College offers a broader range of popular majors, including psychology, business, and biology. Salem College's student body is predominantly female (98%), while Randolph College's is more diverse, with a 55% female and 45% male ratio. Both colleges share a commitment to student success, with Salem College achieving a slightly higher graduation rate (65%) than Randolph College's (62%). 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.

	Randolph College	Salem College
Overview
Location	Lynchburg, Virginia	Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Small	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	72.0%	62.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	93.8%	90.2%
Application fees		$30
SAT range	910 - 1140	1053 - 1200
ACT range	22 - 27	17 - 21
Students submitting SAT score	25.0%	13.0%
Students submitting ACT score	9.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	1,161	479
Total number of admissions given out	1,089	432
Admitted students who chose to enroll	138	48
Yield rate	12.7%	11.1%
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	$42,252	$35,016
Average net price	$23,166	$11,408
Tuition	$26,250	$30,500
Room & board	$11,000	Room/dormitory: $6,150 Meal plan: $6,150
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $17,806	99.0% Average amount $26,404
Students receiving federal student loan	87.0% Average amount $5,577	51.0% Average amount $4,282
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $7,959	3.0% Average amount $3,977

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	482 Men 38.2% Women 61.8%	364 Men 1.9% Women 98.1%
Graduate students	68 Men 23.5% Women 76.5%	132 Men 9.1% Women 90.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	15.6%
International students	4.2%	N/A
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	621	386
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	North Carolina Virginia Connecticut Delaware Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Kinesiology & Leisure Studies English Language and Literature Communication and Journalism Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences	Education Visual & Performing Arts English Language and Literature Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.0%	67.4%
Dropout rate	14.7%	9.8%
Transferred out	29.4%	22.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,575 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,121 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,646 Year 2: $22,771 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: N/A	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,373 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $41,915 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,850 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,313 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,085 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,016 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,118 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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