Saint Mary's University of Minnesota vs Buena Vista University

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and Buena Vista University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Saint Mary's, a private Catholic university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (85%) compared to Buena Vista's 75%. Saint Mary's student body is more diverse, with 38% students of color, while Buena Vista's student body is predominantly White (87%). Saint Mary's excels in liberal arts and sciences, with popular majors including psychology, biology, and business administration. Buena Vista, on the other hand, is known for its strong programs in business, education, and health sciences. Both universities offer competitive graduation rates, with Saint Mary's at 68% and Buena Vista at 65%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Buena Vista University logo

Buena Vista University

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota logo

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Overview

Location Storm Lake, Iowa Winona, Minnesota
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% 79.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Presbyterian Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 66.0% 97.8%
Application fees
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 1,587
Total number of admissions given out 1,154 1,552
Admitted students who chose to enroll 237 234
Yield rate 20.5% 15.1%
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 $53,162 $53,010
Average net price $18,532 $21,606
Tuition $37,518 $38,780
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,114

Meal plan: $5,256
Room/dormitory: $5,550

Meal plan: $4,370
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 $29,804
Students receiving federal student loan 72.0%
Average amount $5,750
64.0%
Average amount $5,074
Students taking out private loans 29.0%
Average amount $5,551
18.0%
Average amount $13,389

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,506
Men 36.5% Women 63.5%
1,246
Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students 453
Men 16.3% Women 83.7%
3,455
Men 27.9% Women 72.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students 39.4% N/A
International students 0.5% 1.7%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 836 982
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 N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Education
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 18:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 62.8% 56.7%
Dropout rate 36.8% 43.3%
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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $205,288
  • Year 2: $188,108
  • Year 3: $200,367
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,392
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $92,831
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $83,325
  • Year 3: $84,496
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,293
  • Year 2: $72,469
  • Year 3: $75,257
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $59,124
  • Year 3: $73,455
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,971
  • Year 2: $52,733
  • Year 3: $66,522
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,579
  • Year 2: $62,012
  • Year 3: $65,510
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,954
  • Year 2: $59,350
  • Year 3: $61,989
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,143
  • Year 2: $58,221
  • Year 3: $60,858
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,758
  • Year 2: $49,840
  • Year 3: $60,264

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