Simpson College vs Buena Vista University

Simpson College and Buena Vista University, both esteemed private institutions in the Midwest, offer distinct educational experiences. Simpson College, nestled in Indianola, Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Buena Vista University's selective admissions (68%). While Simpson College excels in the liberal arts and sciences, Buena Vista University emphasizes professional programs, with popular majors in business, education, and health sciences. Buena Vista University's student body is slightly larger, with a diverse mix of traditional and non-traditional students, while Simpson College fosters a close-knit community with a higher percentage of residential students. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Simpson College edging out Buena Vista University with a slightly higher rate. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Buena Vista University	Simpson College
Overview
Location	Storm Lake, Iowa	Indianola, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	70.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.0%	90.8%
Application fees
SAT range	963 - 1140	890 - 1280
ACT range	18 - 25	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%	2.0%
Students submitting ACT score	57.0%	35.0%
Total number of applicants	1,749	1,330
Total number of admissions given out	1,154	1,208
Admitted students who chose to enroll	237	286
Yield rate	20.5%	23.7%
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	$56,520
Average net price	$18,532	$20,986
Tuition	$37,518	$43,124
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,114 Meal plan: $5,256	Room/dormitory: $4,680 Meal plan: $4,974
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 $34,582
Students receiving federal student loan	72.0% Average amount $5,750	73.0% Average amount $5,158
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $5,551	16.0% Average amount $10,172

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,506 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%	1,172 Men 46.9% Women 53.1%
Graduate students	453 Men 16.3% Women 83.7%	46 Men 39.1% Women 60.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	39.4%	28.9%
International students	0.5%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	836	1,264
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	Iowa Arizona Texas Missouri Nebraska

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Computer and Information Science	Education Business Liberal Arts Law Enforcement and Firefighting Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	68.9%
Dropout rate	36.8%	30.8%
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	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,021 Year 2: $73,041 Year 3: $81,168 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,180 Year 2: $54,509 Year 3: $62,305 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,866 Year 2: $49,787 Year 3: $53,487 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,401 Year 2: $42,012 Year 3: $46,368 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,370 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $44,730 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,991 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $42,375 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,249 Year 2: $39,729 Year 3: $41,996 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,017 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $41,102 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,449 Year 2: $32,029 Year 3: $38,526 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $35,030

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