Southwest Baptist University vs Sterling College

Southwest Baptist University and Sterling College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Southwest Baptist University, rooted in Christian values, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, providing a diverse and vibrant campus community. Sterling College, known for its focus on experiential learning and environmental stewardship, offers a more selective admissions process and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit and personalized learning environment. While both universities excel in various academic programs, Southwest Baptist University is renowned for its strong nursing and business programs, while Sterling College shines in environmental science and outdoor education. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique offerings, including graduation rates, popular majors, and student demographics, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Southwest Baptist University	Sterling College
Overview
Location	Bolivar, Missouri	Sterling, Kansas
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Rural: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	67.0%	55.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.2%	47.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $25	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25
SAT range	1000 - 1210	996 - 1166
ACT range	18 - 25	18 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	9.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	69.0%	33.0%
Total number of applicants	871	2,574
Total number of admissions given out	838	1,220
Admitted students who chose to enroll	298	206
Yield rate	35.6%	16.9%
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	$37,512	$42,886
Average net price	$18,433	$22,377
Tuition	$25,100	$27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,400 Meal plan: $4,750	Room/dormitory: $3,516 Meal plan: $5,608
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $17,806	100.0% Average amount $18,158
Students receiving federal student loan	63.0% Average amount $5,974	70.0% Average amount $5,750
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $10,478	8.0% Average amount $11,649

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,101 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%	686 Men 59.0% Women 41.0%
Graduate students	608 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%	14 Men 14.3% Women 85.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	41.4%	N/A
International students	1.7%	5.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,014	635
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Missouri Texas Oklahoma Kansas Arkansas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Theology	Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education Business
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	51.7%	43.2%
Dropout rate	15.9%	25.2%
Transferred out	32.0%	30.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $64,804 Year 2: $68,931 Year 3: $68,238 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,598 Year 2: $53,454 Year 3: $52,329 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $49,847 Year 2: $49,631 Year 3: $50,162 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,826 Year 2: $45,794 Year 3: $49,317 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,764 Year 2: $36,776 Year 3: $39,893 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,452 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $33,341 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,610 Year 2: $27,862 Year 3: $30,526 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,285 Year 2: $29,033 Year 3: $28,140 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: N/A Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $71,992 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,167 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $34,697 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,026 Year 2: $36,745 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 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.

Southwest Baptist University

John Brown University