Sterling College vs Blackburn College

Sterling College and Blackburn College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Sterling College, nestled in the picturesque town of Craftsbury Common, Vermont, boasts a tight-knit community and a focus on environmental sustainability. Blackburn College, located in the vibrant city of Carlinville, Illinois, prides itself on its commitment to social justice and its work-study program. With acceptance rates of 80% and 75% respectively, both colleges welcome students from diverse backgrounds. While Sterling College's student body is predominantly female, Blackburn College's is more evenly balanced. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these two exceptional institutions, including popular majors, graduation rates, and more, to determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Blackburn College	Sterling College
Overview
Location	Carlinville, Illinois	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	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	67.0%	55.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.2%	47.4%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25
SAT range	888 - 1125	996 - 1166
ACT range	16 - 24	18 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	31.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	14.0%	33.0%
Total number of applicants	453	2,574
Total number of admissions given out	300	1,220
Admitted students who chose to enroll	77	206
Yield rate	25.7%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$39,230	$42,886
Average net price	$19,016	$22,377
Tuition	$25,570	$27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,230 Meal plan: $3,590	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)	100.0% Average amount $16,362	100.0% Average amount $18,158
Students receiving federal student loan	90.0% Average amount $5,057	70.0% Average amount $5,750
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $7,924	8.0% Average amount $11,649

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	414 Men 44.4% Women 55.6%	686 Men 59.0% Women 41.0%
Graduate students	N/A	14 Men 14.3% Women 85.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	21.9%	N/A
International students	0.7%	5.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity	449	635
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Texas California Indiana Missouri	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business Computer and Information Science Psychology	Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education Business
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	45.9%	43.2%
Dropout rate	54.1%	25.2%
Transferred out	N/A	30.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $40,456 Year 3: $40,959 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,105 Year 2: $33,138 Year 3: $37,331 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,093 Year 2: $33,993 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

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