Sterling College vs Mount Holyoke College

Sterling College and Mount Holyoke College, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Sterling College, nestled in the picturesque town of Craftsbury Common, Vermont, is a small, private liberal arts college with a focus on environmental stewardship and sustainability. Mount Holyoke College, located in the vibrant city of South Hadley, Massachusetts, is a renowned private liberal arts college known for its strong academic programs and commitment to women's education. While both colleges share a dedication to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Mount Holyoke College	Sterling College
Overview
Location	South Hadley, Massachusetts	Sterling, Kansas
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	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	91.0%	55.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	52.3%	47.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25
SAT range	1300 - 1510	996 - 1166
ACT range	31 - 35	18 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	24.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	11.0%	33.0%
Total number of applicants	3,971	2,574
Total number of admissions given out	2,077	1,220
Admitted students who chose to enroll	608	206
Yield rate	29.3%	16.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$73,438	$42,886
Average net price	$29,218	$22,377
Tuition	$56,300	$27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,320 Meal plan: $8,260	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 $30,351	100.0% Average amount $18,158
Students receiving federal student loan	42.0% Average amount $4,906	70.0% Average amount $5,750
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $4,982	8.0% Average amount $11,649

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,220 Men 0.1% Women 99.9%	686 Men 59.0% Women 41.0%
Graduate students	122 Men 13.1% Women 86.9%	14 Men 14.3% Women 85.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	23.1%	5.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity	2,171	635
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi New York California Connecticut Florida	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Education Foreign Languages and Literatures Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education Business
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	85.0%	43.2%
Dropout rate	2.9%	25.2%
Transferred out	11.9%	30.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,377 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $46,206 Education, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,986 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $46,152 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,150 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $44,038 Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $37,403 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,356 Year 2: $36,852 Year 3: $35,497 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $34,113 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,168 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $33,868 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: $30,295 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: $30,137 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,160 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $29,034	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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