Sterling College vs Occidental College

Sterling College and Occidental College, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to prospective students. Sterling College, nestled in the picturesque town of Craftsbury Common, Vermont, stands out with its focus on environmental stewardship and experiential learning, boasting a 100% acceptance rate and a student body predominantly interested in environmental science and policy. In contrast, Occidental College, located in the vibrant city of Los Angeles, California, offers a diverse range of academic programs, including popular majors in social sciences and biological sciences, with a more selective admissions process and a higher graduation rate. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two colleges, considering factors such as cost, location, and student life, to determine the institution that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Occidental College	Sterling College
Overview
Location	Los Angeles, California	Sterling, Kansas
Campus setting	City: 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	92.0%	55.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	38.2%	47.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25
SAT range	1340 - 1490	996 - 1166
ACT range	30 - 33	18 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	22.0%	33.0%
Total number of applicants	6,495	2,574
Total number of admissions given out	2,484	1,220
Admitted students who chose to enroll	535	206
Yield rate	21.5%	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	$77,878	$42,886
Average net price	$43,047	$22,377
Tuition	$57,830	$27,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,512 Meal plan: $8,090	Room/dormitory: $3,516 Meal plan: $5,608
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $29,715	100.0% Average amount $18,158
Students receiving federal student loan	31.0% Average amount $4,603	70.0% Average amount $5,750
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $6,554	8.0% Average amount $11,649

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,964 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	686 Men 59.0% Women 41.0%
Graduate students	N/A	14 Men 14.3% Women 85.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	62.5%	N/A
International students	6.3%	5.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,650	635
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington New York Illinois Mississippi	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Multidisciplinary Studies Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education Business
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	82.9%	43.2%
Dropout rate	4.1%	25.2%
Transferred out	12.6%	30.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,544 Year 2: $55,078 Year 3: $63,231 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,360 Year 2: $37,779 Year 3: $49,843 International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,329 Year 2: $36,132 Year 3: $45,083 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,948 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $43,488 Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $33,877 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $31,152 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,035 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $31,095 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,916 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $30,729 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: N/A Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,793 Year 2: $35,060 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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Sterling College vs Occidental College

Occidental College

Sterling College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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