Sterling College vs Smith College

Sterling College and Smith College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. 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. In contrast, Smith College, located in the vibrant city of Northampton, Massachusetts, is a renowned private women's college known for its strong liberal arts curriculum and commitment to empowering women. While both colleges share a dedication to academic excellence, they differ in 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.
Smith College logo

Smith College

Sterling College logo

Sterling College

Overview

Location Northampton, 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 95.0% 55.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 29.9% 47.4%
Application fees $60
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $25
SAT range 1370 - 1530 996 - 1166
ACT range 31 - 34 18 - 25
Students submitting SAT score 34.0% 12.0%
Students submitting ACT score 20.0% 33.0%
Total number of applicants 6,064 2,574
Total number of admissions given out 1,814 1,220
Admitted students who chose to enroll 676 206
Yield rate 37.3% 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) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $68,128 $42,886
Average net price $29,569 $22,377
Tuition $55,830 $27,000
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,700

Meal plan: $9,720
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)

70.0%
Average amount $44,108
100.0%
Average amount $18,158
Students receiving federal student loan 35.0%
Average amount $3,560
70.0%
Average amount $5,750
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $8,280
8.0%
Average amount $11,649

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,566
Men 0.1% Women 99.9%
686
Men 59.0% Women 41.0%
Graduate students 358
Men 16.2% Women 83.8%
14
Men 14.3% Women 85.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 13.4% 5.3%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity 2,519 635
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 Maryland N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Health Professions
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Education
  • Business
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.0% 43.2%
Dropout rate 3.6% 25.2%
Transferred out 5.1% 30.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,496
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $70,990
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $47,650
  • Year 3: $56,651
Social Work (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,011
  • Year 2: $45,554
  • Year 3: $53,962
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,620
  • Year 3: $53,886
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,098
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: $48,619
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,776
  • Year 2: $39,153
  • Year 3: $43,120
Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,839
  • Year 3: $41,147
Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,006
  • Year 2: $18,566
  • Year 3: $41,145
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,954
  • Year 2: $28,019
  • Year 3: $40,411
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $34,603
  • Year 3: $38,497
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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