Sweet Briar College vs Bennington College

Sweet Briar College and Bennington College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Sweet Briar, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, boasts a 100% acceptance rate, while Bennington, located in the picturesque Green Mountains of Vermont, has a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 60%. Sweet Briar's student body is predominantly female, while Bennington's is coeducational. Both colleges offer a diverse range of majors, with Sweet Briar excelling in the humanities and social sciences, and Bennington known for its strengths in the arts and design. While Sweet Briar has a slightly higher graduation rate, both colleges are committed to providing their students with a transformative educational experience that prepares them for success in their chosen fields. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bennington College	Sweet Briar College
Overview
Location	Bennington, Vermont	Sweet Briar, Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	71.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.9%	80.0%
Application fees	$85	$40
SAT range	N/A	1020 - 1260
ACT range	N/A	23 - 27
Students submitting SAT score		18.0%
Students submitting ACT score		14.0%
Total number of applicants	1,726	1,192
Total number of admissions given out	1,155	954
Admitted students who chose to enroll	249	177
Yield rate	21.6%	18.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$80,648	$34,330
Average net price	$35,569	$22,711
Tuition	$58,848	$22,120
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,350 Meal plan: $7,860	$13,880
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $43,739	93.0% Average amount $17,220
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,083	44.0% Average amount $4,949
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $33,561	2.0% Average amount $6,248

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	771 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%	452 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Graduate students	113 Men 20.4% Women 79.6%	2 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	15.5%	5.7%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	769	561
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures English Language and Literature Public Administration and Social Service	Business Psychology Education Engineering Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.8%	41.7%
Dropout rate	7.5%	16.7%
Transferred out	24.8%	41.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,354 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $33,127 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $14,867 Year 2: $17,950 Year 3: $15,066 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: N/A Literature (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,202 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,302 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,599 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,189 Year 3: $44,499 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,212 Year 3: N/A

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