Transylvania University vs College of Saint Benedict

Transylvania University and College of Saint Benedict, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Transylvania, a private liberal arts university in Lexington, Kentucky, boasts a 68% acceptance rate and a diverse student body representing 30 states and 20 countries. With popular majors in business, biology, and psychology, Transylvania emphasizes experiential learning through internships, research opportunities, and study abroad programs. On the other hand, College of Saint Benedict, a private Catholic liberal arts college in St. Joseph, Minnesota, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 75% and a predominantly female student body. Known for its strong programs in nursing, biology, and education, Saint Benedict fosters a supportive learning environment with small class sizes and personalized attention. While both institutions offer a rich academic experience, their unique characteristics may appeal to different students. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of Saint Benedict	Transylvania University
Overview
Location	Saint Joseph, Minnesota	Lexington, Kentucky
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Large
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
Students retention rate	85.0%	84.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.8%	92.0%
Application fees
SAT range	1110 - 1220	1050 - 1330
ACT range	20 - 27	23 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	5.0%	18.0%
Students submitting ACT score	53.0%	73.0%
Total number of applicants	1,705	1,631
Total number of admissions given out	1,565	1,500
Admitted students who chose to enroll	389	289
Yield rate	24.9%	19.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$64,600	$58,070
Average net price	$28,269	$26,271
Tuition	$48,990	$40,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,744 Meal plan: $5,830	Room/dormitory: $6,400 Meal plan: $4,850
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $34,926	100.0% Average amount $30,467
Students receiving federal student loan	70.0% Average amount $5,285	55.0% Average amount $5,299
Students taking out private loans	23.0% Average amount $14,950	9.0% Average amount $17,474

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,542 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	970 Men 41.3% Women 58.7%
Graduate students	15 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	13.9%	N/A
International students	2.8%	N/A
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,657	667
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Minnesota Texas Wisconsin Illinois California	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Business Communication and Journalism	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures History Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	76.7%	73.4%
Dropout rate	4.2%	26.6%
Transferred out	19.1%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,506 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $64,967 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,133 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $63,835 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,618 Year 2: $51,607 Year 3: $60,918 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,526 Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: $50,148 Nutrition Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,764 Year 2: $38,906 Year 3: $47,379 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,234 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $41,921 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,557 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $40,533 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,176 Year 2: $34,298 Year 3: $38,443 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,663 Year 2: $31,127 Year 3: $37,417 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,025 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: N/A	Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,805 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $56,316 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,754 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $53,448 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $27,439 Year 3: N/A

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