Waldorf University vs Central College

Waldorf University and Central College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Waldorf, a private university in Forest City, Iowa, boasts a 100% acceptance rate, welcoming students from diverse backgrounds. Central College, a private liberal arts college in Pella, Iowa, maintains a more selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 75%. While Waldorf's student body is predominantly female, Central College's student population is more evenly balanced between genders. Both institutions offer a range of popular majors, including business, education, and nursing, but Waldorf also features unique programs in aviation and agriculture. With graduation rates of 38% and 68% respectively, Waldorf and Central College provide varying levels of academic support and resources to help students achieve their educational goals. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Central College logo

Central College

Waldorf University logo

Waldorf University

Overview

Location Pella, Iowa Forest City, Iowa
Campus setting Town: Distant Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (For Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 79.0% 46.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 74.5% 72.3%
Application fees $25
SAT range 1000 - 1260 N/A
ACT range 19 - 25 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 10.0%
Students submitting ACT score 67.0%
Total number of applicants 2,202 1,097
Total number of admissions given out 1,641 793
Admitted students who chose to enroll 340 192
Yield rate 20.7% 24.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $34,302 $36,380
Average net price $22,966 $21,483
Tuition $19,250 $22,434
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,892

Meal plan: $5,660
$8,062
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $10,353
95.0%
Average amount $14,314
Students receiving federal student loan 73.0%
Average amount $5,605
73.0%
Average amount $5,263
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $12,712
10.0%
Average amount $10,090

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,139
Men 51.3% Women 48.7%
2,088
Men 61.5% Women 38.5%
Graduate students N/A 432
Men 62.3% Women 37.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 0.1% 2.0%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 1,405 591
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
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Education
  • Business
  • English Language and Literature
  • Business
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 24:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 66.1% 31.2%
Dropout rate 2.5% 62.3%
Transferred out 31.0% 6.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $53,045
  • Year 3: $57,439
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,169
  • Year 2: $44,542
  • Year 3: $50,519
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,119
  • Year 3: $48,234
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,721
  • Year 3: $41,814
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $36,848
  • Year 3: $40,707
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $37,077
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,314
  • Year 3: $33,927
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,790
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,508
  • Year 3: N/A
Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,071
  • Year 2: $74,200
  • Year 3: $77,816
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,915
  • Year 2: $37,208
  • Year 3: $46,542
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,024
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,470
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,975
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,432
  • Year 2: $35,954
  • Year 3: N/A
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,817
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Fire Protection (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,267
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Homeland Security (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,510
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,459
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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