Westmont College vs Bennington College

Westmont College and Bennington College, two distinct institutions with unique offerings, stand ready to shape the academic journeys of prospective students. Westmont, a Christian liberal arts college in Santa Barbara, California, boasts a 44% acceptance rate and a student body predominantly comprised of California residents. Bennington, a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont, offers a more selective admissions process with a 29% acceptance rate and attracts a diverse student body from across the nation and the world. While both colleges excel in the humanities and social sciences, Westmont is known for its strong programs in biology, chemistry, and engineering, while Bennington is renowned for its distinctive offerings in the arts, dance, and theater. With graduation rates of 83% and 79% respectively, both institutions are committed to nurturing the academic success of their students. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover further distinctions between these two exceptional colleges and determine which best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences

	Bennington College	Westmont College
Overview
Location	Bennington, Vermont	Santa Barbara, California
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
Students retention rate	84.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.9%	79.0%
Application fees	$85
SAT range	N/A	1160 - 1460
ACT range	N/A	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score		18.0%
Students submitting ACT score		12.0%
Total number of applicants	1,726	2,344
Total number of admissions given out	1,155	1,851
Admitted students who chose to enroll	249	333
Yield rate	21.6%	18.0%
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	$61,110
Average net price	$35,569	$33,554
Tuition	$58,848	$47,450
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,350 Meal plan: $7,860	Room/dormitory: $9,400 Meal plan: $5,970
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $43,739	99.0% Average amount $32,308
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,083	50.0% Average amount $5,052
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $33,561	25.0% Average amount $4,810

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	771 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%	1,238 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Graduate students	113 Men 20.4% Women 79.6%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	31.1%
International students	15.5%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	769	1,207
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Washington Oregon Colorado Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures English Language and Literature Public Administration and Social Service	Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Physical Science Philosophy and Religious Studies
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.8%	73.4%
Dropout rate	7.5%	26.6%
Transferred out	24.8%	N/A
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/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,792 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $66,978 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,638 Year 2: $40,402 Year 3: $40,054 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,114 Year 2: $24,808 Year 3: $34,035 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,823 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,883 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,121 Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,369 Year 2: $25,596 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A

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