Briar Cliff University vs Central College

Briar Cliff University and Central College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Briar Cliff, a private Catholic university in Sioux City, Iowa, boasts a 90% acceptance rate and a diverse student body representing 28 states and 17 countries. Central College, a private liberal arts college in Pella, Iowa, has a slightly lower acceptance rate of 86% and a student body primarily from Iowa and surrounding states. While Briar Cliff excels in nursing, business, and education programs, Central College shines in the fields of business, education, and natural sciences. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Briar Cliff at 65% and Central College at 68%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these two exceptional institutions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Briar Cliff University logo

Briar Cliff University

Central College logo

Central College

Overview

Location Sioux City, Iowa Pella, Iowa
Campus setting City: Small Town: Distant
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 63.0% 79.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation Catholic Protestant

Admission

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

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $48,190 $34,302
Average net price $21,734 $22,966
Tuition $32,526 $19,250
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,713

Meal plan: $5,440
Room/dormitory: $4,892

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

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $25,701
100.0%
Average amount $10,353
Students receiving federal student loan 70.0%
Average amount $5,210
73.0%
Average amount $5,605
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $12,375
13.0%
Average amount $12,712

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 766
Men 47.4% Women 52.6%
1,139
Men 51.3% Women 48.7%
Graduate students 234
Men 31.6% Women 68.4%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 62.6% N/A
International students 4.8% 0.1%
Campus local/setting City: Small Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 571 1,405
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Iowa Nebraska Texas Virgin Islands Illinois N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Business
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Education
  • Business
  • English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 55.7% 66.1%
Dropout rate 44.3% 2.5%
Transferred out N/A 31.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,675
  • Year 2: $70,009
  • Year 3: $75,805
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,009
  • Year 2: $57,657
  • Year 3: $59,664
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,817
  • Year 2: $47,650
  • Year 3: $58,240
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,709
  • Year 2: $47,397
  • Year 3: $56,596
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,281
  • Year 3: $40,775
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,691
  • Year 2: $35,416
  • Year 3: N/A
Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,406
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: N/A
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,863
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
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

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