Briar Cliff University vs Simpson College

Briar Cliff University and Simpson 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 student body of over 1,500 undergraduates. Simpson, a private liberal arts college in Indianola, Iowa, has a slightly lower acceptance rate of 85% and a smaller undergraduate population of around 1,300. While both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, Briar Cliff is known for its strong nursing and business programs, while Simpson excels in the liberal arts and sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about the differences in tuition, graduation rates, student demographics, and popular majors, and make an informed decision about which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Briar Cliff University logo

Briar Cliff University

Simpson College logo

Simpson College

Overview

Location Sioux City, Iowa Indianola, Iowa
Campus setting City: Small Town: Fringe
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 and Graduate
Students retention rate 63.0% 70.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate Open Admission 90.8%
Application fees
SAT range N/A 890 - 1280
ACT range N/A 20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 2.0%
Students submitting ACT score 35.0%
Total number of applicants 1,330
Total number of admissions given out 1,208
Admitted students who chose to enroll 286
Yield rate 23.7%
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 $56,520
Average net price $21,734 $20,986
Tuition $32,526 $43,124
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,713

Meal plan: $5,440
Room/dormitory: $4,680

Meal plan: $4,974
Available payment plans
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $25,701
100.0%
Average amount $34,582
Students receiving federal student loan 70.0%
Average amount $5,210
73.0%
Average amount $5,158
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $12,375
16.0%
Average amount $10,172

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 766
Men 47.4% Women 52.6%
1,172
Men 46.9% Women 53.1%
Graduate students 234
Men 31.6% Women 68.4%
46
Men 39.1% Women 60.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 62.6% 28.9%
International students 4.8% 1.4%
Campus local/setting City: Small Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 571 1,264
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 Iowa Arizona Texas Missouri Nebraska

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Business
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Education
  • Business
  • Liberal Arts
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 55.7% 68.9%
Dropout rate 44.3% 30.8%
Transferred out N/A N/A
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
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,021
  • Year 2: $73,041
  • Year 3: $81,168
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,180
  • Year 2: $54,509
  • Year 3: $62,305
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,866
  • Year 2: $49,787
  • Year 3: $53,487
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,401
  • Year 2: $42,012
  • Year 3: $46,368
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,370
  • Year 2: $36,668
  • Year 3: $44,730
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,991
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $42,375
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,249
  • Year 2: $39,729
  • Year 3: $41,996
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,017
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $41,102
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,449
  • Year 2: $32,029
  • Year 3: $38,526
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $35,030

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