Calvin University vs Liberty University

Calvin University and Liberty University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Calvin, a private Christian liberal arts college in Grand Rapids, Michigan, boasts a 79% acceptance rate and a student body that is predominantly white (73%) and female (58%). Liberty, a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, has a higher acceptance rate of 88% and a more diverse student body, with a significant population of African American (13%) and Hispanic (11%) students. While both universities offer a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Calvin is known for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, while Liberty excels in fields such as business, education, and nursing. With different graduation rates (88% for Calvin and 62% for Liberty), these institutions cater to students with varying academic goals and preferences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover more about these universities and make an informed decision about your educational journey

	Calvin University	Liberty University
Overview
Location	Grand Rapids, Michigan	Lynchburg, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	86.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	99.3%
Application fees	$35	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1120 - 1340	N/A
ACT range	24 - 30	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	61.0%
Students submitting ACT score	24.0%
Total number of applicants	3,986	28,448
Total number of admissions given out	2,992	28,244
Admitted students who chose to enroll	736	5,461
Yield rate	24.6%	19.3%
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	$52,840	$42,620
Average net price	$27,120	$27,891
Tuition	$37,990	$21,663
Room & board	$10,800	Room/dormitory: $6,150 Meal plan: $4,560
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $24,410	89.0% Average amount $12,431
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,987	52.0% Average amount $5,619
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $16,620	9.0% Average amount $17,351

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,068 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	47,696 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%
Graduate students	189 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	47,013 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	76.0%
International students	11.7%	0.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,453	8,222
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia North Carolina Pennsylvania Texas Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Theology	Education Business Health Professions Psychology Theology
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.3%	62.1%
Dropout rate	7.6%	30.2%
Transferred out	14.7%	5.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,594 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $73,154 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,088 Year 2: $65,188 Year 3: $71,772 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,940 Year 2: $57,564 Year 3: $62,400 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,498 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $60,645 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,593 Year 2: $45,980 Year 3: $53,866 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,275 Year 2: $60,878 Year 3: $51,938 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,034 Year 2: $32,382 Year 3: $44,640 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,528 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,008 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,756 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $37,976 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,469 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $36,953	Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,316 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $91,964 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,385 Year 2: $80,964 Year 3: $87,831 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,657 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $77,205 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,410 Year 2: $72,022 Year 3: $73,900 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,556 Year 2: $51,106 Year 3: $65,313 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,731 Year 2: $62,936 Year 3: $64,580 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,576 Year 2: $57,705 Year 3: $62,807 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,423 Year 2: $57,714 Year 3: $62,225 Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $40,885 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $62,169 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $58,240 Year 2: $59,895 Year 3: $61,052

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