Central College vs Bates College

Central College and Bates College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Central College, nestled in the heart of Pella, Iowa, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention and undergraduate research opportunities. Bates College, located in Lewiston, Maine, is known for its rigorous academics, vibrant arts scene, and commitment to social justice. While both colleges share a dedication to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bates College	Central College
Overview
Location	Lewiston, Maine	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	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	92.0%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation		Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	17.3%	74.5%
Application fees	$60	$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	7,319	2,202
Total number of admissions given out	1,267	1,641
Admitted students who chose to enroll	553	340
Yield rate	43.6%	20.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,870	$34,302
Average net price	$26,231	$22,966
Tuition	$59,062	$19,250
Room & board	$16,658	Room/dormitory: $4,892 Meal plan: $5,660
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	36.0% Average amount $50,509	100.0% Average amount $10,353
Students receiving federal student loan	12.0% Average amount $4,182	73.0% Average amount $5,605
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $23,825	13.0% Average amount $12,712

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,821 Men 48.6% Women 51.4%	1,139 Men 51.3% Women 48.7%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	8.7%	0.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,816	1,405
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Physical Science Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Psychology	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism Education Business English Language and Literature
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	91.7%	66.1%
Dropout rate	2.3%	2.5%
Transferred out	5.8%	31.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,768 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $73,497 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: $55,661 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,568 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $53,638 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,883 Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $35,020 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,170 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,112 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,731 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,657 Year 2: $25,194 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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