Central College vs Northwestern College

Central College and Northwestern College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Central College, nestled in the heart of Pella, Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body. Northwestern College, located in Orange City, Iowa, maintains a lower acceptance rate, fostering a close-knit community. While Central College excels in the fields of business, education, and nursing, Northwestern College shines in the areas of engineering, computer science, and agriculture. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Central College	Northwestern College
Overview
Location	Pella, Iowa	Orange City, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	79.0%	83.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	74.5%	83.0%
Application fees	$25
SAT range	1000 - 1260	940 - 1240
ACT range	19 - 25	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%	8.0%
Students submitting ACT score	67.0%	82.0%
Total number of applicants	2,202	1,172
Total number of admissions given out	1,641	973
Admitted students who chose to enroll	340	268
Yield rate	20.7%	27.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not 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	$34,302	$47,650
Average net price	$22,966	$24,848
Tuition	$19,250	$33,350
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,892 Meal plan: $5,660	$10,000
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $10,353	100.0% Average amount $21,873
Students receiving federal student loan	73.0% Average amount $5,605	69.0% Average amount $5,257
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $12,712	21.0% Average amount $10,813

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,139 Men 51.3% Women 48.7%	1,053 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students	N/A	460 Men 24.3% Women 75.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	0.1%	2.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,405	995
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Communication and Journalism Education Business English Language and Literature	Education Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	66.1%	70.8%
Dropout rate	2.5%	6.5%
Transferred out	31.0%	22.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,719 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,017 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,993 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,925 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,080 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,227 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,185 Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

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Central College vs Northwestern College

Central College

Northwestern College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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