Clarke University vs Buena Vista University

Clarke University and Buena Vista University, both esteemed institutions in the Midwest, offer distinct educational experiences. Clarke, a Catholic university in Dubuque, Iowa, boasts a 90% acceptance rate, while Buena Vista, a private university in Storm Lake, Iowa, has a slightly lower acceptance rate of 85%. Clarke's student body is predominantly female (63%), while Buena Vista's is more evenly balanced (52% female, 48% male). Both universities offer a range of popular majors, including business, education, and nursing, but Clarke also features strong programs in the arts and humanities, while Buena Vista excels in STEM fields. With graduation rates of 65% and 60% respectively, both universities are committed to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and find the university that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Buena Vista University	Clarke University
Overview
Location	Storm Lake, Iowa	Dubuque, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Remote	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	73.0%	65.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.0%	88.8%
Application fees
SAT range	963 - 1140	900 - 1120
ACT range	18 - 25	19 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	8.0%	8.0%
Students submitting ACT score	57.0%	21.0%
Total number of applicants	1,749	2,006
Total number of admissions given out	1,154	1,781
Admitted students who chose to enroll	237	183
Yield rate	20.5%	10.3%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,162	$52,241
Average net price	$18,532	$25,414
Tuition	$37,518	$35,740
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,114 Meal plan: $5,256	Room/dormitory: $4,900 Meal plan: $5,500
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $31,137	100.0% Average amount $23,968
Students receiving federal student loan	72.0% Average amount $5,750	81.0% Average amount $8,599
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $5,551	27.0% Average amount $12,203

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,506 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%	717 Men 54.5% Women 45.5%
Graduate students	453 Men 16.3% Women 83.7%	171 Men 22.2% Women 77.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	39.4%	N/A
International students	0.5%	4.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	836	536
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Iowa Texas Nebraska Minnesota Arizona	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Public Administration and Social Service Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Philosophy and Religious Studies
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	62.8%	54.5%
Dropout rate	36.8%	6.2%
Transferred out	N/A	39.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,501 Year 2: $58,943 Year 3: $61,003 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,278 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $52,709 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,249 Year 2: $45,455 Year 3: $48,387 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,936 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $46,768 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,901 Year 2: $47,494 Year 3: $46,501 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,530 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $45,327 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,042 Year 2: $40,089 Year 3: $45,181 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,301 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $44,742 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,198 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $43,790 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,262 Year 2: $37,819 Year 3: $37,074	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $92,062 Year 2: $92,277 Year 3: $91,122 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $68,009 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $68,295 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,068 Year 2: $47,846 Year 3: $59,658 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,088 Year 2: $57,210 Year 3: $56,352 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,604 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $44,807 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,623 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $42,849 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,717 Year 2: $29,141 Year 3: $36,572 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $35,347 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,866 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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