Cornell College vs Bennington College

Cornell College and Bennington College, two esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Cornell, nestled in the heart of Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Bennington, located in the vibrant state of Vermont, stands out for its selective admissions process, ensuring a highly competitive and academically rigorous environment. While both colleges share a commitment to fostering intellectual growth and personal development, they differ in their popular majors. Cornell emphasizes the sciences, business, and education, while Bennington excels in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these institutions, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your college decision.

	Bennington College	Cornell College
Overview
Location	Bennington, Vermont	Mount Vernon, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	78.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.9%	81.1%
Application fees	$85	$30
SAT range	N/A	1155 - 1405
ACT range	N/A	24 - 30
Students submitting SAT score		28.0%
Students submitting ACT score		58.0%
Total number of applicants	1,726	2,836
Total number of admissions given out	1,155	2,300
Admitted students who chose to enroll	249	366
Yield rate	21.6%	15.9%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$80,648	$62,735
Average net price	$35,569	$22,667
Tuition	$58,848	$47,100
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,350 Meal plan: $7,860	Room/dormitory: $4,868 Meal plan: $5,688
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $43,739	100.0% Average amount $37,745
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,083	57.0% Average amount $5,607
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $33,561	16.0% Average amount $9,357

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	771 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%	1,046 Men 52.5% Women 47.5%
Graduate students	113 Men 20.4% Women 79.6%	9 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	15.5%	3.0%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	769	1,060
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	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures English Language and Literature Public Administration and Social Service	Business Visual & Performing Arts Foreign Languages and Literatures Social Sciences Philosophy and Religious Studies
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.8%	63.8%
Dropout rate	7.5%	10.9%
Transferred out	24.8%	25.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,354 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $33,127 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $14,867 Year 2: $17,950 Year 3: $15,066 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: N/A Literature (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,202 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,302 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,599 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,721 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $40,862 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,040 Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: $38,658 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,951 Year 2: $23,340 Year 3: N/A Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,103 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,478 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,731 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Bennington College

Prescott College