Houghton College vs Principia College

Houghton College and Principia College, both rooted in strong religious affiliations, offer distinct educational experiences. Houghton, a Christian college in New York, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while Principia, a Christian Science college in Illinois, has a lower acceptance rate and a smaller, more intimate campus. While both colleges offer a range of undergraduate programs, Houghton's popular majors lean towards the liberal arts and sciences, while Principia's strengths lie in business, health professions, and education. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' graduation rates, student demographics, and other key differences that may influence your college decision.
Houghton College logo

Houghton College

Principia College logo

Principia College

Overview

Location Houghton, New York Elsah, Illinois
Campus setting Rural: Remote Rural: 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
Students retention rate 75.0% 81.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 79.1% 84.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $40
SAT range 1080 - 1290 1028 - 1193
ACT range 20 - 31 21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 28.0% 30.0%
Students submitting ACT score 6.0% 13.0%
Total number of applicants 1,008 138
Total number of admissions given out 797 116
Admitted students who chose to enroll 204 79
Yield rate 25.6% 68.1%
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) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $27,846 $42,820
Average net price $24,502 $19,816
Tuition $15,900 $29,970
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,288

Meal plan: $4,568
Room/dormitory: $5,810

Meal plan: $6,460
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $21,951
94.0%
Average amount $25,174
Students receiving federal student loan 62.0%
Average amount $5,120
0.0%
Average amount $0
Students taking out private loans 18.0%
Average amount $13,866
94.0%
Average amount $2,016

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 863
Men 37.2% Women 62.8%
321
Men 53.0% Women 47.0%
Graduate students 32
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 92.7%
International students 4.9% 24.3%
Campus local/setting Rural: Remote Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 1,015 585
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Missouri California Texas Illinois Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Liberal Arts
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Education
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Business
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 5:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 64.6% 85.9%
Dropout rate 13.2% 14.1%
Transferred out 22.2% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $16,932
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,222
  • Year 2: $24,872
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,411
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: N/A
N/A

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