Luther College vs Bethany College

Luther College and Bethany College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Luther College, nestled in Decorah, Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate (84%) compared to Bethany College's 75% in Lindsborg, Kansas. While Luther College excels in the liberal arts and sciences, Bethany College emphasizes the fine arts, with popular majors including music, art, and theater. Luther College's student body is slightly larger, with a diverse mix of ethnicities and international students, while Bethany College fosters a close-knit community with a higher percentage of students from the Midwest. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Luther College's rate slightly higher at 79% compared to Bethany College's 75%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions and determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bethany College	Luther College
Overview
Location	Lindsborg, Kansas	Decorah, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	38.0%	84.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.9%	76.1%
Application fees
SAT range	810 - 1015	1088 - 1318
ACT range	17 - 23	22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	14.0%	8.0%
Students submitting ACT score	43.0%	37.0%
Total number of applicants	2,627	2,495
Total number of admissions given out	1,888	1,898
Admitted students who chose to enroll	256	444
Yield rate	13.6%	23.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$51,560	$61,175
Average net price	$26,732	$25,929
Tuition	$29,200	$46,130
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,375 Meal plan: $5,600	Room/dormitory: $4,870 Meal plan: $5,490
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $22,305	100.0% Average amount $34,281
Students receiving federal student loan	90.0% Average amount $5,285	69.0% Average amount $5,292
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $13,614	13.0% Average amount $13,652

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	737 Men 57.7% Women 42.3%	1,744 Men 43.4% Women 56.6%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Very Low
Out-of-state students	67.2%	70.5%
International students	4.8%	9.9%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	712	2,156
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Kansas Texas Oklahoma California Florida	Minnesota Iowa Wisconsin Illinois California

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Philosophy and Religious Studies
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	30.4%	72.5%
Dropout rate	69.6%	27.4%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,319 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,090 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,141 Year 3: N/A Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,708 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,195 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $91,432 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,140 Year 2: $65,441 Year 3: $66,753 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,758 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $64,932 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,532 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $55,251 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,545 Year 2: $45,175 Year 3: $50,853 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,709 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $44,954 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,831 Year 2: $35,401 Year 3: $41,091 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,489 Year 2: $38,559 Year 3: $40,687 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,592 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $38,953 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,828 Year 2: $27,536 Year 3: $38,178

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