Northwestern College vs Bethel University

Northwestern College and Bethel University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Northwestern College, nestled in the quaint town of Orange City, Iowa, boasts a tight-knit community and a strong emphasis on Christian values. Bethel University, located in the vibrant city of St. Paul, Minnesota, prides itself on its diverse student body and its commitment to social justice. While both institutions share a dedication to academic excellence, they differ in their acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bethel University	Northwestern College
Overview
Location	Saint Paul, Minnesota	Orange City, Iowa
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Distant
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	86.0%	83.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Baptist	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	88.7%	83.0%
Application fees
SAT range	1123 - 1343	940 - 1240
ACT range	20 - 28	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	4.0%	8.0%
Students submitting ACT score	57.0%	82.0%
Total number of applicants	2,050	1,172
Total number of admissions given out	1,818	973
Admitted students who chose to enroll	504	268
Yield rate	27.7%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$55,228	$47,650
Average net price	$28,840	$24,848
Tuition	$39,920	$33,350
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,990 Meal plan: $5,160	$10,000
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $24,534	100.0% Average amount $21,873
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $5,559	69.0% Average amount $5,257
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $15,453	21.0% Average amount $10,813

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,653 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%	1,053 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students	1,078 Men 32.5% Women 67.5%	460 Men 24.3% Women 75.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	22.4%	N/A
International students	0.8%	2.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,819	995
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Minnesota Wisconsin Iowa South Dakota Illinois	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Health Professions Theology Social Sciences	Education Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	74.3%	70.8%
Dropout rate	25.0%	6.5%
Transferred out	N/A	22.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,189 Year 2: $101,406 Year 3: $114,186 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,885 Year 2: $80,858 Year 3: $99,647 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $99,325 Year 3: $97,047 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,998 Year 2: $66,964 Year 3: $70,318 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $63,253 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,100 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $61,022 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,747 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $56,122 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,385 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $55,588 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,180 Year 2: $47,427 Year 3: $53,686 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,174 Year 2: $49,883 Year 3: $51,683	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

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Northwestern College vs Bethel University

Bethel University

Northwestern College

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Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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