Principia College vs Blackburn College

Principia College and Blackburn College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Principia, a private liberal arts college, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 58%, while Blackburn, a private work college, welcomes a larger proportion of applicants with an acceptance rate of 90%. Principia's student body is predominantly female (63%), while Blackburn's is more evenly balanced (52% female, 48% male). Both colleges offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Principia excelling in the liberal arts and sciences, and Blackburn specializing in business, education, and the health professions. While Principia boasts a higher graduation rate (75%) compared to Blackburn's (58%), both institutions provide ample opportunities for academic success and personal growth. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these colleges and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Blackburn College logo

Blackburn College

Principia College logo

Principia College

Overview

Location Carlinville, Illinois Elsah, Illinois
Campus setting Town: Distant Rural: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 67.0% 81.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Presbyterian

Admission

Acceptance rate 66.2% 84.1%
Application fees
SAT range 888 - 1125 1028 - 1193
ACT range 16 - 24 21 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 31.0% 30.0%
Students submitting ACT score 14.0% 13.0%
Total number of applicants 453 138
Total number of admissions given out 300 116
Admitted students who chose to enroll 77 79
Yield rate 25.7% 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 $39,230 $42,820
Average net price $19,016 $19,816
Tuition $25,570 $29,970
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,230

Meal plan: $3,590
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 $16,362
94.0%
Average amount $25,174
Students receiving federal student loan 90.0%
Average amount $5,057
0.0%
Average amount $0
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $7,924
94.0%
Average amount $2,016

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 414
Men 44.4% Women 55.6%
321
Men 53.0% Women 47.0%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 21.9% 92.7%
International students 0.7% 24.3%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 449 585
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Texas California Indiana Missouri Missouri California Texas Illinois Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Psychology
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Business
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 5:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 45.9% 85.9%
Dropout rate 54.1% 14.1%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $40,456
  • Year 3: $40,959
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,105
  • Year 2: $33,138
  • Year 3: $37,331
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,093
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: N/A
N/A

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