Saint Mary's University of Minnesota vs Central College

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and Central College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Saint Mary's, a private Catholic university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (85%) compared to Central's 75%. Saint Mary's student body is more diverse, with 38% students of color, while Central's student body is predominantly White (88%). Central, a private liberal arts college, excels in the sciences, with popular majors in biology, chemistry, and environmental science. Saint Mary's, on the other hand, offers strengths in business, education, and nursing. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Saint Mary's at 70% and Central at 68%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more distinctions and determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Central College logo

Central College

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota logo

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Overview

Location Pella, Iowa Winona, Minnesota
Campus setting Town: Distant Town: Distant
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 79.0% 79.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Protestant Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 74.5% 97.8%
Application fees $25
SAT range 1000 - 1260 N/A
ACT range 19 - 25 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 10.0%
Students submitting ACT score 67.0%
Total number of applicants 2,202 1,587
Total number of admissions given out 1,641 1,552
Admitted students who chose to enroll 340 234
Yield rate 20.7% 15.1%
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) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $34,302 $53,010
Average net price $22,966 $21,606
Tuition $19,250 $38,780
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,892

Meal plan: $5,660
Room/dormitory: $5,550

Meal plan: $4,370
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $10,353
100.0%
Average amount $29,804
Students receiving federal student loan 73.0%
Average amount $5,605
64.0%
Average amount $5,074
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $12,712
18.0%
Average amount $13,389

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,139
Men 51.3% Women 48.7%
1,246
Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students N/A 3,455
Men 27.9% Women 72.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 0.1% 1.7%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 1,405 982
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
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Education
  • Business
  • English Language and Literature
  • Education
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Psychology
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 18:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 66.1% 56.7%
Dropout rate 2.5% 43.3%
Transferred out 31.0% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $53,045
  • Year 3: $57,439
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,169
  • Year 2: $44,542
  • Year 3: $50,519
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,119
  • Year 3: $48,234
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,721
  • Year 3: $41,814
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $36,848
  • Year 3: $40,707
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $37,077
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,314
  • Year 3: $33,927
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $46,790
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,508
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $205,288
  • Year 2: $188,108
  • Year 3: $200,367
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,392
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $92,831
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $83,325
  • Year 3: $84,496
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,293
  • Year 2: $72,469
  • Year 3: $75,257
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $59,124
  • Year 3: $73,455
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,971
  • Year 2: $52,733
  • Year 3: $66,522
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,579
  • Year 2: $62,012
  • Year 3: $65,510
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,954
  • Year 2: $59,350
  • Year 3: $61,989
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,143
  • Year 2: $58,221
  • Year 3: $60,858
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,758
  • Year 2: $49,840
  • Year 3: $60,264

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