Simpson College vs Luther College

Simpson College and Luther College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Simpson College, located in Indianola, Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Luther College's 68%. Simpson College's student body is more diverse, with 20% of students identifying as minorities, while Luther College's student body is predominantly White (88%). Both colleges offer a range of popular majors, including Business, Education, and Health Professions, but Luther College additionally offers majors in Music and Theatre Arts. While Simpson College has a slightly higher graduation rate (68%) than Luther College (66%), both institutions provide ample opportunities for academic success and personal growth. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which college aligns best with your aspirations and goals.
Luther College logo

Luther College

Simpson College logo

Simpson College

Overview

Location Decorah, Iowa Indianola, Iowa
Campus setting Town: Remote Town: Fringe
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 and Graduate
Students retention rate 84.0% 70.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 76.1% 90.8%
Application fees
SAT range 1088 - 1318 890 - 1280
ACT range 22 - 29 20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 8.0% 2.0%
Students submitting ACT score 37.0% 35.0%
Total number of applicants 2,495 1,330
Total number of admissions given out 1,898 1,208
Admitted students who chose to enroll 444 286
Yield rate 23.4% 23.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $61,175 $56,520
Average net price $25,929 $20,986
Tuition $46,130 $43,124
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,870

Meal plan: $5,490
Room/dormitory: $4,680

Meal plan: $4,974
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $34,281
100.0%
Average amount $34,582
Students receiving federal student loan 69.0%
Average amount $5,292
73.0%
Average amount $5,158
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $13,652
16.0%
Average amount $10,172

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,744
Men 43.4% Women 56.6%
1,172
Men 46.9% Women 53.1%
Graduate students N/A 46
Men 39.1% Women 60.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 70.5% 28.9%
International students 9.9% 1.4%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 2,156 1,264
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Minnesota Iowa Wisconsin Illinois California Iowa Arizona Texas Missouri Nebraska

Academics

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

Outcome

Graduation rate 72.5% 68.9%
Dropout rate 27.4% 30.8%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,021
  • Year 2: $73,041
  • Year 3: $81,168
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,180
  • Year 2: $54,509
  • Year 3: $62,305
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,866
  • Year 2: $49,787
  • Year 3: $53,487
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,401
  • Year 2: $42,012
  • Year 3: $46,368
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,370
  • Year 2: $36,668
  • Year 3: $44,730
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,991
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $42,375
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,249
  • Year 2: $39,729
  • Year 3: $41,996
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,017
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $41,102
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,449
  • Year 2: $32,029
  • Year 3: $38,526
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $35,030

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