Sweet Briar College vs Ferrum College

Sweet Briar College and Ferrum College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Sweet Briar, a women's college, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 75%, while Ferrum, a coeducational college, welcomes a broader range of applicants with an acceptance rate of 85%. In terms of academic offerings, Sweet Briar excels in the liberal arts and sciences, with popular majors including English, history, and biology. Ferrum, on the other hand, emphasizes career-oriented programs such as business, education, and nursing. The student bodies at these colleges also differ: Sweet Briar's student population is predominantly female, while Ferrum's is more evenly balanced between men and women. Additionally, Sweet Briar boasts a higher graduation rate of 68% compared to Ferrum's 52%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table below, highlighting key differences
Ferrum College logo

Ferrum College

Sweet Briar College logo

Sweet Briar College

Overview

Location Ferrum, Virginia Sweet Briar, Virginia
Campus setting Rural: Distant Suburb: Midsize
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 57.0% 71.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 76.4% 80.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $25
$40
SAT range 920 - 1180 1020 - 1260
ACT range 18 - 24 23 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 15.0% 18.0%
Students submitting ACT score 7.0% 14.0%
Total number of applicants 1,671 1,192
Total number of admissions given out 1,277 954
Admitted students who chose to enroll 220 177
Yield rate 17.2% 18.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $53,080 $34,330
Average net price $22,278 $22,711
Tuition $36,480 $22,120
Room & board $12,400 $13,880
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $29,653
93.0%
Average amount $17,220
Students receiving federal student loan 84.0%
Average amount $5,940
44.0%
Average amount $4,949
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $13,700
2.0%
Average amount $6,248

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 863
Men 59.3% Women 40.7%
452
Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Graduate students 6
Men 16.7% Women 83.3%
2
Men 0.0% Women 100.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 2.8% 5.7%
Campus local/setting Rural: Distant Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 1,439 561
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
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 34.3% 41.7%
Dropout rate 53.2% 16.7%
Transferred out 12.3% 41.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,791
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $37,680
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,667
  • Year 2: $29,322
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,122
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,394
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $24,035
  • Year 3: N/A
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,382
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,189
  • Year 3: $44,499
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,212
  • Year 3: N/A

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