Blackburn College vs. VCM

Should I go to Blackburn College or VanderCook College of Music? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Blackburn College or VCM is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Blackburn College vs. VanderCook College of Music comparison
Blackburn College VanderCook College of Music College 3 College 4
Blackburn College
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Overview

Blackburn College VCM
Location Carlinville, IL Chicago, IL
Setting Rural Fringe Large City
Enrollment 382 263
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Presbyterian Church (USA) - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website blackburn.edu vandercook.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Blackburn College VCM
Tuition (In State) $26,055 $27,670
Tuition (Out of State) $26,055 $27,670
Room & Board $9,020 $7,500
Avg Net Price $21,575 $12,436
Avg Grant Aid $14,112 $27,884
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Blackburn College VCM
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 783 22
Admitted 504 22
Acceptance Rate 64.4% 100%
Enrolled % 21% 50%
Avg High School GPA 3.23 3.1
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 16/24 15/20
SAT Range 888/1125 890/1160
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2025

Academics

Blackburn College VCM
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 4:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Education (18%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Education (100%)

Outcomes

Blackburn College VCM
Graduation Rate 48% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,400 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

Blackburn College VCM
% Men 44% 43%
% Women 56% 57%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 80% 62%
% Black 13% 8%
% Hispanic 2% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 2%

Students

Blackburn College VCM
% In-State 70% 58%
% Out-of-State 30% 42%

Campus

Blackburn College VCM
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Blackburn College is larger than than VCM based on total student enrollment (382 students vs. 263 students)

Blackburn College vs. VCM Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Blackburn College or VCM?

  • VanderCook College of Music is 6.2% more expensive to attend than Blackburn College for in-state tuition ($27,670.00 vs. $26,055.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.2% higher at VCM than Blackburn College ($27,670.00 vs. $26,055.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at VanderCook College of Music than Blackburn College ($12,436 vs. $21,575)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at VanderCook College of Music are 20.3% lower than costs at Blackburn College ($7,500 vs. $9,020)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Blackburn College as VanderCook College of Music (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by VanderCook College of Music students is 97.6% larger than aid received Blackburn College ($27,884 vs. $14,112)

Blackburn College vs. VCM Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Blackburn College or VCM? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between VCM or Blackburn College .

  • The average SAT score at VanderCook College of Music (1107) is 102 points higher than at Blackburn College (1005)
  • Incoming VCM students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Blackburn College (22)
  • Accepted freshman Blackburn College students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.23) than students at VCM (3.1)
  • VCM has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than Blackburn College (64.4%)

Blackburn College vs. VCM Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Blackburn College or VCM? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between VCM and Blackburn College.

  • The graduation rate at Blackburn College is higher than VanderCook College of Music (48% vs. 45%)
  • Blackburn College students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than VCM graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Blackburn College graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than VCM graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More VCM graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Blackburn College students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 58%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/