Buena Vista University vs. CMU - CLAS

Buena Vista University vs. Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences comparison

	Buena Vista University	Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	Buena Vista University	CMU - CLAS
Location	Storm Lake, IA	Fayette, MO
Setting	Remote Town	Distant Town
Enrollment	1,973	1,080
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#714	#781
Religious Affiliation	Presbyterian Church (USA)	United Methodist	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	bvu.edu	centralmethodist.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Buena Vista University	CMU - CLAS
Tuition (In State)	$38,644	$26,360
Tuition (Out of State)	$38,644	$26,360
Room & Board	$10,680	$8,910
Avg Net Price	$19,204	$24,828
Avg Grant Aid	$33,703	$18,044
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	100%

Admission	Buena Vista University	CMU - CLAS
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,562	1,166
Admitted	1,207	1,141
Acceptance Rate	77.3%	97.9%
Enrolled %	19.6%	25.8%
Avg High School GPA	3.49	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Very Easy	Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	20/24	18/23
SAT Range	930/1130	930/1090
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		Aug 15, 2025

Academics	Buena Vista University	CMU - CLAS
Student to Faculty Ratio	12:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Business (34%) General Studies (18%) Education (14%) Psychology (11%) Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)	Health Professions (22%) Business (16%) Education (13%) Biology (9%) General Studies (8%)
Outcomes	Buena Vista University	CMU - CLAS
Graduation Rate	55%	43%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$41,200	$38,600
Making Student Loan Payments	59%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$24,022	$16,875
Median Loan Payment	$248	$174

Diversity	Buena Vista University	CMU - CLAS
% Men	30%	48%
% Women	70%	52%
Racial Diversity	Very Low	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	80%	78%
% Black	1%	8%
% Hispanic	4%	3%
% Native American	1%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	1%	3%
% International	4%	4%
% Unknown Race	7%	4%

Students	Buena Vista University	CMU - CLAS
% In-State	58%	59%
% Out-of-State	41%	27%
Campus	Buena Vista University	CMU - CLAS
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

• Buena Vista University is larger than than CMU - CLAS based on total student enrollment (1,973 students vs. 1,080 students)

Buena Vista University vs. CMU - CLAS Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Buena Vista University or CMU - CLAS?

• Buena Vista University is 46.6% more expensive to attend than CMU - CLAS for in-state tuition ($38,644.00 vs. $26,360.00)
• Out of state tuition is 46.6% higher at Buena Vista University than Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences ($38,644.00 vs. $26,360.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Buena Vista University than CMU - CLAS ($19,204 vs. $24,828)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are 19.9% lower than costs at Buena Vista University ($8,910 vs. $10,680)
• The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Buena Vista University as Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (100% vs. 100%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Buena Vista University students is 86.8% larger than aid received Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences ($33,703 vs. $18,044)

Buena Vista University vs. CMU - CLAS Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Buena Vista University or CMU - CLAS? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CMU - CLAS or Buena Vista University .

• The average SAT score at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (1043) is 33 points higher than at Buena Vista University (1010)
• Incoming CMU - CLAS students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Buena Vista University (22)
• Accepted freshman CMU - CLAS students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Buena Vista University (3.49)
• CMU - CLAS has a higher acceptance rate (97.9%) than Buena Vista University (77.3%)

Buena Vista University vs. CMU - CLAS Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Buena Vista University or CMU - CLAS? 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 CMU - CLAS and Buena Vista University.

• The graduation rate at Buena Vista University is higher than Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (55% vs. 43%)
• Graduates from Buena Vista University earn on average $2,600 more per year than CMU - CLAS graduates after ten years. ($41,200 vs. $38,600)
• Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students graduate with a $7,147 lower median federal student loan debt than Buena Vista University graduates. ($16,875 vs. $24,022)
• CMU - CLAS graduates are paying $74 less per month on federal student loans than Buena Vista University graduates. ($174 vs. $248)
• More CMU - CLAS graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Buena Vista University students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 59%)

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