Buena Vista University vs. McPherson College

Buena Vista University vs. McPherson College comparison

	Buena Vista University	McPherson College	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Buena Vista University	McPherson College
Location	Storm Lake, IA	McPherson, KS
Setting	Remote Town	Remote Town
Enrollment	1,951	788
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#719
Religious Affiliation	Presbyterian Church (USA)	Church of Brethren	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	bvu.edu	mcpherson.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Buena Vista University	McPherson College
Tuition (In State)	$40,190	$34,072
Tuition (Out of State)	$40,190	$34,072
Room & Board	$10,896	$10,322
Avg Net Price	$18,156	$25,490
Avg Grant Aid	$34,333	$22,929
% Receiving Grant Aid	99%	100%

Admission	Buena Vista University	McPherson College
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,544	1,209
Admitted	1,108	1,013
Acceptance Rate	71.8%	83.8%
Enrolled %	19.6%	23.8%
Avg High School GPA	3.49	3.33
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Very Easy	Very Easy
Applicant Competition	Low
ACT Range	20/24	17/24
SAT Range	930/1130	936/1126
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 1, 2026

Academics	Buena Vista University	McPherson College
Student to Faculty Ratio	13:1	13:1
Popular Majors	Business (34%) General Studies (18%) Education (14%) Psychology (11%) Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)	Business (22%) Engineering Technology (16%) Visual and Performing Arts (15%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%) Education (8%)
Outcomes	Buena Vista University	McPherson College
Graduation Rate	55%	46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$41,200	$44,200
Making Student Loan Payments	59%	67%
Median Student Loan Debt	$24,022	$26,000
Median Loan Payment	$248	$268

Diversity	Buena Vista University	McPherson College
% Men	4%	0%
% Women	22%	0%
Racial Diversity	Very Low	Medium
HBCU	No	No
% White	80%	70%
% Black	1%	10%
% Hispanic	4%	12%
% Native American	1%	1%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	1%	2%
% International	4%	4%
% Unknown Race	7%	0%

Students	Buena Vista University	McPherson College
% In-State	74%	27%
% Out-of-State	26%	69%
Campus	Buena Vista University	McPherson College
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	No	Yes
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Buena Vista University is larger than than McPherson College based on total student enrollment (1,951 students vs. 788 students)

Buena Vista University vs. McPherson College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Buena Vista University or McPherson College?

• Buena Vista University is 18% more expensive to attend than McPherson College for in-state tuition ($40,190.00 vs. $34,072.00)
• Out of state tuition is 18% higher at Buena Vista University than McPherson College ($40,190.00 vs. $34,072.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Buena Vista University than McPherson College ($18,156 vs. $25,490)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at McPherson College are 5.6% lower than costs at Buena Vista University ($10,322 vs. $10,896)
• More students receive financial grant aid at McPherson College than Buena Vista University (100% vs. 99%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Buena Vista University students is 49.7% larger than aid received McPherson College ($34,333 vs. $22,929)

Buena Vista University vs. McPherson College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Buena Vista University (1010) is 70 points higher than at McPherson College (940)
• Incoming Buena Vista University students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at McPherson College (20)
• Accepted freshman Buena Vista University students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.49) than students at McPherson College (3.33)
• McPherson College has a higher acceptance rate (83.8%) than Buena Vista University (71.8%)

Buena Vista University vs. McPherson College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Buena Vista University or McPherson College? 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 McPherson College and Buena Vista University.

• The graduation rate at Buena Vista University is higher than McPherson College (55% vs. 46%)
• Graduates from McPherson College earn on average $3,000 more per year than Buena Vista University graduates after ten years. ($44,200 vs. $41,200)
• Buena Vista University students graduate with a $1,978 lower median federal student loan debt than McPherson College graduates. ($24,022 vs. $26,000)
• Buena Vista University graduates are paying $20 less per month on federal student loans than McPherson College graduates. ($248 vs. $268)
• More McPherson College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Buena Vista University students, three years after graduation. (67% vs. 59%)

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