CMU - CLAS vs. Bluffton University

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

	Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences	Bluffton University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	CMU - CLAS	Bluffton University
Location	Fayette, MO	Bluffton, OH
Setting	Distant Town	Distant Town
Enrollment	1,017	678
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#632
Religious Affiliation	United Methodist	Mennonite Church	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	centralmethodist.edu	bluffton.edu
Team Colors

Costs	CMU - CLAS	Bluffton University
Tuition (In State)	$26,360	$35,498
Tuition (Out of State)	$26,360	$35,498
Room & Board	$8,910	$11,866
Avg Net Price	$25,050	$21,299
Avg Grant Aid	$19,255	$29,291
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	100%

Admission	CMU - CLAS	Bluffton University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,149	2,873
Admitted	1,010	1,757
Acceptance Rate	87.9%	61.2%
Enrolled %	23.5%	10.8%
Avg High School GPA	3.5	3.26
Typical High School Grades	B+	B
Admissions Standards	Very Easy	Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition		Low
ACT Range	19/24	17/23
SAT Range	1041/1138	920/1130
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, 2026

Academics	CMU - CLAS	Bluffton University
Student to Faculty Ratio	11:1	10:1
Popular Majors	Health Professions (22%) Business (16%) Education (13%) Biology (9%) General Studies (8%)	Business (41%) Education (16%) Human Services (9%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%) Work and Family Studies (4%)
Outcomes	CMU - CLAS	Bluffton University
Graduation Rate	43%	59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$38,600	$40,600
Making Student Loan Payments	63%	67%
Median Student Loan Debt	$16,875	$27,000
Median Loan Payment	$174	$279

Diversity	CMU - CLAS	Bluffton University
% Men	0%	4%
% Women	0%	7%
Racial Diversity	Low	Very Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	78%	85%
% Black	8%	6%
% Hispanic	3%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	3%	3%
% International	4%	0%
% Unknown Race	4%	2%

Students	CMU - CLAS	Bluffton University
% In-State	59%	79%
% Out-of-State	27%	19%
Campus	CMU - CLAS	Bluffton University
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

• Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is larger than than Bluffton University based on total student enrollment (1,017 students vs. 678 students)

CMU - CLAS vs. Bluffton University Cost Comparison

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

• Bluffton University is 34.7% more expensive to attend than CMU - CLAS for in-state tuition ($35,498.00 vs. $26,360.00)
• Out of state tuition is 34.7% higher at Bluffton University than Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences ($35,498.00 vs. $26,360.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bluffton University than CMU - CLAS ($21,299 vs. $25,050)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are 33.2% lower than costs at Bluffton University ($8,910 vs. $11,866)
• The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences as Bluffton University (100% vs. 100%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Bluffton University students is 52.1% larger than aid received Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences ($29,291 vs. $19,255)

CMU - CLAS vs. Bluffton University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (1043) is 71 points higher than at Bluffton University (972)
• Incoming CMU - CLAS students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Bluffton University (21)
• Accepted freshman CMU - CLAS students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at Bluffton University (3.26)
• CMU - CLAS has a higher acceptance rate (87.9%) than Bluffton University (61.2%)

CMU - CLAS vs. Bluffton University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

• The graduation rate at Bluffton University is higher than Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (59% vs. 43%)
• Graduates from Bluffton University earn on average $2,000 more per year than CMU - CLAS graduates after ten years. ($40,600 vs. $38,600)
• Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students graduate with a $10,125 lower median federal student loan debt than Bluffton University graduates. ($16,875 vs. $27,000)
• CMU - CLAS graduates are paying $105 less per month on federal student loans than Bluffton University graduates. ($174 vs. $279)
• More Bluffton University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CMU - CLAS students, three years after graduation. (67% vs. 63%)

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