Cleary College vs. Defiance College

Should I go to Cleary University or Defiance College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cleary College or Defiance College 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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Cleary University vs. Defiance College comparison
Cleary University Defiance College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Cleary College Defiance College
Location Howell, MI Defiance, OH
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 891 540
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - United Church of Christ - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cleary.edu defiance.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cleary College Defiance College
Tuition (In State) $22,279 $34,556
Tuition (Out of State) $22,279 $34,556
Room & Board $14,200 $10,940
Avg Net Price $27,209 $23,196
Avg Grant Aid $8,447 $24,970
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 99%

Admission

 Cleary College Defiance College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 810 2,722
Admitted 547 1,711
Acceptance Rate 67.5%Open 62.9%
Enrolled % 18.8%Open 8.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.17 3.12
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 18/19 17/23
SAT Range 950/1170 860/1110
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 Jul 15, 2025

Academics

 Cleary College Defiance College
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (79%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (16%)
  • Health Professions (5%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)

Outcomes

 Cleary College Defiance College
Graduation Rate 59% 51%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $54,900 $43,700
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 58%
Median Student Loan Debt $30,227 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $312 $279

Diversity

 Cleary College Defiance College
% Men 59% 60%
% Women 41% 40%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 80%
% Black 5% 8%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 9% 0%

Students

 Cleary College Defiance College
% In-State 82% 66%
% Out-of-State 12% 31%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Cleary University is larger than than Defiance College based on total student enrollment (891 students vs. 540 students)

Cleary College vs. Defiance College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cleary College or Defiance College?

  • Defiance College is 55.1% more expensive to attend than Cleary College for in-state tuition ($34,556.00 vs. $22,279.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 55.1% higher at Defiance College than Cleary University ($34,556.00 vs. $22,279.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Defiance College than Cleary College ($23,196 vs. $27,209)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Defiance College are 29.8% lower than costs at Cleary University ($10,940 vs. $14,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Defiance College than Cleary University (99% vs. 86%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Defiance College students is 195.6% larger than aid received Cleary University ($24,970 vs. $8,447)

Cleary College vs. Defiance College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Defiance College (984) is 34 points higher than at Cleary College (950)
  • Incoming Defiance College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Cleary College (20)
  • Accepted freshman Cleary College students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.17) than students at Defiance College (3.12)
  • Cleary College has a higher acceptance rate (67.5%) than Defiance College (62.9%)

Cleary College vs. Defiance College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cleary College or Defiance 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 Defiance College and Cleary College.

  • The graduation rate at Cleary College is higher than Defiance College (59% vs. 51%)
  • Graduates from Cleary University earn on average $11,200 more per year than Defiance College graduates after ten years. ($54,900 vs. $43,700)
  • Defiance College students graduate with a $3,227 lower median federal student loan debt than Cleary College graduates. ($27,000 vs. $30,227)
  • Defiance College graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than Cleary College graduates. ($279 vs. $312)
  • More Defiance College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cleary College students, three years after graduation. (58% vs. 47%)

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