La Sierra University vs. CMU - CLAS

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

	La Sierra University	Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences	College 3	College 4
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Overview	La Sierra University	CMU - CLAS
Location	Riverside, CA	Fayette, MO
Setting	Large City	Distant Town
Enrollment	1,611	1,017
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#661	#632
Religious Affiliation	Seventh Day Adventists	United Methodist	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	lasierra.edu	centralmethodist.edu
Team Colors

Costs	La Sierra University	CMU - CLAS
Tuition (In State)	$34,920	$26,360
Tuition (Out of State)	$34,920	$26,360
Room & Board	$11,670	$8,910
Avg Net Price	$28,076	$25,050
Avg Grant Aid	$21,762	$19,255
% Receiving Grant Aid	99%	100%

Admission	La Sierra University	CMU - CLAS
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	2,238	1,149
Admitted	2,088	1,010
Acceptance Rate	93.3%	87.9%
Enrolled %	12.4%	23.5%
Avg High School GPA	3.54	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Moderate	Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	18/28	19/24
SAT Range	880/1140	1041/1138
Submit Test Scores	Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline		Aug 15, 2026

Academics	La Sierra University	CMU - CLAS
Student to Faculty Ratio	11:1	11:1
Popular Majors	Biology (24%) Business (23%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%) Psychology (9%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)	Health Professions (22%) Business (16%) Education (13%) Biology (9%) General Studies (8%)
Outcomes	La Sierra University	CMU - CLAS
Graduation Rate	32%	43%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$51,900	$38,600
Making Student Loan Payments	52%	63%
Median Student Loan Debt	$30,000	$16,875
Median Loan Payment	$310	$174

Diversity	La Sierra University	CMU - CLAS
% Men	9%	0%
% Women	14%	0%
Racial Diversity	Very High	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	14%	78%
% Black	6%	8%
% Hispanic	48%	3%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	2%	0%
% Two or More Races	4%	3%
% International	11%	4%
% Unknown Race	0%	4%

Students	La Sierra University	CMU - CLAS
% In-State	84%	59%
% Out-of-State	9%	27%
Campus	La Sierra University	CMU - CLAS
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	No
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• La Sierra University is larger than than CMU - CLAS based on total student enrollment (1,611 students vs. 1,017 students)

La Sierra University vs. CMU - CLAS Cost Comparison

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

• La Sierra University is 32.5% more expensive to attend than CMU - CLAS for in-state tuition ($34,920.00 vs. $26,360.00)
• Out of state tuition is 32.5% higher at La Sierra University than Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences ($34,920.00 vs. $26,360.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences than La Sierra University ($25,050 vs. $28,076)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are 31% lower than costs at La Sierra University ($8,910 vs. $11,670)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences than La Sierra University (100% vs. 99%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by La Sierra University students is 13% larger than aid received Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences ($21,762 vs. $19,255)

La Sierra University vs. CMU - CLAS Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (1043) is 114 points higher than at La Sierra University (929)
• Incoming CMU - CLAS students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at La Sierra University (19)
• Accepted freshman La Sierra University students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.54) than students at CMU - CLAS (3.5)
• La Sierra University has a higher acceptance rate (93.3%) than CMU - CLAS (87.9%)

La Sierra University vs. CMU - CLAS Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, La Sierra 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 La Sierra University.

• The graduation rate at CMU - CLAS is higher than La Sierra University (43% vs. 32%)
• Graduates from La Sierra University earn on average $13,300 more per year than CMU - CLAS graduates after ten years. ($51,900 vs. $38,600)
• Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences students graduate with a $13,125 lower median federal student loan debt than La Sierra University graduates. ($16,875 vs. $30,000)
• CMU - CLAS graduates are paying $136 less per month on federal student loans than La Sierra University graduates. ($174 vs. $310)
• More CMU - CLAS graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former La Sierra University students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 52%)

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