Paine College vs. Sterling College

Should I go to Paine College or Sterling College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Paine College or Sterling 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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Paine College vs. Sterling College comparison
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Overview

Paine College Sterling College
Location Augusta, GA Craftsbury Common, VT
Setting Midsize City Remote Rural
Enrollment 344 78
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website paine.edu sterlingcollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Paine College Sterling College
Tuition (In State) $12,706 $40,560
Tuition (Out of State) $12,706 $40,560
Room & Board $7,512 $10,950
Avg Net Price $17,048 $30,785
Avg Grant Aid $10,316 $21,515
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Paine College Sterling College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,253 52
Admitted 1,878 48
Acceptance Rate 83.4% 92.3%
Enrolled % 6.4% 14.6%
Avg High School GPA 2.81 3.1
Typical High School Grades B- B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 15/19
SAT Range 776/976
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2026

Academics

Paine College Sterling College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Communication (16%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (48%)
  • Biology (33%)
  • Agriculture (14%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)

Outcomes

Paine College Sterling College
Graduation Rate 27% 50%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $28,400 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 15% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $35,750 $17,035
Median Loan Payment $369 $176

Diversity

Paine College Sterling College
% Men 0% 8%
% Women 1% 8%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 2% 83%
% Black 89% 3%
% Hispanic 2% 3%
% Native American 0% 2%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 0%
% International 3% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 6%

Students

Paine College Sterling College
% In-State 73% 0%
% Out-of-State 26% 100%

Campus

Paine College Sterling College
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

  • Paine College is larger than than Sterling College based on total student enrollment (344 students vs. 78 students)

Paine College vs. Sterling College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Paine College or Sterling College?

  • Sterling College is 219.2% more expensive to attend than Paine College for in-state tuition ($40,560.00 vs. $12,706.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 219.2% higher at Sterling College than Paine College ($40,560.00 vs. $12,706.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Paine College than Sterling College ($17,048 vs. $30,785)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Paine College are 45.8% lower than costs at Sterling College ($7,512 vs. $10,950)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Paine College as Sterling College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Sterling College students is 108.6% larger than aid received Paine College ($21,515 vs. $10,316)

Paine College vs. Sterling College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Sterling College students have a 0.29 point higher average high school GPA (3.1) than students at Paine College (2.81)
  • Sterling College has a higher acceptance rate (92.3%) than Paine College (83.4%)

Paine College vs. Sterling College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Paine College or Sterling 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 Sterling College and Paine College.

  • The graduation rate at Sterling College is higher than Paine College (50% vs. 27%)
  • Sterling College students graduate with a $18,715 lower median federal student loan debt than Paine College graduates. ($17,035 vs. $35,750)
  • Sterling College graduates are paying $193 less per month on federal student loans than Paine College graduates. ($176 vs. $369)
  • More Sterling College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Paine College students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 15%)

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