PSC vs. Alma College

Should I go to Philander Smith College or Alma College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if PSC or Alma 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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Philander Smith College vs. Alma College comparison
Philander Smith College Alma College College 3 College 4
Philander Smith College Alma College
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Overview

 PSC Alma College
Location Little Rock, AR Alma, MI
Setting Midsize City Distant Town
Enrollment 769 1,260
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation United Methodist Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website philander.edu alma.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 PSC Alma College
Tuition (In State) $11,804 $45,346
Tuition (Out of State) $11,804 $45,346
Room & Board $8,250 $12,624
Avg Net Price $15,634 $23,995
Avg Grant Aid $10,317 $34,736
% Receiving Grant Aid 86% 100%

Admission

 PSC Alma College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 3,372
Admitted - 2,180
Acceptance Rate 64.7%
Enrolled % 15.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.04 3.5
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline

Academics

 PSC Alma College
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Social Sciences (18%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Human Services (9%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Biology (15%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 PSC Alma College
Graduation Rate 31% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $26,800 $48,300
Making Student Loan Payments 35% 77%
Median Student Loan Debt $31,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $320 $279

Diversity

 PSC Alma College
% Men 41% 47%
% Women 59% 53%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Very Low
HBCU Yes No
% White 0% 83%
% Black 91% 4%
% Hispanic 1% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 1%
% Unknown Race 0% 4%

Students

 PSC Alma College
% In-State 58% 90%
% Out-of-State 33% 6%

Campus

 PSC Alma College
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

  • Alma College is larger than than PSC based on total student enrollment (1,260 students vs. 769 students)

PSC vs. Alma College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, PSC or Alma College?

  • Alma College is 284.2% more expensive to attend than PSC for in-state tuition ($45,346.00 vs. $11,804.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 284.2% higher at Alma College than Philander Smith College ($45,346.00 vs. $11,804.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Philander Smith College than Alma College ($15,634 vs. $23,995)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Philander Smith College are 53% lower than costs at Alma College ($8,250 vs. $12,624)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Alma College than Philander Smith College (100% vs. 86%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Alma College students is 236.7% larger than aid received Philander Smith College ($34,736 vs. $10,317)

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

  • Accepted freshman Alma College students have a 0.46 point higher average high school GPA (3.5) than students at PSC (3.04)

PSC vs. Alma College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, PSC or Alma 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 Alma College and PSC.

  • The graduation rate at Alma College is higher than Philander Smith College (67% vs. 31%)
  • Graduates from Alma College earn on average $21,500 more per year than PSC graduates after ten years. ($48,300 vs. $26,800)
  • Alma College students graduate with a $4,000 lower median federal student loan debt than PSC graduates. ($27,000 vs. $31,000)
  • Alma College graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than PSC graduates. ($279 vs. $320)
  • More Alma College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former PSC students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 35%)

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