Principia College vs. St. Bona

Should I go to Principia College or Saint Bonaventure University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Principia College or St. Bona 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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Principia College vs. Saint Bonaventure University comparison
Principia College Saint Bonaventure University College 3 College 4
Saint Bonaventure University
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Overview

Principia College St. Bona
Location Elsah, Illinois Saint Bonaventure, NY
Setting Rural Fringe Remote Town
Enrollment 338 2,603
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #502
Religious Affiliation - Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website principiacollege.edu sbu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Principia College St. Bona
Tuition (In State) $32,250 $38,950
Tuition (Out of State) $32,250 $38,950
Room & Board $13,370 $15,000
Avg Net Price $14,904 $27,659
Avg Grant Aid $32,096 $27,508
% Receiving Grant Aid 90% 98%

Admission

Principia College St. Bona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 268 4,299
Admitted 119 3,505
Acceptance Rate 44.4% 81.5%
Enrolled % 70.6% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.34 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/23 23/30
SAT Range 1040/1250 1050/1260
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 30, 2026

Academics

Principia College St. Bona
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (29%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

Principia College St. Bona
Graduation Rate - 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $48,800
Making Student Loan Payments - 72%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $27,000
Median Loan Payment N/A $279

Diversity

Principia College St. Bona
% Men 0% 9%
% Women 0% 17%
Racial Diversity - Medium
HBCU No No
% White 0% 69%
% Black 0% 6%
% Hispanic 0% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 9%

Students

Principia College St. Bona
% In-State 3% 78%
% Out-of-State 41% 17%

Campus

Principia College St. Bona
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Saint Bonaventure University is larger than than Principia College based on total student enrollment (2,603 students vs. 338 students)

Principia College vs. St. Bona Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Principia College or St. Bona?

  • Saint Bonaventure University is 20.8% more expensive to attend than Principia College for in-state tuition ($38,950.00 vs. $32,250.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 20.8% higher at St. Bona than Principia College ($38,950.00 vs. $32,250.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Principia College than St. Bona ($14,904 vs. $27,659)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Principia College are 12.2% lower than costs at Saint Bonaventure University ($13,370 vs. $15,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Saint Bonaventure University than Principia College (98% vs. 90%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Principia College students is 16.7% larger than aid received Saint Bonaventure University ($32,096 vs. $27,508)

Principia College vs. St. Bona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman St. Bona students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Principia College (3.34)
  • St. Bona has a higher acceptance rate (81.5%) than Principia College (44.4%)

Principia College vs. St. Bona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Principia College or St. Bona? 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 St. Bona and Principia College.

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