Simpson College vs. CBU

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

Simpson College CBU
Location Indianola, IA Memphis, TN
Setting Distant Town Large City
Enrollment 1,151 1,934
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #412 #606
Religious Affiliation United Methodist Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website simpson.edu cbu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Simpson College CBU
Tuition (In State) $44,202 $35,520
Tuition (Out of State) $44,202 $35,520
Room & Board $9,654 $10,220
Avg Net Price $23,185 $18,612
Avg Grant Aid $35,898 $26,964
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Simpson College CBU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,569 877
Admitted 1,398 767
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 87.5%
Enrolled % 21.6% 22.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.62 3.67
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/27 18/25
SAT Range 890/1280 1030/1280
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 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

Simpson College CBU
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (39%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Physical Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Simpson College CBU
Graduation Rate 69% 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,000 $50,600
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 53%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

Simpson College CBU
% Men 48% 50%
% Women 52% 50%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 88% 43%
% Black 2% 29%
% Hispanic 3% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 0% 7%
% Unknown Race 3% 6%

Students

Simpson College CBU
% In-State 67% 69%
% Out-of-State 32% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Christian Brothers University is larger than than Simpson College based on total student enrollment (1,934 students vs. 1,151 students)

Simpson College vs. CBU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Simpson College or CBU?

  • Simpson College is 24.4% more expensive to attend than CBU for in-state tuition ($44,202.00 vs. $35,520.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24.4% higher at Simpson College than Christian Brothers University ($44,202.00 vs. $35,520.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Christian Brothers University than Simpson College ($18,612 vs. $23,185)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Simpson College are 5.9% lower than costs at Christian Brothers University ($9,654 vs. $10,220)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Simpson College as Christian Brothers University (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Simpson College students is 33.1% larger than aid received Christian Brothers University ($35,898 vs. $26,964)

Simpson College vs. CBU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Christian Brothers University (1105) is 1 points higher than at Simpson College (1104)
  • Incoming Simpson College students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at CBU (24)
  • Accepted freshman CBU students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at Simpson College (3.62)
  • Simpson College has a higher acceptance rate (89.1%) than CBU (87.5%)

Simpson College vs. CBU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Simpson College or CBU? 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 CBU and Simpson College.

  • The graduation rate at Simpson College is higher than Christian Brothers University (69% vs. 52%)
  • Graduates from Christian Brothers University earn on average $2,600 more per year than Simpson College graduates after ten years. ($50,600 vs. $48,000)
  • Christian Brothers University and Simpson College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Christian Brothers University and Simpson College graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More Simpson College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former CBU students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 53%)

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