Simpson College vs. Roanoke College

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

Simpson College Roanoke College
Location Indianola, IA Salem, VA
Setting Distant Town Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 1,151 1,826
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #412 #419
Religious Affiliation United Methodist Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website simpson.edu roanoke.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Simpson College Roanoke College
Tuition (In State) $44,202 $33,510
Tuition (Out of State) $44,202 $33,510
Room & Board $9,654 $15,366
Avg Net Price $23,185 $29,169
Avg Grant Aid $35,898 $36,176
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Simpson College Roanoke College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,569 5,055
Admitted 1,398 4,032
Acceptance Rate 89.1% 79.8%
Enrolled % 21.6% 12.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.62 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/27 22/28
SAT Range 890/1280 1070/1260
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 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

Simpson College Roanoke College
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

Simpson College Roanoke College
Graduation Rate 69% 69%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,000 $51,200
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

Simpson College Roanoke College
% Men 48% 46%
% Women 52% 54%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 88% 82%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 3% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 4%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 0%

Students

Simpson College Roanoke College
% In-State 67% 58%
% Out-of-State 32% 40%

Campus

Simpson College Roanoke 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

  • Roanoke College is larger than than Simpson College based on total student enrollment (1,826 students vs. 1,151 students)

Simpson College vs. Roanoke College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Simpson College or Roanoke College?

  • Simpson College is 31.9% more expensive to attend than Roanoke College for in-state tuition ($44,202.00 vs. $33,510.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 31.9% higher at Simpson College than Roanoke College ($44,202.00 vs. $33,510.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Simpson College than Roanoke College ($23,185 vs. $29,169)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Simpson College are 59.2% lower than costs at Roanoke College ($9,654 vs. $15,366)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Simpson College as Roanoke College (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Roanoke College students is 0.8% larger than aid received Simpson College ($36,176 vs. $35,898)

Simpson College vs. Roanoke College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Simpson College (1104) is 12 points higher than at Roanoke College (1092)
  • Incoming Simpson College students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at Roanoke College (24)
  • Accepted freshman Simpson College students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.62) than students at Roanoke College (3.56)
  • Simpson College has a higher acceptance rate (89.1%) than Roanoke College (79.8%)

Simpson College vs. Roanoke College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Simpson College or Roanoke 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 Roanoke College and Simpson College.

  • The graduation rate at Simpson College is the same as at Roanoke College (69% vs. 69%)
  • Graduates from Roanoke College earn on average $3,200 more per year than Simpson College graduates after ten years. ($51,200 vs. $48,000)
  • Roanoke College and Simpson College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Roanoke College 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 Roanoke College students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 75%)

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