Simpson College vs. St. Bona

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

Simpson College St. Bona
Location Indianola, IA Saint Bonaventure, NY
Setting Distant Town Remote Town
Enrollment 1,163 2,603
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #407 #502
Religious Affiliation United Methodist Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website simpson.edu sbu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Simpson College St. Bona
Tuition (In State) $45,306 $38,950
Tuition (Out of State) $45,306 $38,950
Room & Board $10,088 $15,000
Avg Net Price $23,637 $27,659
Avg Grant Aid $35,240 $27,508
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 98%

Admission

Simpson College St. Bona
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,646 4,299
Admitted 1,463 3,505
Acceptance Rate 88.9% 81.5%
Enrolled % 23.4% 16.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.62 3.48
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/27 23/30
SAT Range 890/1280 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 Aug 15, 2025 Jul 30, 2025

Academics

Simpson College St. Bona
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (29%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (8%)

Outcomes

Simpson College St. Bona
Graduation Rate 69% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,000 $48,800
Making Student Loan Payments 77% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

Simpson College St. Bona
% Men 1% 9%
% Women 1% 17%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 88% 69%
% Black 2% 6%
% Hispanic 3% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 3%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 3% 9%

Students

Simpson College St. Bona
% In-State 72% 78%
% Out-of-State 27% 17%

Campus

Simpson College St. Bona
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

  • Saint Bonaventure University is larger than than Simpson College based on total student enrollment (2,603 students vs. 1,163 students)

Simpson College vs. St. Bona Cost Comparison

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

  • Simpson College is 16.3% more expensive to attend than St. Bona for in-state tuition ($45,306.00 vs. $38,950.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.3% higher at Simpson College than Saint Bonaventure University ($45,306.00 vs. $38,950.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Simpson College than St. Bona ($23,637 vs. $27,659)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Simpson College are 48.7% lower than costs at Saint Bonaventure University ($10,088 vs. $15,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Simpson College than Saint Bonaventure University (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Simpson College students is 28.1% larger than aid received Saint Bonaventure University ($35,240 vs. $27,508)

Simpson College vs. St. Bona Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Simpson College (1104) is 38 points higher than at St. Bona (1066)
  • Incoming Simpson College students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at St. Bona (24)
  • Accepted freshman Simpson College students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.62) than students at St. Bona (3.48)
  • Simpson College has a higher acceptance rate (88.9%) than St. Bona (81.5%)

Simpson College vs. St. Bona Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Simpson 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 Simpson College.

  • The graduation rate at Simpson College is higher than Saint Bonaventure University (69% vs. 63%)
  • Graduates from Saint Bonaventure University earn on average $800 more per year than Simpson College graduates after ten years. ($48,800 vs. $48,000)
  • Saint Bonaventure University and Simpson College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Saint Bonaventure 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 St. Bona students, three years after graduation. (77% vs. 72%)

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