Southwestern College vs. Saint Benedict

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

 Southwestern College Saint Benedict
Location Winfield, KS Saint Joseph, MN
Setting Distant Town Small Suburban
Enrollment 1,139 1,451
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #517 #305
Religious Affiliation United Methodist Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sckans.edu csbsju.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Southwestern College Saint Benedict
Tuition (In State) $38,330 $52,700
Tuition (Out of State) $38,330 $52,700
Room & Board $11,356 $12,160
Avg Net Price $27,337 $29,720
Avg Grant Aid $26,433 $37,173
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 Southwestern College Saint Benedict
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,333 1,852
Admitted 866 1,692
Acceptance Rate 65% 91.4%
Enrolled % 23.6% 22.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.33 3.72
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 17/22 21/27
SAT Range 900/1220 950/1220
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 22, 2026

Academics

 Southwestern College Saint Benedict
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (44%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (11%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (10%)
  • Health Professions (4%)
  • English and Literature (16%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • General Studies (10%)

Outcomes

 Southwestern College Saint Benedict
Graduation Rate 57% 81%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,100 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,750 $26,343
Median Loan Payment $266 $272

Diversity

 Southwestern College Saint Benedict
% Men 6% 0%
% Women 3% 3%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 54% 79%
% Black 12% 3%
% Hispanic 8% 6%
% Native American 2% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 1%
% International 5% 4%
% Unknown Race 15% 0%

Students

 Southwestern College Saint Benedict
% In-State 28% 89%
% Out-of-State 70% 7%

Campus

 Southwestern College Saint Benedict
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

  • College of Saint Benedict is larger than than Southwestern College based on total student enrollment (1,451 students vs. 1,139 students)

Southwestern College vs. Saint Benedict Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Southwestern College or Saint Benedict?

  • College of Saint Benedict is 37.5% more expensive to attend than Southwestern College for in-state tuition ($52,700.00 vs. $38,330.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.5% higher at Saint Benedict than Southwestern College ($52,700.00 vs. $38,330.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwestern College than Saint Benedict ($27,337 vs. $29,720)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southwestern College are 7.1% lower than costs at College of Saint Benedict ($11,356 vs. $12,160)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Southwestern College as College of Saint Benedict (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by College of Saint Benedict students is 40.6% larger than aid received Southwestern College ($37,173 vs. $26,433)

Southwestern College vs. Saint Benedict Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at College of Saint Benedict (1118) is 119 points higher than at Southwestern College (999)
  • Incoming Saint Benedict students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Southwestern College (22)
  • Accepted freshman Saint Benedict students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at Southwestern College (3.33)
  • Saint Benedict has a higher acceptance rate (91.4%) than Southwestern College (65%)

Southwestern College vs. Saint Benedict Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Southwestern College or Saint Benedict? 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 Saint Benedict and Southwestern College.

  • The graduation rate at Saint Benedict is higher than Southwestern College (81% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from College of Saint Benedict earn on average $600 more per year than Southwestern College graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $53,100)
  • Southwestern College students graduate with a $593 lower median federal student loan debt than Saint Benedict graduates. ($25,750 vs. $26,343)
  • Southwestern College graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than Saint Benedict graduates. ($266 vs. $272)
  • More Saint Benedict graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwestern College students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 57%)

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