Westminster College vs Bates College

Westminster College and Bates College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Westminster, nestled in the vibrant city of Fulton, Missouri, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Bates, located in the charming town of Lewiston, Maine, stands out with its rigorous academic reputation and lower student-to-faculty ratio, fostering a more personalized learning environment. While Westminster's student body is predominantly White, Bates boasts a more diverse student population, reflecting its commitment to inclusivity. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover further distinctions between these two exceptional colleges, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bates College	Westminster College
Overview
Location	Lewiston, Maine	New Wilmington, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	92.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	17.3%	82.1%
Application fees	$60
SAT range	N/A	1040 - 1258
ACT range	N/A	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score		31.0%
Students submitting ACT score		10.0%
Total number of applicants	7,319	2,475
Total number of admissions given out	1,267	2,033
Admitted students who chose to enroll	553	305
Yield rate	43.6%	15.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$77,870	$52,150
Average net price	$26,231	$20,258
Tuition	$59,062	$37,630
Room & board	$16,658	$11,670
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	36.0% Average amount $50,509	100.0% Average amount $30,669
Students receiving federal student loan	12.0% Average amount $4,182	78.0% Average amount $5,696
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $23,825	28.0% Average amount $12,975

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,821 Men 48.6% Women 51.4%	1,163 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
Graduate students	N/A	62 Men 32.3% Women 67.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	8.7%	0.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,816	998
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Physical Science Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Psychology	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business Social Sciences Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	91.7%	72.8%
Dropout rate	2.3%	11.9%
Transferred out	5.8%	13.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,768 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $73,497 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: $55,661 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,568 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $53,638 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,883 Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $35,020 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,170 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,112 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,731 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,657 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $60,526 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $51,802 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,460 Year 2: $38,649 Year 3: $43,882 Education, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,753 Year 2: $34,847 Year 3: $41,931 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,711 Year 3: $38,405 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,711 Year 3: $36,169 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: N/A Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: N/A

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