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Overall Score: 73.28

Simpson College

Indianola, IA http://simpson.edu/
Simpson College wants you to have a good, rich liberal arts education – at a price you can actually afford. It notes that nearly every student who attends the college receives some form of grant or scholarship. The college, about 18 miles south of Des Moines, offers 80 majors, minors and special programs. The liberal arts curriculum focuses on “embedded skills,” such as critical thinking and intercultural communication, and requires courses in seven “areas of engagement.” The school presents a wide variety of opportunities in what it calls the "extended classroom," as well. Art students can study at an affiliated school in Florence, Italy; history majors can intern at the Iowa History Center on campus. Simpson is also home to the Des Moines Metro Opera, a professional opera company, where SC music students can work as interns during the group’s summer festival. Each spring term, classes are canceled for Campus Day, a tradition that dates back 100-years. Students and faculty are encouraged to celebrate the college by giving back through service projects on and off campus.

Costs

Est. full price 2022-2023
$57,500
% of students who get any grants
96%
Est. price for students who receive aid
$21,600
Average price for low-income students
$15,260

Admissions

Acceptance rate
80%
Median SAT/ACT score
1140/22
SAT/ACT required?
No
Undergraduate enrollment
1,300

Financial Aid

% of students with need who get grants
98%
% of need met
82%
% of students who get merit grants
12%
Average merit grant
$26,440

Student Success

Graduation rate
70%
Average time to a degree
4.1 years
Median student debt
$26,000
Early career earnings
$50,630
% earning more than a high school grad
76%

Notes: Students who get merit grants are full-time undergraduates who had no financial need and were awarded grants. Graduation rate measures degree completion within six years for both transfer students and first-time students. Early career earnings are the median earnings for both graduates and non-completers, 10 years after they first enrolled.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, Money/Witlytic calculations.

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