Mount St. Mary's College vs. Buena Vista University

Should I go to Mount St. Mary's College or Buena Vista University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Mount St. Mary's College or Buena Vista University 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UIW Cal State East Bay Cal State Fullerton California State University-Northridge NDNU San Jose State Fresno Pacific University Dominican
Mount St. Mary's College vs. Buena Vista University comparison
Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University College 3 College 4
Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University
Location Los Angeles, CA Storm Lake, IA
Setting Large City Remote Town
Enrollment 2,440 1,973
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #538 #714
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website la.edu bvu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University
Tuition (In State) $45,388 $38,644
Tuition (Out of State) $45,388 $38,644
Room & Board $13,217 $10,680
Avg Net Price $28,717 $19,204
Avg Grant Aid $33,604 $33,703
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

 Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,405 1,562
Admitted 1,822 1,207
Acceptance Rate 75.8% 77.3%
Enrolled % 20.9% 19.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.59 3.49
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/23 20/24
SAT Range 900/1110 930/1130
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (49%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Business (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (6%)
  • Business (34%)
  • General Studies (18%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

 Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University
Graduation Rate 47% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,000 $41,200
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $24,022
Median Loan Payment $258 $248

Diversity

 Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University
% Men 11% 30%
% Women 89% 70%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 9% 80%
% Black 7% 1%
% Hispanic 62% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 1%
% International 0% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 7%

Students

 Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University
% In-State 94% 58%
% Out-of-State 6% 41%

Campus

 Mount St. Mary's College Buena Vista University
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

  • Mount St. Mary's College is larger than than Buena Vista University based on total student enrollment (2,440 students vs. 1,973 students)

Mount St. Mary's College vs. Buena Vista University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mount St. Mary's College or Buena Vista University?

  • Mount St. Mary's College is 17.5% more expensive to attend than Buena Vista University for in-state tuition ($45,388.00 vs. $38,644.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.5% higher at Mount St. Mary's College than Buena Vista University ($45,388.00 vs. $38,644.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Buena Vista University than Mount St. Mary's College ($19,204 vs. $28,717)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Buena Vista University are 23.8% lower than costs at Mount St. Mary's College ($10,680 vs. $13,217)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Mount St. Mary's College as Buena Vista University (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Buena Vista University students is 0.3% larger than aid received Mount St. Mary's College ($33,703 vs. $33,604)

Mount St. Mary's College vs. Buena Vista University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Mount St. Mary's College or Buena Vista University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Buena Vista University or Mount St. Mary's College .

  • The average SAT score at Buena Vista University (1010) is 95 points higher than at Mount St. Mary's College (915)
  • Incoming Buena Vista University students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Mount St. Mary's College (19)
  • Accepted freshman Mount St. Mary's College students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.59) than students at Buena Vista University (3.49)
  • Buena Vista University has a higher acceptance rate (77.3%) than Mount St. Mary's College (75.8%)

Mount St. Mary's College vs. Buena Vista University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mount St. Mary's College or Buena Vista University? 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 Buena Vista University and Mount St. Mary's College.

  • The graduation rate at Buena Vista University is higher than Mount St. Mary's College (55% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Mount St. Mary's College earn on average $17,800 more per year than Buena Vista University graduates after ten years. ($59,000 vs. $41,200)
  • Buena Vista University students graduate with a $978 lower median federal student loan debt than Mount St. Mary's College graduates. ($24,022 vs. $25,000)
  • Buena Vista University graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than Mount St. Mary's College graduates. ($248 vs. $258)
  • More Buena Vista University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mount St. Mary's College students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 59%)

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