Saint Mary's College of California vs. Northwestern College

Comparable Facts

Compare Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, CA with Northwestern College in Orange City, IA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the tables above.

Saint Mary's College of California is larger than Northwestern College based on total student enrollment (2,734 students vs. 1,705 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Saint Mary's College of California is located in Moraga, CA (Large Suburban setting); Northwestern College is in Orange City, IA (Distant Town setting).
• Saint Mary's College of California is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Northwestern College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Saint Mary's College of California 10:1; Northwestern College 15:1.

Cost details

• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern College are 38.1% lower than at Saint Mary's College of California ($10,900 vs. $17,600).
• Out-of-state tuition is 57.5% higher at Saint Mary's College of California than at Northwestern College (about $21,093 more per year; $57,803 vs. $36,710).
• The same share of students receive grant aid at Saint Mary's College of California as at Northwestern College (100% vs. 100%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Saint Mary's College of California students is 80.2% larger than aid received by Northwestern College students ($42,407 vs. $23,537).

Admissions details

• Typical ACT composite is 1 point higher at Saint Mary's College of California than at Northwestern College (24 vs. 23, midpoint estimate).
• SAT or ACT scores are test-free at both Saint Mary's College of California and Northwestern College.
• Typical fall application deadline: Saint Mary's College of California Jan 15, 2027.
• Enrolled first-year students at Saint Mary's College of California average a 3.6 high school GPA, 0.03 higher than at Northwestern College (3.57).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 9.5% at Saint Mary's College of California vs. 27.2% at Northwestern College.

Loans and repayment

• Among federal student loan borrowers, Saint Mary's College of California graduates have a $92 lower median loan debt than Northwestern College graduates ($25,000 vs. $25,092).
• Among borrowers, Saint Mary's College of California graduates have an estimated $1 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Northwestern College graduates ($258 vs. $259).
• More Northwestern College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Saint Mary's College of California students, three years after graduation (85% vs. 71%).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS and College Scorecard. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.