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Sterling College

Sterling College is based in the town of Sterling, KS — a private campus in a small-town setting. International students are a visible presence at Sterling College — 11.3% of its 538 undergraduates come from outside the U.S.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

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Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$18,043

family income
under $30k

$20,530

$30–48k

$21,760

$48–75k

$25,757

$75–110k

$25,938

over $110k

Average net price

$22,3712023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Sterling College rose from $14,726 (2008) to $22,371 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$14,726
2009	$16,454
2010	$16,510
2011	$16,569
2012	$16,264
2013	$16,124
2014	$17,648
2015	$19,275
2016	$19,556
2017	$19,940
2018	$20,090
2019	$23,849
2020	$22,309
2021	$22,965
2022	$22,403
2023	$22,371

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$47,1852024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Sterling College rose from $24,930 (2009) to $47,185 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$24,930
2010	$26,780
2011	$28,180
2012	$29,672
2013	$30,722
2014	$30,471
2015	$32,261
2016	$33,742
2017	$35,102
2018	$36,070
2019	$37,242
2020	$40,406
2021	$40,641
2022	$42,886
2023	$44,836
2024	$47,185

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$11,582
2001	$12,100
2002	$12,750
2003	$13,150
2004	$13,807
2005	$13,806
2006	$14,300
2007	$15,500
2008	$16,500
2013	$21,200
2014	$21,950
2015	$22,950
2016	$24,250
2017	$24,985
2018	$26,000
2019	$27,300
2020	$27,300
2021	$28,500
2022	$30,000
2023	$32,200

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $33,700 before grants and other attendance costs. At Sterling College, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Enrollment sits at 538 — Sterling College is one of the smaller campuses on this site.

41.3% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Sterling College within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

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41.3%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Sterling College has wandered from Fall 1991 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts — up to 62.7% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 41.3%.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	38.9%
1992 cohort	44.9%
1993 cohort	32.7%
1994 cohort	36.2%
1995 cohort	40.8%
1996 cohort	41.8%
1997 cohort	39.3%
1998 cohort	40.4%
1999 cohort	62.7%
2000 cohort	43.6%
2001 cohort	49.5%
2002 cohort	51%
2003 cohort	41.1%
2004 cohort	41.2%
2005 cohort	47.6%
2006 cohort	34%
2007 cohort	42.4%
2008 cohort	39.3%
2009 cohort	42.3%
2010 cohort	45%
2011 cohort	39%
2012 cohort	53.2%
2013 cohort	52.7%
2014 cohort	46.7%
2015 cohort	43.2%
2016 cohort	36.7%
2017 cohort	29%
2018 cohort	41.3%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

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Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$13,350	$3,082
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$13,578	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$14,500	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$14,438	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$13,537	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$14,250	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$14,690	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$15,625	$3,313
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$16,250	$3,938
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$14,519	$3,313
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$15,813	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,719	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$19,482	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$21,250	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$24,000	$5,887
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$25,000	$6,202
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$26,000	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$25,445	$8,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$24,664	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$23,973	$6,650
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$23,966	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$25,000	$6,628
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$25,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$24,625	$8,000

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$40,722

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$42,526

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$45,846

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Sterling College admitted 395 of 820 applicants in Fall 2024. The 48.2% rate describes that application pool.

48.2%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $32,200 tuition · 2023–24 538 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Sterling College received 820 applications and admitted 395 (48.2%), with 120 enrolling.

Sterling College: scores were considered but optional in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Acceptance rate

48.2%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Sterling College's admission rate fell from 58.8% to 48.2%. The rate alone cannot explain the change. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	58.8%
Fall 2002	57.1%
Fall 2003	56.7%
Fall 2004	54.8%
Fall 2005	56.4%
Fall 2006	63.2%
Fall 2007	58%
Fall 2008	53.4%
Fall 2009	55.1%
Fall 2010	50.4%
Fall 2011	48.9%
Fall 2012	46.3%
Fall 2013	44%
Fall 2014	44.4%
Fall 2015	41.4%
Fall 2016	37.4%
Fall 2017	52.5%
Fall 2018	40.5%
Fall 2019	39.9%
Fall 2020	36.9%
Fall 2021	47.4%
Fall 2022	61.1%
Fall 2023	53%
Fall 2024	48.2%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

938–1123Fall 2022 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	860	1190
Fall 2003	750	950
Fall 2004	820	1120
Fall 2005	850	1030
Fall 2006	760	1090
Fall 2007	840	1000
Fall 2008	870	1120
Fall 2009	860	1070
Fall 2010	830	1030
Fall 2011	830	1040
Fall 2012	830	1050
Fall 2013	870	1040
Fall 2014	820	1040
Fall 2015	820	1030
Fall 2016	880	1030
Fall 2017	900	1070
Fall 2018	930	1070
Fall 2019	920	1050
Fall 2020	900	1080
Fall 2021	996	1166
Fall 2022	938	1123

IPEDS Fall 2001–2022, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

18–24Fall 2022 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	19	26
Fall 2002	20	27
Fall 2003	19	26
Fall 2004	19	25
Fall 2005	19	25
Fall 2006	18	24
Fall 2007	18	23
Fall 2008	18	23
Fall 2009	19	24
Fall 2010	19	24
Fall 2011	19	25
Fall 2012	19	25
Fall 2013	19	25
Fall 2014	18	24
Fall 2015	19	24
Fall 2016	18	23
Fall 2017	18	22
Fall 2018	17	23
Fall 2019	18	23
Fall 2020	18	25
Fall 2021	18	25
Fall 2022	18	24

IPEDS Fall 2001–2022, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

538Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Sterling College rose from 434 (Fall 2002) to 538 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	434
Fall 2003	438
Fall 2004	437
Fall 2005	442
Fall 2006	542
Fall 2007	553
Fall 2008	612
Fall 2009	672
Fall 2010	694
Fall 2011	638
Fall 2012	613
Fall 2013	640
Fall 2014	701
Fall 2015	661
Fall 2016	624
Fall 2017	612
Fall 2018	568
Fall 2019	563
Fall 2020	569
Fall 2021	599
Fall 2022	566
Fall 2023	569
Fall 2024	538

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

50%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Sterling College fell from 63% (Fall 2002) to 50% (Fall 2023).

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	63%
Fall 2003 cohort	58%
Fall 2004 cohort	64%
Fall 2005 cohort	72%
Fall 2006 cohort	54%
Fall 2007 cohort	62%
Fall 2008 cohort	79%
Fall 2009 cohort	68%
Fall 2010 cohort	62%
Fall 2011 cohort	55%
Fall 2012 cohort	66%
Fall 2013 cohort	63%
Fall 2014 cohort	62%
Fall 2015 cohort	61%
Fall 2016 cohort	55%
Fall 2017 cohort	50%
Fall 2018 cohort	59%
Fall 2019 cohort	58%
Fall 2020 cohort	55%
Fall 2021 cohort	59%
Fall 2022 cohort	59%
Fall 2023 cohort	50%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Sterling College

37.1% of Sterling College's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Sterling College as a primarily residential campus of 538 undergraduates — and 50.3% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Sterling College's Fall 2024 filing has no usable score range. Sterling College considered scores then; check today’s requirements.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Sterling College compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Sterling College48.2%

Kansas median81.7%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Sterling College$33,700

Kansas median$33,000

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Sterling College's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Sterling College$45,846

Kansas median$52,113

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Sterling College, Kansas and national reference values
Metric & basis	Sterling College	Kansas median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	48.2%	81.7%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$33,700	$33,000	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$45,846	$52,113	$53,781

Frequently asked questions

What is Sterling College's acceptance rate?

48.2% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 395 admitted from 820 applicants.

How much does Sterling College cost?

At Sterling College, tuition is $33,700. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Sterling College report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $45,846. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Kansas

Friends University — 55.2% admitted
Barclay College — 51% admitted
Central Christian College of Kansas — 52.7% admitted
Bethany College — 56% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Read the date and population definitions.