Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Principia College, St Catherine University, Stephens College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | PrincipiaElsah, IL | St CatherineSaint Paul, MN | StephensColumbia, MO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | Not reportedNot reported by Principia College in the most recent federal collection. | 91.8% | 77.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedPrincipia College did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class. | 850–1140 | Not reportedStephens College reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. |
| Average net price | Not reportedPrincipia College does not participate in federal student aid programs, so the Department of Education does not calculate an average net price for it. Compare its published cost of attendance against other schools' net prices with care: they are not the same measure. | $19,76440.1% on Pell grants | $23,45945.2% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $34,680Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $51,454Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $28,300Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 74.3% | 61.3% | 42.7% |
| First-year retention | 83.1% | 80.3% | 78.4% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | Not reportedThis share is calculated from federal student aid applications, which Principia College does not participate in. | 40.1% | 45.2% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | Not reportedScorecard earnings are derived from federal student aid records, which Principia College students do not appear in. No federal earnings figure exists for this college. | $59,282 | $43,071 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | Not reportedPrincipia College students cannot borrow federal student loans, because the college does not participate in federal student aid programs. Its reported federal loan debt is therefore zero by construction rather than by outcome. | $24,181 | $27,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 5:1 | 10:1 | 7:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 339 | 2,473 | 391 |
| Consensus percentile | 45Lower is better | 45Lower is better | 44Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 27 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 78 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 28 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Principia | St Catherine | Stephens |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #66 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #222 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #67 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | #464 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #318 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #483 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #1513 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #392 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1575 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Principia College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing St Catherine University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Stephens College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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