Private nonprofit · College
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois · Fringe rural
- —
- Admit rate
- —
- Avg net price
- 74%
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings
Principia College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Elsah, Illinois (fringe rural setting), enrolling 339 undergraduates.
About Elsah, Illinois
Elsah is a village in Jersey County, Illinois. James Semple, a local lawyer, prominent politician and United States Senator from Illinois, founded Elsah in 1853 and offered free lots to anyone who built houses with stone from his quarry. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe rural
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 24 miles to St. Louis, MO
- To Great Lakes shore
- 242 miles
- Nearest airport
- 14 miles to St. Louis Lambert (STL) · major hub
How Principia College compares
Higher than 84% · #9 of 58 in Illinois
Higher than 70%
Lower than 94%
Larger than 17%
Percentiles compare Principia College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Illinois.
Student body
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White35%
- Black11%
- Hispanic5.0%
- Asian0.9%
- Other or multiracial48%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 339
- Student–faculty ratio
- 6 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 0%
- First-generation students
- —
- Students over 25
- 6%
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $82,881
- Endowment
- $592,903,744
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $34,680
- Room & board
- $13,910
- Books & supplies
- $1,000
- Total cost of attendance
- —
- Average net price
- —
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 74%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 54%
- First-year retention
- 83%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- —
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- —
- Median debt at graduation
- —
- Students with federal loans
- 0%
About 20% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 529
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 100%+
- Housing charge (year)
- $6,360
- Meal plan (year)
- $7,010
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division III without football
- Varsity athletes
- 235 (130 men · 105 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (339 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Principia College discounts heavily: 90% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $32,096. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 61 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 89°F
- Winter low
- 22°F
- Annual rain
- 39.4″
- Annual snow
- 12.5″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, ST Charles CO AP, MO US station (4.4 mi from campus).
What Principia College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges near Principia College
Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, IL · Public · Certificate · 2,487 students
CALC Institute of Technology
Alton, IL · Private for-profit · Certificate · 83 students
Midwest Institute
Earth City, MO · Private for-profit · Certificate · 177 students
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 4,624 students
Saint Louis Community College
Bridgeton, MO · Public · Associate · 11,788 students
The Salon Professional Academy-St Charles
St. Charles, MO · Private for-profit · Certificate · 132 students
American Trade School
Saint Ann, MO · Private for-profit · Certificate · 154 students
University of Missouri-St Louis
Saint Louis, MO · Public · Bachelor's · 5,024 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.