Sterling College

Student body

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

538

Graduate enrollment

24

Student–faculty ratio

8 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

37%

First-generation students

34%

Students over 25

11%

Median family income

$45,058

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$44,136

Endowment

$13,527,024

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate

48.2%

Test scores

Considered but not required

SAT range (25th–75th %)

—

SAT average

—

SAT reading

—

SAT math

—

ACT composite

—

Cost

In-state tuition

$33,700

Room & board

$9,586

Books & supplies

$1,382

Total cost of attendance

$47,185

Average net price

$22,371

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)

41%

Graduated on time (4 years)

29%

First-year retention

50%

Transferred to another college

3%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$40,722

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$45,846

Median debt at graduation

$24,625

Students with federal loans

49%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

54%

About 12% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing

Yes

Dorm capacity

635

Dorm capacity vs undergrads

100%+

Housing charge (year)

$3,616

Meal plan (year)

$5,916

Application fee

$25

Athletics

NAIA Division II

Football conference

Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

Varsity athletes

412 (271 men · 141 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 (11)

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 (694 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.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

$21,975/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.