Payback
EarningsPlus
Economic score
Sterling College is a private regional college located in Sterling, Kansas. Sterling College is selective in their admissions.
Return on educational investment at Sterling College is in the bottom 25% of all ranked schools. The median student earns $41,497 10 years after enrolling, 22nd in Kansas, and in the bottom 25% nationally. When adjusted for earning differences by major, Sterling College bachelor students earn 6% less than the national average. Sterling College is ranked 16th in Kansas.
Sterling College’s median net annual cost of $23,849 and average years to graduate of 4.6 are reported only at the school level. We assume these same costs and graduation time for all programs.
The top 3 programs at Sterling College sorted by number of graduates - Health & Fitness, Psychology, Education - are shown below.
Annual net cost
$23,849
Average years to graduate
4.6
When a school's graduation rate falls in the bottom 25% in the country, we do not display an economic ranking.
When a school's graduation rate falls in the bottom 25% in the country, we do not display an economic ranking.
The average full-time graduate completes their degree in 4.6 years. 49% of all students graduate within 8 years. The graduation rate at Sterling College is 1% lower than the state average, and 1% above the average for all regional colleges in the country.
At Sterling College, Pell Grant recipients represent 38% of the measured graduating class, 3% higher than the national average of 35%. The average Pell Grant recipient at Sterling College graduates within 4.6 years.
We calculate this performance by adjusting the graduation rate of Pell students by their percentage of the student body. This adjustment is made to prevent schools with large numbers of Pell students from underperforming in comparison to schools with few Pell students but high graduation rates.
Sterling College’s economic mobility score of 9.09 is calculated by adjusting the 6.56 economic score of lower-income students by the 38% pell grant recipients within the student body. Sterling College’s EMS of 9.09 ranks in the bottom 25% nationally. Please note that the economic mobility score considers only students that have graduated.
Economic Mobility
To calculate economic mobility of low-income (household earnings below $30,000) students, we adjust each institution’s economic score by their percentage of Pell Grant students. The logic of this Pell-adjusted calculation is derived from Third Way’s Economic Mobility Index (EMI).
Bottom 25%
The average Title IV recipient at Sterling College pays $23,849 a year, $16,861 less than the $40,710 advertised. See below the cost breakdown for students who receive Title IV grants, broken down by income level.
Average net price
The average net price shown by income level for all students that receive Title IV aid. Calculated by deducting the average grant and scholarship aid from tuition, fees, books, and room and board. Limited to first-time, full-time students. Public institution figures are calculated using in-state tuition figures.
Median net price $23,849
Much of the gap between net price and sticker price is filled by institutional and government grants. At Sterling College, 100% of students receive some grants and scholarships, compared to the national average of 87% for all colleges and universities. The average amount of federal, state, and institutional grants that students receive is shown on the right.
This leaves a total of $23,849 on average to be covered by the student – be it through loans or out of pocket. In total, 71% of students take out loans, federal or private, at an average amount of $7,027. This is 17% more than the national average.
Federal grants
$5,750
Pell grants
$4,739
State grants
$2,999
Institutional grants
$15,360
Sterling College offers 10 online bachelor programs, all of which are hybrid format. At the master’s level Sterling College offers 1 exclusively online program. We use the IPEDS July '20 — July '21 Distance Education report to determine which programs are online. EarningsPlus data is provided when available.
Online programs
11
Hybrid programs
10
Percentage of programs online
30%
Sterling College's selective admissions are indicated by their 47% acceptance rate. In 2021, the school had 2,574 applicants, of which 1,220 were admitted and 206 enrolled. Sterling College has a rolling admissions policy, which means applications are reviewed as they arrive until all spaces are filled.
Full time
100%
83%
Female
37%
59%
First time
69%
59%
In-state
26%
68%
1st generation
34%
35%
White
55%
52%
Black
16%
14%
Hispanic
12%
15%
Asian
1%
5%
American Indian
2%
1.6%
Pacific Islander
N/A
0.3%
Other
14%
12%