Sterling College
Sterling, KS
Sterling College at a glance
Sterling College is a private university in Sterling, Kansas with 694 students (IPEDS, fall 2024 enrollment). It admitted 48% of applicants (IPEDS, applicants for fall 2024). Its published tuition is $33,700 (IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25); students who received federal aid paid an average net price of $30,785 a year after grants (College Scorecard, a prior cohort). 41% of students finish within the federal tracking window (IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2024 collection: 4-year cohort 2018, 2-year cohort 2021); 36% of students take federal loans, and borrowers leave with a median $23,000 (College Scorecard).
Tuition
$33,700
2024-25
Acceptance
48%
Fall 2024 applicants
Students
694
Fall 2024
Type
University
Setting
Rural
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$33,700
Out-of-State Tuition
$33,700
Avg On-Campus Living
$9,586
Avg Off-Campus Living
$9,241
Financial Aid & Outcomes
College Scorecard
What will it actually cost?
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
Can federal loans cover it? (2026 limits)
For families earning $48k – $75k, $75k – $110k, $110k+, the average net price here is above the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026, by up to $14,540. That part has to come from savings, income, work, or private loans.
The ceiling is $5,500 in the student’s own Direct Loan plus up to $20,000 in Parent PLUS, which requires that the parent has no adverse credit history. Net prices are averages for a prior cohort of aid recipients, not a quote. Source: Federal Student Aid loan limits. Where this gap is largest.
After graduation
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Weak · 1.3×Graduates earn about 1.3× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
FAFSA earnings check
: Not flaggedSterling College does not trigger the FAFSA's "lower earnings" notice. Its graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $47,435, above the $34,635 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 nationally. The Department uses the national figure for a college that mostly enrolls out-of-state students or operates in several states.
This is one figure for the whole institution, not for any program: earnings differ by credential and field. It covers graduates who completed in 2017-18 and 2018-19, received federal aid, and were working and not enrolled when earnings were measured in 2022 and 2023, in January 2026 dollars. The Department says the notice is informational only: it does not change aid eligibility. Source: U.S. Department of Education, FSA Data Center, March 2026 release. Which colleges are flagged, and what changed.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
41%
Freshman Retention
30%
Source: IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25 (provisional release)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
48%
SAT range
Institution does not report this
Institution does not report this
ACT range
Institution does not report this
Institution does not report this
Source: IPEDS, applicants for fall 2024 (provisional release)
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Location
Institution does not report this
Sterling, KS 67579
Academics
Studying online
CampusPin has no verified federal record of distance-education enrolment at this institution. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign that online study is unavailable, so ask the college directly.
Fields of study
Sterling College reported conferring credentials in 28 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Decision support
Similar schools
Worth a closer look if Sterling College caught your interest.
Bethany College
Lindsborg, KS
Tuition $33,000 56% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.Bethel College-North Newton
North Newton, KS
Tuition $35,014 94% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Similar size.McPherson College
McPherson, KS
Tuition $37,310 77% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Similar size.Tabor College
Hillsboro, KS
Tuition $36,200 65% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Similar size.Hesston College
Hesston, KS
Tuition $32,936 Open admissionSame state. Similar tuition. Same school type.Kansas Wesleyan University
Salina, KS
Tuition $34,630 72% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Same school type.
Frequently asked questions
About Sterling College
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is Sterling College located?
- Sterling College is located in Sterling, KS, in the United States.
- What type of institution is Sterling College?
- Sterling College is a private university based in KS. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at Sterling College?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at Sterling College is approximately 48% (IPEDS, applicants for fall 2024). Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at Sterling College?
- Sterling College's published in-state tuition is approximately $33,700 per year (IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25). This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend Sterling College?
- Sterling College reports total enrollment of approximately 694 students (undergraduate plus graduate) (IPEDS, fall 2024 enrollment). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does Sterling College actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at Sterling College is approximately $30,785 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at Sterling College?
- Sterling College reports a graduation rate of approximately 41% (IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2024 collection: 4-year cohort 2018, 2-year cohort 2021). This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of Sterling College have?
- Students who borrowed at Sterling College left with a median of approximately $23,000 in federal loans, and about 36% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of Sterling College earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $30,573 for students who received federal financial aid at Sterling College. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about Sterling College?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with Sterling College.
- Does Sterling College get a "lower earnings" warning on the FAFSA?
- No. In the Department of Education's March 2026 data, which the FAFSA uses now, Sterling College's graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $47,435, above the $34,635 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 nationally, so first-year students who list it do not see the lower-earnings notice. The figure describes the whole institution, not any one program.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 28 fields Sterling College reported, by credentials conferred in 2024-25, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 19 | Bachelor's |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 16 | Graduate (10 graduate · 6 bachelor's) |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 13 | Bachelor's |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 10 | Bachelor's |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 10 | Bachelor's |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | 8 | Bachelor's |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 7 | Graduate (6 graduate · 1 bachelor's) |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 6 | Bachelor's |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 5 | Bachelor's |
| Accounting and Related Services | 4 | Bachelor's |
| Biology, General | 4 | Bachelor's |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 4 | Bachelor's |
| History | 4 | Bachelor's |
| Human Biology | 4 | Bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with Sterling College before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Facts on this profile of Sterling College are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). Sterling College, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/sterling-college
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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