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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?

Sticker price: $43,286
Net price (after aid): $30,785

Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.

Net price by family income

$30k – $48k: $13,954
$48k – $75k: $32,290 (above the federal borrowing ceiling)
$75k – $110k: $40,040 (above the federal borrowing ceiling)
$110k+: $33,820 (above the federal borrowing ceiling)

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

Median earnings (10yr): $30,573
Median debt at graduation: $23,000
Est. monthly loan payment: $244

Earnings-to-debt ratio

Weak · 1.3×

Graduates earn about 1.3× their median debt every year.

Financial access

Students on Pell Grants: 35%

Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.

Students with federal loans: 36%

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 flagged

Sterling 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.

Which Kansas schools are flagged now

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.

Scholarships available

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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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school

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

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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.

Fields Sterling College reported conferring credentials in during 2024-25, with the number awarded and the highest credential level.
FieldAwardedLevel
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness19Bachelor's
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions16Graduate (10 graduate · 6 bachelor's)
Criminal Justice and Corrections13Bachelor's
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods10Bachelor's
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas10Bachelor's
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other8Bachelor's
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other7Graduate (6 graduate · 1 bachelor's)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods6Bachelor's
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs5Bachelor's
Accounting and Related Services4Bachelor's
Biology, General4Bachelor's
Finance and Financial Management Services4Bachelor's
History4Bachelor's
Human Biology4Bachelor'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.

Data sources & methodology

Reporting period: 2024. Last verified: May 19, 2025.

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.

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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