Sterling College
- Graduation Rate
- 38% D
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $30,573 D
- Below average for college graduates
- Net Price
- $21,854 D+
- 28% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 67% B-
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A D+ overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 8.0× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $8.0 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $8.0 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $615,459.
What The Data Says
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A D+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Graduate earnings fall 25% below the national college median.
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Graduation of 38% — 33% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $8.0 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Sterling College Matters
Sterling College is a private college in Craftsbury Common, VT and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate College
- Enrollment
- 50
- Setting
- Rural
- Primary Strengths
- Biology & Biomedical, Humanities
Why students choose Sterling College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Competitive — admits about 67% of applicants. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $21,854 a year after grants and scholarships — 28% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $30,573 ten years after enrolling — 25% below the typical college, against $23,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 0.8% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 86% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.67 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Can I Get In?
How selective Sterling College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Sterling College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, Sterling College offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 67% of applicants receiving an offer. The graduation rate is roughly 38%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 67%
- Retention Rate
- 86%
- Full-Time Faculty
- 72%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $5,583
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 6:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.45
- Applicants
- 28
- Admitted
- 26
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Sterling College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Sterling College is $40,760, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $21,854. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $18,533 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $40,760
- Out-of-State
- $40,760
- Avg Net Price
- $21,854
- Median Debt
- $23,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 45%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 37%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $18,533
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $17,655
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $24,564
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Sterling College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Sterling College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Sterling College report median earnings of $30,573, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $27,109
- 8 Years
- $32,837
- 10 Years
- $30,573
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.75x
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 65%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (3)
- 16%
- 100% (3)
- 16%
- 100% (3)
- 16%
- 100% (3)
- 16%
How Sterling Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Sterling College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Sterling College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $21,854/year ($87,416 total). Graduates earn $30,573 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $702,875 in total earnings — a net gain of $615,459 (8.0× your investment). The median debt is $23,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 38% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $87,416
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $702,875
- Net Return
- $615,459
- ROI Multiple
- 8.0×
- Cost Per Year
- $21,854
- Median Debt
- $23,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 38%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Sterling College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Sterling College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.84%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 6.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 12.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $71,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 0.84%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 12.3%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 6.8%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $97,279
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Endowment
- $1,065,705
- Total Expenses
- $6,147,980
- Investment Income
- $-179,641
Top Programs
The fields Sterling College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Biology & Biomedical 16%
- Humanities 12%
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Sterling College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CPharmacist$136,030 · 3% growthResilient 82
- B-Optometrist$131,860 · 9% growthResilient 96
- B+Physician Assistant$130,020 · 28% growthResilient 96
- BVeterinarian$119,100 · 19% growthResilient 96
- B-Biostatistician$104,110 · 30% growthAdaptable 66
- CBiomedical Engineer$100,730 · 5% growthResilient 72
- C+Physical Therapist$99,710 · 14% growthResilient 96
- C+Occupational Therapist$96,370 · 12% growthResilient 96
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Sterling College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, Sterling College offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 67% of applicants receiving an offer. The graduation rate is roughly 38%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Sterling College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Sterling College is $40,760, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $21,854. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $18,533 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,000 in federal student loans.
Is Sterling College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Sterling College report median earnings of $30,573, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Sterling College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Sterling College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.84%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 6.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 12.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $71,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Sterling College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Sterling College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.67, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Sterling College.
- New Hope Christian College-EugeneEugene, OR · Close peer44% grad $31,115 earn 80% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Hebrew Theological CollegeSkokie, IL · Strong match59% grad $33,291 earn 57% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- Ecclesia CollegeSpringdale, AR · Strong match38% grad $40,650 earn 74% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Toccoa Falls CollegeToccoa Falls, GA · Strong match45% grad $36,630 earn 66% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Boise Bible CollegeBoise, ID · Strong match41% grad $33,140 earn 90% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Mid-Atlantic Christian UniversityElizabeth City, NC · Strong match32% grad $38,342 earn 62% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Sterling College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Sterling College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.67, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note