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🎓 College profile

Principia College

IL · Private nonprofit · Fringe rural · 268 applicants 2023

44% admit rate SAT 1040–1250
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🎯 Parent/student verdict

Match

Solid match for academically prepared students.

✅ Best for

  • Students drawn to Education or Visual & Performing Arts (the two biggest majors)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1040, or ACT below 19 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus
Total enrollment
339
Under 1,000
TuitionThe published full price before any aid. Families who don't qualify for need-based aid — common above ~$110K income — pay this, minus any merit scholarships.
$34,680
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

⚠️ Sticker price isn't every family's price. Lower- and middle-income families often pay materially less after grants; higher-income families frequently pay close to sticker unless the college offers merit scholarships. Check the school's own net-price calculator for your number.

Admit rateThe share of applicants a college accepts. Useful context, but your student's odds depend on their own grades and scores, not the average.
44.4%
Moderately selective
SAT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
1040–1250
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
19–23
composite
Test policyApplicants choose whether to send SAT/ACT scores. At many such colleges, students who submit strong scores are still admitted at higher rates.
Test-optional
2023

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

4-year completionThe share of students who finish a bachelor's in four years. Nationally barely half do — and a fifth year quietly adds a full extra year of cost to the real price.
74%

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Principia College

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Principia College actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Education
15 degrees · 34.9%
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
2. Visual & Performing Arts
8 degrees · 18.6%
Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.
3. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
7 degrees · 16.3%
Often paired with another field (data + biology, design + tech). Outcomes match the second discipline.
4. Social Sciences
7 degrees · 16.3%
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.
5. Communication, Journalism, & Related
6 degrees · 14.0%
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Principia College

CS degrees (annual)
3
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

Alternatives to Principia College

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 stats-based merit scholarships
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
30 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
21 stats-based + 2 competitive scholarships
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state and similar selectivity, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Eastern Illinois University
IL · Public
68% admit rate (vs 44% here)
University of Illinois Chicago
IL · Public
78% admit rate (vs 44% here)
University of Illinois Springfield
IL · Public
84% admit rate (vs 44% here)

⚖️ Or compare any college side-by-side

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