Principia College

Principia College Overview

Principia College is a private, religious school in a rural setting in Elsah, Illinois. Principia College was founded in 1910 and enrolls 455 undergrads and no graduate students. Principia College ensures housing for up to 600 students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing. On the weekends, about 97% of students stay on-campus and participate in campus events and social life.

There are many ways for students to get involved at Principia College!

Interested in music or performing? Sing in a chorus or perform with one of Principia College's theater groups.

Are you interested in journalism and communications? Principia College students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

There are no fraternities or sororities at Principia College, so it might be a good choice if you're not interested in Greek life.

Planning to play sports? Principia College has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Principia College on the Student Life page.

2022 Principia College Facts At-A-Glance
Academic Calendar	Semester
Overall Acceptance Rate	91%
Early Decision Acceptance Rate	ED not offered
Early Action Acceptance Rate	EA not offered
Average GPA	3.3
Applicants Submitting SAT scores	55%
Tuition	$29,970
Percent of Need Met	100%
Average First-Year Financial Aid Package	$35,689

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Is Principia College a Good School?

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Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. Some factors that can help you determine what a good school for you might be include admissions criteria, acceptance rate, tuition costs, and more.

Let's take a closer look at these areas to get a better view of what Principia College offers and if the college could be a good fit for you.

2022 Acceptance Rate for Principia College

Principia College is moderately difficult to get into. Around 91% of applicants get into Principia College each year. Out of 134 applications received in 2022, 122 students were offered admission.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Principia College

Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. Retention measures how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Approximately 87% of first-year, full-time undergrads who start at Principia Collegereturn for their sophomore year. Principia Collegehas a six year graduation rate of 84 for undergrads. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outcomes for Principia College Grads

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers.

Check with Principia College directly, for information on any information on starting salaries for recent grads.

Principia College's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students.

Principia College's endowment was valued at $377.5 million in 2022, compared to a national average of $905 million. For each full-time student, Principia College spends about $24,387 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Principia College

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.

Principia College meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend Principia College full-time are awarded $35,689 a year in financial aid, on average.

Students in the class of 2022 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $20,588 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022

Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Principia College.

Based on this information, how does Principia College sound? Remember, the best school for one person may not be the right school for someone else! So ask yourself: Is Principia College a good school for you?

If Principia College seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

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Where is Principia College Located?

Principia College is located in the rural setting of Elsah, Illinois, in the suburbs of St. Louis.

If you want to see Principia College for yourself, be sure to plan a visit! The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 270 to Elsah, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Lambert-St. Louis International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Principia College and Elsah are like without leaving home.

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