Quad

Head-to-head

Clarke
McPherson

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    McPherson's yield is 17 pts higher than Clarke's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Clarke's grants cover 52% of its full price on average, vs. 46% at McPherson

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    McPherson's SAT midpoint is 50 points higher than Clarke's

    SAT midpoint
  4. 4

    Clarke grads earn $3.3K more ten years out than McPherson's ($55,396 vs. $52,084)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    McPherson is a bit larger (872 vs. 742)

    Undergrads
  6. 6

    Clarke graduates 2 pts more of its students than McPherson (56% vs. 54%)

    Graduation rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Clarke admits 72%, McPherson 77%; McPherson's yield is higher, at 22%.

Acceptance rate
Clarke72%
McPherson77%
Quad's selectivity
  • ClarkeAccessible
  • McPhersonAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 800–1600
Clarke
900–1160
McPherson
960–1200
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • ClarkeRigor, GPA, and tests important25%
  • McPhersonGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

McPherson is a bit larger than Clarke (872 vs. 742 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Clarke742
McPherson872
Pell Grant share
Clarke37%
McPherson38%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at both; Clarke has 9 students per faculty member to McPherson's 16.

Students per faculty member
Clarke9 to 1
McPherson16 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • ClarkeBusiness Administration and Management, General20%
  • McPhersonBusiness Administration and Management, General24%

What each costs

Clarke and McPherson cost about the same a year on average; Clarke's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Clarke$26.6K
McPherson$27.2K
Aid generosity
Clarke52%
McPherson46%

What each pays off

Clarke's former students earn more, a median $55.4K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Clarke$55.4K
McPherson$52.1K
Graduation rate
Clarke56%
McPherson54%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; McPherson got more selective while Clarke held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • ClarkeGrowing+150%
  • McPhersonGrowing+233%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;Clarke University Common Data Set 2019–20, Fall 2019;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why