Quad

Head-to-head

U. Dubuque
Simpson

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Simpson graduates 17 pts more of its students than U. Dubuque (67% vs. 50%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    U. Dubuque has 13 pts more first-gen students than Simpson (36% vs. 23%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    Simpson's grants cover 62% of its full price on average, vs. 51% at U. Dubuque

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Simpson grads earn $8.1K more ten years out than U. Dubuque's ($59,274 vs. $51,190)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    U. Dubuque has 5 pts more Pell recipients than Simpson (40% vs. 35%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  6. 6

    Simpson costs about $3K less per year on average than U. Dubuque ($23,668 vs. $26,677, all students)

    Average cost, all students

The shape of each school

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

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Simpson admits 86%, U. Dubuque 89%; U. Dubuque's yield is higher, at 23%.

Acceptance rate
U. Dubuque89%
Simpson86%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. DubuqueOpen
  • SimpsonSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
U. Dubuque
980–1220
SimpsonNot reported
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. DubuqueGPA and school record required
  • SimpsonGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

U. Dubuque is a bit larger than Simpson (1,440 vs. 1,227 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Dubuque1.4K
Simpson1.2K
Pell Grant share
U. Dubuque40%
Simpson35%

Majors and faculty

Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew leads at U. Dubuque, and Health and Wellness at Simpson.

Students per faculty member
U. Dubuque10 to 1
Simpson12 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. DubuqueAirline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew14%
  • SimpsonHealth and Wellness, General11%

What each costs

Simpson costs about $3K less a year than U. Dubuque on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Dubuque$26.7K
Simpson$23.7K
Aid generosity
U. Dubuque51%
Simpson62%

What each pays off

Simpson's former students earn more, a median $59.3K ten years after enrolling; both graduate at least 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Dubuque$51.2K
Simpson$59.3K
Graduation rate
U. Dubuque50%
Simpson67%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Simpson but held steady at U. Dubuque; U. Dubuque got less selective while Simpson held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. DubuqueSteady+2%
  • SimpsonGrowing+56%
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;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