Quad

Head-to-head

Defiance
Bluefield

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Bluefield has 7 pts more first-gen students than Defiance (43% vs. 36%)

    First-generation students
  2. 2

    Bluefield costs about $4.4K less per year on average than Defiance ($24,182 vs. $28,575, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Defiance's grants cover 48% of its full price on average, vs. 44% at Bluefield

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Bluefield graduates 3 pts more of its students than Defiance (51% vs. 48%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    Defiance admits 48% vs. 59% at Bluefield

    Acceptance rate
  6. 6

    Defiance's yield is 3 pts higher than Bluefield's

    Yield 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

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

Who's hardest to get into

Defiance admits 48%, Bluefield 59%; Defiance's yield is higher, at 22%.

Acceptance rate
Defiance48%
Bluefield59%
Quad's selectivity
  • DefianceAccessible
  • BluefieldAccessible
SAT middle 50%
DefianceTest-blind
BluefieldTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • DefianceGPA and school record required
  • BluefieldGPA, school record, and rank required

Who's on each campus

Bluefield is a bit larger than Defiance (614 vs. 499 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Defiance499
Bluefield614
Pell Grant share
Defiance50%
Bluefield51%

Majors and faculty

Social Work leads at Defiance, and Business Administration and Management at Bluefield; Defiance has 11 students per faculty member to Bluefield's 14.

Students per faculty member
Defiance11 to 1
Bluefield14 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • DefianceSocial Work15%
  • BluefieldBusiness Administration and Management, General20%

What each costs

Bluefield costs about $4.4K less a year than Defiance on average; Defiance's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Defiance$28.6K
Bluefield$24.2K
Aid generosity
Defiance48%
Bluefield44%

What each pays off

Defiance's former students earn more, a median $49.4K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 51% at Bluefield to 48% at Defiance.

Median earnings, 10 years
Defiance$49.4K
Bluefield$48.9K
Graduation rate
Defiance48%
Bluefield51%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Bluefield but held steady at Defiance; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • DefianceSteady+5%
  • BluefieldGrowing+114%
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