Quad

Head-to-head

Nelson
La Sierra

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Nelson's yield is 44 pts higher than La Sierra's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    La Sierra's grants cover 51% of its full price on average, vs. 33% at Nelson

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    La Sierra grads earn $15.6K more ten years out than Nelson's ($61,824 vs. $46,238)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    La Sierra graduates 5 pts more of its students than Nelson (52% vs. 47%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    Nelson is a bit larger (1,479 vs. 1,116)

    Undergrads
  6. 6

    Nelson costs about $2K less per year on average than La Sierra ($23,663 vs. $25,687, 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

Nelson admits 89%, La Sierra 92%; Nelson's yield is higher, at 57%.

Acceptance rate
Nelson89%
La Sierra92%
Quad's selectivity
  • NelsonOpen
  • La SierraOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 800–1600
Nelson
890–1090
La SierraTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • NelsonGPA and school record required
  • La SierraGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Nelson is a bit larger than La Sierra (1,479 vs. 1,116 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Nelson1.5K
La Sierra1.1K
Pell Grant share
Nelson48%
La Sierra47%

Majors and faculty

Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries leads at Nelson, and Criminal Justice/Safety Studies at La Sierra.

Students per faculty member
Nelson15 to 1
La Sierra12 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • NelsonPastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries, Other20%
  • La SierraCriminal Justice/Safety Studies18%

What each costs

Nelson costs about $2K less a year than La Sierra on average; La Sierra's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Nelson$23.7K
La Sierra$25.7K
Aid generosity
Nelson33%
La Sierra51%

What each pays off

La Sierra's former students earn more, a median $61.8K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 52% at La Sierra to 47% at Nelson.

Median earnings, 10 years
Nelson$46.2K
La Sierra$61.8K
Graduation rate
Nelson47%
La Sierra52%

How each has changed

Applications fell at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • NelsonShrinking−51%
  • La SierraShrinking−59%
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