Principia College
Elsah, IL · Private · Rural (fringe)
Private institution in Elsah, IL · 337 undergraduates · 44% acceptance rate.
- Top 3%Student-faculty ratio
- Top 13%Graduation rate (4-year)
- Top 13%Acceptance rate
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- —
- In-state tuition & fees
- $33,2801,421st cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $33,2801,358th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- —
- Median graduate debt
- —
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- —
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- —
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 76.2%270th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 75.4%942nd highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 44.4%213th most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1096691st highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 25346th highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 3371,771st largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 5.0:159th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 0.0%2,090th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 239 mi (MDW)
List appearances
This school doesn’t place in the top slice of any of our 111 lists. Most lists are Top 25–50, so absence here is common and says little on its own.
Applying
- EDNov 1
- EADec 1
- EA IIJan 15
- RDMar 15
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 30 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area StudiesArea & Ethnic Studies | bachelors | — | — |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/TechniciansCommunications Technology | bachelors | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | — | — |
| ChemistryPhysical Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | — | — |
| Computer Science | bachelors | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftVisual & Performing Arts | bachelors | — | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyBiological Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| EconomicsSocial Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| Education, GeneralEducation | bachelors | — | — |
| Engineering ScienceEngineering | bachelors | — | — |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralEnglish Language & Literature | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division III without football · NCAA Division III
Athletic scholarships not allowed · Athletic aid $0 (M $0 · W $0)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field (Indoor)
- Track and Field (Outdoor)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Athletic scholarships are not allowed by association rule; non-athletic merit or need-based aid may still be available.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Principia College’s 337 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In IL
- Blackburn CollegeCarlinville, IL · 341 undergrads
- Methodist CollegePeoria, IL · 374 undergrads
- Saint Francis Medical Center College of NursingPeoria, IL · 267 undergrads
- Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health SciencesQuincy, IL · 176 undergrads
- Eureka CollegeEureka, IL · 522 undergrads
- Saint Anthony College of NursingRockford, IL · 152 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Mesivta Torah Vodaath Rabbinical SeminaryBrooklyn, NY · 337 undergrads
- Mid-America College of Funeral ServiceJeffersonville, IN · 337 undergrads
- University of the SouthwestHobbs, NM · 337 undergrads
- Bellin CollegeGreen Bay, WI · 338 undergrads
- Morris Brown CollegeAtlanta, GA · 338 undergrads
- Nazarene Bible CollegeColorado Springs, CO · 336 undergrads
Key links
- Official websiteprincipiacollege.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 148016)
- Compare colleges in ILRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in IllinoisEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Blackburn CollegeSide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Principia College vs Blackburn CollegeHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.