Sterling College Acceptance Rate
Sterling, Kansas · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 826
- Admitted
- 438
- Yield
- 32.4%
- Test policy
- Test-optional
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
Small sample: this rate is based on 826 applicants, so year-to-year swings can be large. Read it as approximate.
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, Sterling College's acceptance rate has risen from 44.4% in 2014–15 to 53% in 2023–24. Applications fell from 1,208 to 826 (-32%) over that period.
Its 53% rate makes Sterling College more selective than about 82% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 21 tracked Kansas schools, it is more selective than about 86%.
In 2023–24, women were admitted at a higher rate (64.9% for women vs 48.1% for men, a 16.8-point gap). Sterling College has been test-optional since 2020–21. Of admitted students, 32.4% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 1,208 | 536 | 44.4% | 188 |
| 2015–16 | 1,118 | 463 | 41.4% | 141 |
| 2016–17 | 1,033 | 386 | 37.4% | 128 |
| 2017–18 | 1,759 | 923 | 52.5% | 218 |
| 2018–19 | 1,587 | 643 | 40.5% | 156 |
| 2019–20 | 1,596 | 637 | 39.9% | 140 |
| 2020–21 | 1,898 | 700 | 36.9% | 150 |
| 2021–22 | 2,574 | 1,220 | 47.4% | 206 |
| 2022–23 | 1,959 | 1,197 | 61.1% | 160 |
| 2023–24 | 826 | 438 | 53% | 142 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 242 | 157 | 64.9% |
| Men | 584 | 281 | 48.1% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-optional (considered if submitted).
How Sterling College compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is Sterling College's acceptance rate?
Sterling College's acceptance rate is 53% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (438 admitted of 826 applicants).
Is Sterling College test optional?
Sterling College is test-optional: SAT/ACT scores are considered if submitted but not required.
How many people apply to Sterling College?
Sterling College received 826 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 438.
Is Sterling College getting harder to get into?
Sterling College has become easier to get into: its acceptance rate went from 44.4% in 2014–15 to 53% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: www.sterling.edu/.