Berea, KY · Private · 1,513 undergraduates · town
Berea College
Selective
Every student graduates with both an academic record and sustained work experience through the required Labor Program.
Institutional profile
Highly regarded Exceptional in affordability, and strong in student experience.- Admission
- 32.7% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 65.2%
2,073 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$43,150 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Berea College apart
Academic design
Students pursue a liberal-arts education while working at least 10 hours each week in one of more than 130 campus departments. The work program can progress from general first-year assignments toward positions connected to a student's academic, career, or personal interests.
Campus pattern
Because every student works, campus jobs create a shared experience across the student body rather than dividing work-study students from everyone else. Berea's Appalachian setting and institutional commitment to service give the college a distinctive mission-centered residential character.
Defining feature
Every student graduates with both an academic record and sustained work experience through the required Labor Program.
Can I get in?
32.7% admitted
Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.
Recent applicant pool
2,073About 33 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 6% submitted an SAT, and 20% submitted an ACT. The SAT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Berea College, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Berea College weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Students pursue a liberal-arts education while working at least 10 hours each week in one of more than 130 campus departments. The work program can progress from general first-year assignments toward positions connected to a student's academic, career, or personal interests.
Make the fit specific
High-potential students with significant financial need who want rigorous academics and are willing to make paid campus work part of every semester.
Account for the tradeoff
The universal work requirement adds a real weekly obligation alongside classes, and students who do not meet Berea's financial-eligibility rules generally cannot be admitted.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.
$0 application fee
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Berea College
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Every student graduates with both an academic record and sustained work experience through the required Labor Program.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Biology, General
Communication and Media Studies
Psychology, General
What is campus life like?
Berea College beyond the classroom
Because every student works, campus jobs create a shared experience across the student body rather than dividing work-study students from everyone else. Berea's Appalachian setting and institutional commitment to service give the college a distinctive mission-centered residential character.
A defining academic feature
Students pursue a liberal-arts education while working at least 10 hours each week in one of more than 130 campus departments. The work program can progress from general first-year assignments toward positions connected to a student's academic, career, or personal interests.
What shapes an ordinary week
Because every student works, campus jobs create a shared experience across the student body rather than dividing work-study students from everyone else. Berea's Appalachian setting and institutional commitment to service give the college a distinctive mission-centered residential character.
What changes the experience
Every student graduates with both an academic record and sustained work experience through the required Labor Program.