Carlinville, IL · Private · 471 undergraduates · town
Blackburn College
Less selective
The only U.S. college with a student-managed work program of its kind.
Institutional profile
Regionally focused Solid in mobility, and steady in affordability.- Admission
- 80.1% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 42.1%
1,113 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$46,802 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Blackburn College apart
Academic design
Students pursue majors across the liberal arts and professional fields while working roughly 10 hours a week in campus operations, from laboratories and technology to dining, facilities, athletics, and administrative offices.
Campus pattern
The Carlinville campus is highly participatory because student workers are embedded in the daily functioning of the college, creating a culture where work crews become a major part of social and leadership life.
Defining feature
The only U.S. college with a student-managed work program of its kind.
Can I get in?
80.1% admitted
Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.
Recent applicant pool
1,113About 80 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Record over scores
No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Blackburn College, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Blackburn 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 majors across the liberal arts and professional fields while working roughly 10 hours a week in campus operations, from laboratories and technology to dining, facilities, athletics, and administrative offices.
Make the fit specific
The only U.S. college with a student-managed work program of its kind.
Account for the tradeoff
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.
No application fee recorded
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 Blackburn 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
The only U.S. college with a student-managed work program of its kind.
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
What is campus life like?
Blackburn College beyond the classroom
The Carlinville campus is highly participatory because student workers are embedded in the daily functioning of the college, creating a culture where work crews become a major part of social and leadership life.
A defining academic feature
Students pursue majors across the liberal arts and professional fields while working roughly 10 hours a week in campus operations, from laboratories and technology to dining, facilities, athletics, and administrative offices.
What shapes an ordinary week
The Carlinville campus is highly participatory because student workers are embedded in the daily functioning of the college, creating a culture where work crews become a major part of social and leadership life.
What changes the experience
The only U.S. college with a student-managed work program of its kind.