Match #1
Knox College
Galesburg, IL
Profile closeness69/100
Admit rate71%
- 1,127 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 73%, close to 71%
- Same Carnegie classification
The colleges most similar to Principia College are Knox College, Illinois Institute of Technology, and University of Chicago. Principia College admits 84% of applicants; 2 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Principia College. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Closest matches
Algorithm-ranked matches similar to Principia College
Match #2
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
Profile closeness46/100
Admit rate55%
- 2,833 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 71%, close to 71%
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #3
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Profile closeness22/100
Admit rate4%
- 7,569 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #4
Earlham College
Richmond, IN
Profile closeness76/100
Admit rate69%
- 658 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 73%, close to 71%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, IL
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate85%
- 820 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 64%, close to 71%
- Acceptance rate 85%, close to 84%
Match #6
Monmouth College
Monmouth, IL
Profile closeness69/100
Admit rate91%
- 702 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Distant
- Acceptance rate 91%, close to 84%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #7
Beloit College
Beloit, WI
Profile closeness68/100
Admit rate63%
- 926 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 75%, close to 71%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #8
Illinois College
Jacksonville, IL
Profile closeness68/100
Admit rate78%
- 930 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Distant
- Acceptance rate 78%, close to 84%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #9
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI
Profile closeness63/100
Admit rate82%
- 1,224 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Fringe
- Graduation rate 71%, close to 71%
- Acceptance rate 82%, close to 84%
Match #10
Hebrew Theological College-Illinois
Skokie, IL
Profile closeness61/100
Admit rate57%
- 90 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 77%, close to 71%
- Same Carnegie classification
AI-assisted picks
Editor-curated list for Principia College
Match #1
Wheaton College-Illinois
Wheaton, IL
Profile closeness—
Admit rate86%
- 2,341 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
Match #2
Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA
Profile closeness—
Admit rate63%
- 3,553 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
Match #3
Whitworth University
Spokane, WA
Profile closeness—
Admit rate90%
- 1,858 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
Match #4
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, CA
Profile closeness—
Admit rate77%
- 1,302 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Midsize
Match #5
Calvin University
Grand Rapids, MI
Profile closeness—
Admit rate71%
- 3,193 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Midsize
Match #6
Hope College-Michigan
Holland, MI
Profile closeness—
Admit rate79%
- 3,288 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
Match #7
Seattle Pacific University
Seattle, WA
Profile closeness—
Admit rate83%
- 1,762 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
Match #8
Eastern University
Saint Davids, PA
Profile closeness—
Admit rate91%
- 2,404 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
Match #9
George Fox University
Newberg, OR
Profile closeness—
Admit rate94%
- 2,699 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Fringe
Match #10
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, CA
Profile closeness—
Admit rate88%
- 2,759 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
Questions about Principia College alternatives
What colleges are similar to Principia College?
The closest matches to Principia College are Knox College, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Earlham College, and Trinity Christian College. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Principia College hard to get into?
Principia College admitted 84% of its 138 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 2 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
