The Sterling College community combines structured academic study with experiential challenges and plain hard work to build responsible problems solvers who become stewards of the environment as they pursue productive lives.
School Highlights
Sterling College serves 115 students (83% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 3:1 is lower than the state community college average of 16:1.
Minority enrollment is 55% of the student body (majority Hispanic and Asian), which is more than the state average of 22%.
Quick Stats (2025)
Enrollment: 115 students
Private-state tuition: $33,492
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Student:teacher ratio: 3:1
Minority enrollment: 55%
Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
The student population of Sterling College has declined by 21% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 3:1 has stayed the same over five years.
The Sterling College diversity score of 0.68 is more than the state average of 0.38. The school's diversity has grown by 19% over five years.
Total Enrollment
115 students
1,071 students
Student : Teacher Ratio
3:1
16:1
# Full-Time Students
95 students
430 students
# Part-Time Students
20 students
641 students
# Enrollment Undergraduate
115 students
393 students
# Full-Time Undergraduate Students
95 students
430 students
# Full-Time Graduate Students
n/a
33 students
# Part-Time Undergraduate Students
20 students
512 students
# Part-Time Graduate Students
n/a
810 students
Total Dormitory Capacity
118 students
118 students
% American Indian/Alaskan
1%
n/a
% Asian
3%
2%
% Hispanic
4%
5%
% Black
2%
4%
% White
45%
78%
% Hawaiian
33%
n/a
% Two or more races
3%
4%
% Non Resident races
3%
1%
% Unknown races
6%
6%
Diversity Score
0.68
0.38
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in less than 4 years)
n/a
24%
College Completion Rate (Students who graduate in 4 years or more than 4 years)
0.2963%
0.3404%
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years) (Year 2008)
$26,500
$33,600
Tuition and Acceptance Rate
The private state tuition of $33,492 is less than the state average of $38,857. The private state tuition has declined by 14% over four years.
Private State Tuition Fees
$33,492
$38,857
% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid
100%
96%
Median Debt for Graduates
$19,042
$19,042
Median Debt for Dropouts
$5,500
$5,500
Acceptance Rate
100%
62%
SAT Reading
n/a
455
SAT Math
n/a
485
SAT Writing
n/a
435
ACT Composite
n/a
21
ACT English
n/a
19
ACT Math
n/a
21
Source: 2024 (or latest year available) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
School Notes
Sterling was founded by Norman Rioux in 1958 as a boys' college
preparatory school. It was named after Margaret Sterling, the
deceased wife of Douglas Field. Mr. Field was one of several
Berkshire School (MA) faculty members who came here with Mr. Rioux.
When the alternative preparatory school market waned in the early
1970s, Sterling was well positioned to respond creatively. First
came the Academic Short Course in Outdoor Leadership, a 21-day
program for 13 to 16 year olds. It brought hundreds of young people
to Sterling for an intense winter learning experience. The Short
Course solidified women's presence on campus to share equally in
the benefits of a Sterling education. An extension of this idea
became the year-long Grassroots project, an immediate success that
led Sterling into the world of higher education. Sterling's first
Associate of Arts Degree in Resource Management was awarded in
1982. Full accreditation by the New England Association of Schools
and Colleges was granted in 1987. Several members of the Grassroots
Faculty continue to teach at the College today. Facilities on the
hundred-plus acre Sterling College campus include fourteen
residential, administrative, and classroom buildings, a woodworking
shop, and library. Outdoor teaching facilities include a managed
woodlot, a challenge course, a 30-foot climbing tower, organic
gardens, and a working livestock farm with two solar/wind powered
barns. Much of what is grown and raised is consumed in the dining
hall. The Center for Northern Studies at Sterling College includes
a 300-acre boreal wetland and a building containing a library,
science lab, seminar rooms, offices, and central lounge. Sterling
College offers bachelor's degrees in Conservation Ecology, Outdoor
Education and Leadership, Northern Studies, Self-Designed Studies
and Sustainable Agriculture.
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Quick Stats (2025)
Enrollment: 115 students
Private-state tuition: $33,492
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Student:teacher ratio: 3:1
Minority enrollment: 55%
Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
