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University or college · Private nonprofit

Principia College

Elsah, IL

Principia College is a private nonprofit college in Elsah, IL, with about 338 students on campus.

Visit www.principiacollege.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
338
338 undergrad
Admission rate
Open
open enrollment
Net price a year
—
after grants
Graduation rate
74%
higher than at 84% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
—
In brief

What to know about Principia College

A large share of international students

41% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.. The students ↓

Elsah is essentially the campus itself

The Census counts Elsah as its own place, and 90% of its residents are enrolled in college. The town figures below mostly describe campus life, not a town around it. Living in Elsah ↓

Principia College is very small

About 338 students attend on campus. With classes this small, a handful of students can move the graduation rate from one year to the next. The students ↓

Very small classes

There are about 6 students for every teacher. The students ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; at a college this small, rates can swing from year to year.

★ What stands out · Who goes there

The students

339 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 35%Hispanic 5%Black 11%Asian 1%Two or more 5%International 41%

Women and men

Women 41%Men 59%
6 : 1
students per teacher
0%
get Pell grants (lower income)
0%
take federal loans
6%
undergrads 25 or older
1%
study part time
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Principia College?

Open

anyone with a high school diploma can enroll

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Principia College is likely test-optional.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
74%
within 6 years
Come back for year two
83%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
—
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
—
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 21%Education 12%Biology 12%Visual & performing arts 11%Communication 9%Philosophy & religion 8%Everything else 28%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Education, General18 graduates a year
—not reported
Communication and Media Studies9 graduates a year
—not reported
Economics8 graduates a year
—not reported
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology5 graduates a year
—not reported
Fine and Studio Arts5 graduates a year
—not reported
Natural Resources Conservation and Research4 graduates a year
—not reported
Computer Science4 graduates a year
—not reported
Sustainability Studies4 graduates a year
—not reported
The town around it

Living in Elsah

90% of Elsah’s 539 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Elsah pages.

Elsah →
ElsahElsah, IL
$1,406/momedian rent · 10% above the state$221Kmedian home value · 16% below the state22° / 88°January low / July high · 9" of snowAll colleges in and near ElsahCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Principia College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Lewis and Clark Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Godfrey
8.4 mi3,931 students
Lindenwood UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · St. Charles
13.9 mi4,144 students
Saint Louis Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bridgeton
14.8 mi11,504 students
University of Missouri-St LouisUniversity or college · Public · Bellerive Acres
16.6 mi12,200 students
Chamberlain University-MissouriUniversity or college · For-profit · Maryland Heights
17.7 mi304 students
St Charles Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Cottleville
20.4 mi4,534 students
Washington University in St LouisUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · St. Louis
20.9 mi15,851 students
Ranken Technical CollegeCommunity college · Private nonprofit · St. Louis
21.1 mi1,584 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.