About

About Berea College

tuition free collegework labor programneed blind admissionsappalachian service focussmall liberal arts

Berea College is a private liberal arts college in Berea, KY, known for its tuition free college, work labor program, and need blind admissions. With an acceptance rate of 25%, Berea College is highly selective, typically enrolling around 353 students each year. Berea College is test optional; students who submit scores are typically admitted with SATs between 1136–1298, though many competitive applicants choose not to submit. Berea College meets 100% of demonstrated financial need and has replaced loans with grants.

Admissions

Berea College acceptance rate and admitted student profile

highly selective

25%
Overall Accept Rate
1217
Median Admitted SAT
SATSubmitted score range: 1136 – 1298 (test optional)

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Application Strategy

Strategy tips for applying to Berea College

The first 2 tips apply to all applicants. Your personalized strategy requires your profile — build your free list to unlock it.

Financial Aid — High Impact
Berea charges no tuition to any student, so your application should clearly convey financial need because the college uses demonstrated need as a primary admissions factor and students who do not demonstrate need are ineligible for admission.
Application Strategy
Every Berea student works at least 10 hours per week through the Labor Program, so describe specific work experience or a strong work ethic in your application to show you are prepared for and genuinely excited about this requirement rather than just tolerating it.

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Financial Aid & Cost

What Berea College actually costs your family

Average net prices by income bracket from College Scorecard data.

Loan-free financial aid: Berea College has replaced all loans with grants. Berea College's sticker price of ~$54k/year bears almost no resemblance to what most families pay.
Family IncomeSticker PriceEst. Net Cost / yr
0-30k~$54k/yr$5.4k
30k-48k~$54k/yr$4.6k
48k-75k~$54k/yr$8.1k
75k-110k~$54k/yr$7.6k
110k+~$54k/yr$13.7k

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Outcomes & Campus

Student outcomes and campus profile

62%
6-Year Graduation Rate
$36k
Median Earnings (6 yrs)
9:1
Student-Faculty Ratio
1,494
Undergrad Enrollment
Berea College Acceptance Rate & Admissions | SpearMatch