Brenau University vs Piedmont University

Metric	Brenau University	Piedmont University
Undergraduate enrollment	1,029	1,117
Acceptance rate Lower means more selective	87.8%	93.3%
Average SAT	1,079	1,129
Median ACT	23	23
In-state tuition	$34,027	$31,700
Out-of-state tuition	$34,027	$31,700
Average net price What students actually pay after aid	$18,924	$20,599
Median debt at graduation	$27,000	$25,000
Graduation rate	32.9%	47.4%
First-year retention	65.0%	69.8%
Median salary (10 yr)	$54,003	$49,130

Metric

Brenau University

Piedmont University

Undergraduate enrollment

1,029

1,117

Acceptance rate
Lower means more selective

87.8%

93.3%

Average SAT

1,079

1,129

Median ACT

In-state tuition

$34,027

$31,700

Out-of-state tuition

$34,027

$31,700

Average net price
What students actually pay after aid

$18,924

$20,599

Median debt at graduation

$27,000

$25,000

Graduation rate

32.9%

47.4%

First-year retention

65.0%

69.8%

Median salary (10 yr)

$54,003

$49,130

What the numbers say

Brenau University is the harder admit at 87.8%, against 93.3% at Piedmont University.
Brenau University costs less after aid — $18,924 a year versus $20,599, a difference of $1,675 annually, or roughly $6,700 across four years.
Brenau University graduates report higher median earnings — $54,003 against $49,130 ten years after entry.
Piedmont University graduates a larger share of its students — 47.4% versus 32.9%.
On pure return — salary divided by net price — Brenau University comes out ahead at 2.9× versus 2.4×.

Comparison tables are a starting point, not a decision. Three things matter more than anything in the table above:

Your real aid offer. Net price is an average across all income levels. Two students at the same school can pay amounts that differ by tens of thousands. Wait for actual award letters before ruling anything out on cost.
Your intended major. Earnings vary more between majors at one school than between schools for one major. A computer science graduate from the "lower earning" school here will likely out-earn a general studies graduate from the other.
Whether you will finish. Graduation rate is the metric most predictive of whether the money spent turns into a credential. Campus fit, support services, and commute all feed into it more than prestige does.

Visit before you commit

Both Brenau University and Piedmont University run campus visits. Spending an afternoon on each will tell you things no dataset can.