American Public University System (APSU) vs Empire State College

American Public University System (APUS) and SUNY Empire State College (ESC) stand out as two distinct institutions offering flexible and accessible higher education opportunities. APUS, a private, online university, boasts an open admissions policy, making it an inclusive choice for students from diverse backgrounds. In contrast, ESC, a public, online and in-person college, maintains a selective admissions process, ensuring a higher level of academic rigor. While both institutions offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, APUS excels in business and management studies, while ESC shines in liberal arts and social sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and other key differences between these two institutions, helping you make an informed decision about your educational journey.

	American Public University System	SUNY Empire State College
Overview
Location	Charles Town, West Virginia	Saratoga Springs, New York
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (For Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Non Traditional	Trimester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	62.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$17,496	In state: $22,984 Out of state: $32,894
Average net price	$11,916	$11,557
Tuition	$6,840	In state: $7,070 Out of state: $16,980
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	78.0% Average amount $5,082	77.0% Average amount $7,031
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $8,334	52.0% Average amount $6,667
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	38,969 Men 63.6% Women 36.4%	7,926 Men 36.0% Women 64.0%
Graduate students	9,329 Men 61.1% Women 38.9%	1,536 Men 28.2% Women 71.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	5.2%
International students	1.3%	0.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York Connecticut Florida Mississippi New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Liberal Arts Health Professions Computer and Information Science	Public Administration and Social Service Business Multidisciplinary Studies Health Professions Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	22:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.3%	23.7%
Dropout rate	33.6%	55.1%
Transferred out	N/A	17.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,507 Year 2: $81,702 Year 3: $86,066 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,935 Year 2: $82,685 Year 3: $84,578 International Relations and National Security Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,770 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $81,412 International/Global Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,015 Year 2: $73,992 Year 3: $80,757 Homeland Security (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,045 Year 2: $71,295 Year 3: $73,219 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,468 Year 2: $60,192 Year 3: $69,785 Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,979 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $69,285 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,224 Year 2: $66,728 Year 3: $68,822 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,442 Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $67,674 International/Global Studies (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $64,432	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,762 Year 2: $89,879 Year 3: $93,382 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,395 Year 2: $69,897 Year 3: $70,379 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $65,898 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $62,244 Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,562 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $60,601 Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,259 Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $53,584 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,983 Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $51,197 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $42,742 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $42,796 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,935 English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,680 Year 2: $41,937 Year 3: $40,271 Community Organization and Advocacy (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,496 Year 2: $36,387 Year 3: $38,150

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American Public University System (APSU) vs Empire State College

American Public University System

SUNY Empire State College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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