Bradley vs Western Illinois University (WIU)

Bradley University and Western Illinois University, both esteemed institutions in Illinois, offer distinct educational experiences. Bradley, a private university in Peoria, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Western Illinois' 84%. Bradley's student body is more diverse, with 30% of students identifying as minorities, while Western Illinois' student body is predominantly white (78%). In terms of academics, Bradley excels in engineering, business, and health sciences, while Western Illinois is known for its strong programs in education, nursing, and agriculture. With Bradley's higher graduation rate (68%) and Western Illinois' lower cost of attendance, prospective students should carefully consider these factors, along with the detailed comparison provided, to make an informed decision that aligns with their academic goals and financial situation.

	Bradley University	Western Illinois University
Overview
Location	Peoria, Illinois	Macomb, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	87.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.9%	72.5%
Application fees	$40	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1060 - 1280	N/A
ACT range	24 - 30	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	39.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%
Total number of applicants	10,109	7,156
Total number of admissions given out	7,669	5,187
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,043	920
Yield rate	13.6%	17.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$51,428	$29,140
Average net price	$25,312	$11,666
Tuition	$35,940	$9,238
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,720 Meal plan: $4,908	Room/dormitory: $6,240 Meal plan: $3,952
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $24,174	94.0% Average amount $13,937
Students receiving federal student loan	67.0% Average amount $5,312	50.0% Average amount $5,417
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $15,561	5.0% Average amount $9,533

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,331 Men 49.5% Women 50.5%	5,394 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%
Graduate students	1,257 Men 22.2% Women 77.8%	2,061 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	16.1%	9.7%
International students	4.1%	8.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	2,137	3,083
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Missouri Wisconsin Indiana Iowa	Illinois Iowa Missouri Wisconsin Indiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Engineering Education Visual & Performing Arts	Education Business Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	75.8%	50.9%
Dropout rate	23.8%	16.5%
Transferred out	N/A	31.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Manufacturing Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,628 Year 2: $69,897 Year 3: $77,539 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,568 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $76,515 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,979 Year 2: $67,899 Year 3: $75,123 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $68,420 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $74,713 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,802 Year 2: $66,621 Year 3: $73,823 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,879 Year 2: $67,420 Year 3: $72,911 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,768 Year 2: $57,735 Year 3: $67,597 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,353 Year 2: $63,921 Year 3: $66,276 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,749 Year 2: $62,165 Year 3: $63,646 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,705 Year 2: $52,420 Year 3: $60,815	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,427 Year 2: $63,166 Year 3: $79,149 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,346 Year 2: $81,702 Year 3: $72,457 Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,220 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $65,823 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $64,904 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,827 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $64,741 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,966 Year 2: $58,334 Year 3: $63,350 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,154 Year 2: $49,729 Year 3: $54,520 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,063 Year 2: $43,612 Year 3: $53,379 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,058 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $52,271 Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,853 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $51,827

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