Centenary University vs Old Dominion University (ODU)

Centenary University and Old Dominion University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to prospective students. Centenary, a private university in Hackettstown, New Jersey, boasts a close-knit community with a focus on personalized attention and a liberal arts curriculum. Old Dominion, a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, offers a wide range of academic programs, including engineering, business, and health sciences, and is known for its strong research and innovation initiatives. While both universities provide quality education, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Centenary University	Old Dominion University
Overview
Location	Hackettstown, New Jersey	Norfolk, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
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	75.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.6%	96.2%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	990 - 1170	1020 - 1220
ACT range	15 - 22	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%	83.0%
Students submitting ACT score	1.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	1,346	13,586
Total number of admissions given out	1,314	13,074
Admitted students who chose to enroll	235	2,899
Yield rate	17.9%	22.2%
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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$52,092	In state: $28,088 Out of state: $48,248
Average net price	$24,476	$17,254
Tuition	$33,550	In state: $7,029 Out of state: $26,664
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,028 Meal plan: $4,284	Room/dormitory: $7,690 Meal plan: $5,398
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $24,470	91.0% Average amount $7,702
Students receiving federal student loan	88.0% Average amount $3,369	57.0% Average amount $5,222
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $14,405	7.0% Average amount $15,206

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,128 Men 36.3% Women 63.7%	18,678 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	423 Men 24.6% Women 75.4%	4,816 Men 39.4% Women 60.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	17.5%	10.2%
International students	0.4%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	722	4,361
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New Jersey Pennsylvania New York Maryland Connecticut	Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania North Carolina New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Visual & Performing Arts Agriculture Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Health Professions Education Engineering Computer and Information Science Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.4%	48.7%
Dropout rate	28.4%	19.7%
Transferred out	N/A	28.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $83,319 Year 2: $79,755 Year 3: $88,021 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,341 Year 2: $69,593 Year 3: $63,399 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,895 Year 2: $42,979 Year 3: $50,051 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,952 Year 2: $50,375 Year 3: $48,252 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,600 Year 3: $44,457 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,867 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $42,279 Agricultural Production Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $36,561 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,145 Year 2: $24,730 Year 3: $33,877 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,324 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: N/A	Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,047 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $104,107 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,948 Year 2: $95,295 Year 3: $103,379 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,161 Year 2: $78,719 Year 3: $83,937 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,137 Year 2: $72,231 Year 3: $83,852 Education, Other (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $74,043 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $77,597 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,315 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $75,302 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,709 Year 2: $66,126 Year 3: $74,887 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,357 Year 2: $71,114 Year 3: $74,858 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,112 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $73,924 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,804 Year 2: $62,654 Year 3: $72,559

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Centenary University

The Catholic University of America