Clark University vs Elmhurst University

Clark University and Elmhurst University, while sharing a commitment to academic excellence, offer distinct educational experiences. Clark, a research-intensive institution in Worcester, Massachusetts, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 48%, while Elmhurst, a private liberal arts university in Elmhurst, Illinois, maintains a more open admissions policy with an acceptance rate of 85%. Clark's student body is more diverse, with international students comprising 13% of the population compared to Elmhurst's 5%. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with Clark excelling in the sciences and social sciences, and Elmhurst specializing in business, education, and nursing. While Clark's higher graduation rate of 82% indicates a strong commitment to student success, Elmhurst's lower cost of attendance may appeal to budget-conscious students. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more distinctions between these two esteemed institutions and make an informed decision about your academic future.
Clark University logo

Clark University

Elmhurst University logo

Elmhurst University

Overview

Location Worcester, Massachusetts Elmhurst, Illinois
Campus setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 87.0% 76.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 48.0% 71.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $100
SAT range 1218 - 1403 1013 - 1220
ACT range 27 - 30 22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score 17.0% 29.0%
Students submitting ACT score 5.0% 9.0%
Total number of applicants 8,151 3,762
Total number of admissions given out 3,915 2,682
Admitted students who chose to enroll 505 531
Yield rate 12.9% 19.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $62,302 $55,536
Average net price $31,565 $24,018
Tuition $49,950 $39,100
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,000

Meal plan: $4,150
Room/dormitory: $6,428

Meal plan: $4,544
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

95.0%
Average amount $27,608
99.0%
Average amount $25,993
Students receiving federal student loan 60.0%
Average amount $5,282
65.0%
Average amount $5,287
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $16,271
9.0%
Average amount $15,454

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,302
Men 42.1% Women 57.9%
2,914
Men 38.5% Women 61.5%
Graduate students 1,048
Men 49.3% Women 50.7%
604
Men 33.8% Women 66.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 23.0% 2.2%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,633 964
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Mississippi New York Connecticut Maine New Jersey N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Social Sciences
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Psychology
  • Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 79.0% 68.4%
Dropout rate 6.8% 31.6%
Transferred out 14.1% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,601
  • Year 2: $64,328
  • Year 3: $76,941
Geography and Cartography (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,259
  • Year 2: $52,733
  • Year 3: $68,708
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,937
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $58,038
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,649
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $50,210
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,148
  • Year 2: $44,418
  • Year 3: $49,665
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,833
  • Year 2: $37,208
  • Year 3: $49,591
Community Organization and Advocacy (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,656
  • Year 2: $39,639
  • Year 3: $47,508
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,412
  • Year 2: $34,526
  • Year 3: $46,715
Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $31,423
  • Year 3: $46,559
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: $46,250
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,839
  • Year 2: $81,997
  • Year 3: $88,790
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,792
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $86,731
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,229
  • Year 2: $63,832
  • Year 3: $66,861
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,535
  • Year 2: $54,209
  • Year 3: $65,150
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,244
  • Year 2: $55,964
  • Year 3: $64,665
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,014
  • Year 2: $51,690
  • Year 3: $60,665
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $59,776
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,970
  • Year 2: $36,401
  • Year 3: $54,414
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,672
  • Year 2: $45,383
  • Year 3: $54,289
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,194
  • Year 2: $53,358
  • Year 3: $48,489

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