East Central University vs Illinois State

East Central University (ECU) and Illinois State University (ISU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique characteristics and offerings. ECU, located in Ada, Oklahoma, is a public regional university with a smaller student body and a focus on undergraduate education. In contrast, ISU, situated in Normal, Illinois, is a public research university with a larger student population and a wider range of academic programs, including graduate degrees. While both universities offer a diverse range of majors, ECU excels in fields like business, education, and nursing, while ISU is renowned for its programs in business, education, and health sciences. Additionally, the acceptance rates and graduation rates vary between the two universities, making it essential for prospective students to carefully consider their academic profile and goals when making their choice. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into the specific details and determine which university aligns best with your aspirations and academic pursuits.

	East Central University	Illinois State University
Overview
Location	Ada, Oklahoma	Normal, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	57.0%	83.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.7%	91.5%
Application fees	$20	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	881 - 960	1000 - 1200
ACT range	17 - 22	21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	1.0%	51.0%
Students submitting ACT score	97.0%	19.0%
Total number of applicants	1,005	11,913
Total number of admissions given out	650	10,905
Admitted students who chose to enroll	438	3,374
Yield rate	67.4%	30.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $26,877 Out of state: $36,237	In state: $31,811 Out of state: $43,335
Average net price	$11,184	$21,033
Tuition	In state: $5,791 Out of state: $15,151	In state: $11,524 Out of state: $23,048
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,028 Meal plan: $3,612	Room/dormitory: $5,494 Meal plan: $4,652
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	75.0% Average amount $5,623	91.0% Average amount $10,848
Students receiving federal student loan	27.0% Average amount $4,799	46.0% Average amount $5,065
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $9,117	8.0% Average amount $14,532

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,706 Men 41.5% Women 58.5%	17,674 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%
Graduate students	644 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	2,559 Men 35.1% Women 64.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	12.3%	4.2%
International students	0.5%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,320	5,560
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Oklahoma Texas Arkansas Florida Kansas	Illinois Missouri Wisconsin Michigan Iowa

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions Public Administration and Social Service	Education Health Professions Business Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	30.9%	67.3%
Dropout rate	48.2%	32.0%
Transferred out	19.0%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,379 Year 2: $60,024 Year 3: $63,931 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,976 Year 2: $44,875 Year 3: $49,439 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $48,348 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,022 Year 2: $41,342 Year 3: $45,312 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,980 Year 3: $40,375 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,772 Year 3: $39,070 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,762 Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $38,571 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,094 Year 2: $32,770 Year 3: $38,377 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $38,339 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,120 Year 2: $28,055 Year 3: $36,039	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,556 Year 2: $95,930 Year 3: $102,485 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,002 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $78,276 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,303 Year 2: $72,884 Year 3: $77,896 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,576 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $73,936 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,516 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,592 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,000 Year 2: $64,791 Year 3: $70,358 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,829 Year 2: $65,194 Year 3: $65,533 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,294 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $64,567 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,313 Year 2: $52,781 Year 3: $64,241 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,480 Year 2: $54,470 Year 3: $63,207

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