Elmhurst University vs Aurora University

Elmhurst University and Aurora University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Illinois, offer distinct educational experiences. Elmhurst, with its selective admissions process (acceptance rate of 75%), boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on liberal arts and sciences. Aurora, on the other hand, prides itself on its open admissions policy (100% acceptance rate) and its emphasis on career-oriented programs. While both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Elmhurst is known for its strengths in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, while Aurora excels in business, education, and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including graduation rates, student demographics, and popular majors, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and career goals.

	Aurora University	Elmhurst University
Overview
Location	Aurora, Illinois	Elmhurst, Illinois
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	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	78.0%	76.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.4%	71.3%
Application fees
SAT range	960 - 1130	1013 - 1220
ACT range	19 - 24	22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	35.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	14.0%	9.0%
Total number of applicants	3,101	3,762
Total number of admissions given out	2,680	2,682
Admitted students who chose to enroll	822	531
Yield rate	30.7%	19.8%
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	$35,160	$55,536
Average net price	$17,410	$24,018
Tuition	$26,400	$39,100
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,840 Meal plan: $5,440	Room/dormitory: $6,428 Meal plan: $4,544
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $18,441	99.0% Average amount $25,993
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $4,944	65.0% Average amount $5,287
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $12,101	9.0% Average amount $15,454

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,114 Men 33.6% Women 66.4%	2,914 Men 38.5% Women 61.5%
Graduate students	2,051 Men 20.7% Women 79.3%	604 Men 33.8% Women 66.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	23.4%	N/A
International students	0.5%	2.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	641	964
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Texas California	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Public Administration and Social Service Education Health Professions Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Health Professions Business Education Psychology Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	55.4%	68.4%
Dropout rate	43.8%	31.6%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,923 Year 2: $65,238 Year 3: $70,820 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,230 Year 2: $66,941 Year 3: $65,026 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,536 Year 2: $62,661 Year 3: $64,344 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,727 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $62,891 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,719 Year 2: $47,200 Year 3: $60,344 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,889 Year 2: $50,105 Year 3: $56,830 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,853 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $55,663 Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,464 Year 3: $55,626 Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,398 Year 2: $50,105 Year 3: $53,070 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,164 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $52,090	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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