Excelsior vs Walden

Excelsior College and Walden University, both accredited online institutions, offer a wide range of programs and flexible learning options for students seeking higher education. However, there are some key differences between the two universities that prospective students should consider. Excelsior College has a higher acceptance rate (100%) compared to Walden University (88%), making it a more accessible option for students with diverse academic backgrounds. In terms of student body demographics, Excelsior College has a larger undergraduate population (63%) compared to Walden University (17%), while Walden University has a larger graduate population (83%) compared to Excelsior College (37%). Additionally, the two universities differ in their popular majors, with Excelsior College focusing on business, healthcare, and technology, while Walden University emphasizes psychology, education, and nursing. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these differences and more, including graduation rates, tuition fees, and available financial aid options.
Excelsior College logo

Excelsior College

Walden University logo

Walden University

Overview

Location Albany, New York Minneapolis, Minnesota
Campus setting City: Small City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (For Profit)
Calendar system Non Traditional Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 25.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate Open Admission Open Admission
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT) Not required
High school GPA N/A N/A
Recommendation letters N/A N/A
High school transcript N/A N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) N/A N/A

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $24,240
Average net price $18,772
Tuition $11,700
Room & board
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $5,468
Students receiving federal student loan
Students taking out private loans

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 15,260
Men 52.4% Women 47.6%
7,119
Men 16.1% Women 83.9%
Graduate students 1,906
Men 55.2% Women 44.8%
39,336
Men 18.6% Women 81.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 1.1% 1.6%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Large
Dormitory capacity N/A N/A
First year students are required to live on campus? N/A N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A North Carolina Maryland Texas Georgia Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Liberal Arts
  • Business
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Business
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 19:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate N/A N/A
Dropout rate N/A N/A
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Nuclear Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,153
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $107,804
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,537
  • Year 2: $97,959
  • Year 3: $102,156
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,370
  • Year 2: $83,768
  • Year 3: $89,231
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,505
  • Year 2: $74,747
  • Year 3: $77,427
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,613
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $61,889
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,382
  • Year 2: $49,631
  • Year 3: $61,881
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,784
  • Year 2: $53,358
  • Year 3: $53,546
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,508
  • Year 2: $49,660
  • Year 3: $51,791
Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,863
  • Year 2: $45,696
  • Year 3: $49,707
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,725
  • Year 2: $45,696
  • Year 3: $49,225
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,492
  • Year 2: $108,649
  • Year 3: $123,708
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $93,694
  • Year 2: $94,227
  • Year 3: $98,267
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,573
  • Year 2: $88,588
  • Year 3: $91,407
Public Administration (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,767
  • Year 2: $90,412
  • Year 3: $83,405
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,141
  • Year 2: $77,487
  • Year 3: $81,477
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,994
  • Year 2: $80,219
  • Year 3: $80,275
Public Health (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,638
  • Year 2: $72,546
  • Year 3: $71,950
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,766
  • Year 2: $62,012
  • Year 3: $69,892
Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,969
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $69,365
Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,492
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $68,414

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