Fitchburg State vs Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)

Fitchburg State University and Southern New Hampshire University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Fitchburg State, a public university rooted in liberal arts, boasts a welcoming community with a focus on personalized attention and hands-on learning. Southern New Hampshire, a private university renowned for its innovative programs, emphasizes career preparation and flexible learning options. While Fitchburg State maintains a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, Southern New Hampshire accommodates a larger and more diverse student population. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including popular majors, graduation rates, and cost breakdowns, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Fitchburg State University	Southern New Hampshire University
Overview
Location	Fitchburg, Massachusetts	Manchester, New Hampshire
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	62.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.3%	92.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	980 - 1180	N/A
ACT range	18 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	18.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%
Total number of applicants	3,414	27,953
Total number of admissions given out	2,911	25,736
Admitted students who chose to enroll	567	10,607
Yield rate	19.5%	41.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,330 Out of state: $30,410	$38,518
Average net price	$16,862	$21,502
Tuition	In state: $970 Out of state: $7,050	$15,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,990 Meal plan: $3,770	Room/dormitory: $8,000 Meal plan: $4,200
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	88.0% Average amount $6,170	79.0% Average amount $6,006
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $4,912	50.0% Average amount $5,176
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $12,352	0.0% Average amount $7,258

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,349 Men 46.3% Women 53.7%	121,884 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%
Graduate students	3,325 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	23,649 Men 31.9% Women 68.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	93.2%
International students	2.1%	0.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,737	1,934
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi Connecticut New Hampshire Florida New York	Texas New Hampshire Pennsylvania California Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Business Health Professions Psychology Liberal Arts Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	24:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	57.1%	39.1%
Dropout rate	14.3%	34.5%
Transferred out	27.0%	24.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,667 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $80,428 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,430 Year 2: $66,897 Year 3: $73,957 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,071 Year 2: $57,882 Year 3: $63,852 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,546 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $54,097 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,151 Year 2: $45,715 Year 3: $52,237 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,607 Year 2: $38,048 Year 3: $51,244 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,965 Year 2: $41,246 Year 3: $49,224 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,991 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,433 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,178 Year 2: $34,793 Year 3: $44,801 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,593 Year 2: $36,166 Year 3: $42,141	Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,875 Year 2: $83,177 Year 3: $94,544 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,753 Year 2: $73,898 Year 3: $77,504 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,717 Year 2: $69,218 Year 3: $76,866 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,435 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $72,152 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,002 Year 2: $61,218 Year 3: $69,749 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,617 Year 2: $65,734 Year 3: $68,411 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,193 Year 2: $60,320 Year 3: $68,398 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $52,944 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $65,098 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,847 Year 2: $58,622 Year 3: $63,145 Human Resources Management and Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $54,435 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $61,662

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