FMU-Florence vs Southern Wesleyan University (SWU)

Francis Marion University and Southern Wesleyan University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in South Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Francis Marion, located in Florence, boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students the opportunity to pursue their academic aspirations. Southern Wesleyan, nestled in Central, stands out with its smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. While Francis Marion excels in fields like business, education, and nursing, Southern Wesleyan shines in areas such as psychology, social work, and religion. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional academic programs, to make an informed decision that aligns with your unique goals and preferences.

	Francis Marion University	Southern Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Florence, South Carolina	Central, South Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Small	Suburb: Large
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	66.0%	72.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation		Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.1%	56.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $41 Graduate: $41	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25
SAT range	930 - 1120	980 - 1168
ACT range	15 - 22	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	20.0%	45.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	36.0%
Total number of applicants	3,028	749
Total number of admissions given out	2,608	424
Admitted students who chose to enroll	699	163
Yield rate	26.8%	38.4%
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	In state: $24,351 Out of state: $34,735	$35,643
Average net price	$13,299	$19,479
Tuition	In state: $10,384 Out of state: $20,768	$25,748
Room & board	$8,230	Room/dormitory: $4,234 Meal plan: $5,018
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $10,192	100.0% Average amount $18,506
Students receiving federal student loan	59.0% Average amount $5,579	68.0% Average amount $5,469
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $7,593	12.0% Average amount $8,327

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,475 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%	1,043 Men 33.9% Women 66.1%
Graduate students	448 Men 22.8% Women 77.2%	257 Men 20.2% Women 79.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	4.4%	N/A
International students	1.6%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,413	570
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina North Carolina Florida Georgia Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Visual & Performing Arts	Business Education Liberal Arts Family and Consumer Sciences Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	43.2%	52.1%
Dropout rate	15.9%	47.9%
Transferred out	38.3%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,582 Year 2: $101,964 Year 3: $110,561 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,618 Year 2: $58,866 Year 3: $60,568 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,080 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $47,870 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,649 Year 3: $40,311 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,861 Year 2: $28,443 Year 3: $34,636 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,038 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $34,338 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,535 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $34,010 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,804 Year 2: $28,180 Year 3: $32,997 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,805 Year 2: $30,157 Year 3: $32,022 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,652 Year 3: $31,548	Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,550 Year 2: $53,045 Year 3: $55,845 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,273 Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $48,165 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,512 Year 2: $46,556 Year 3: $47,813 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,583 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $44,880 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,637 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $43,594 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,018 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $34,205 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,309 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,561 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,138 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,120 Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A

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