Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) vs Calvin University

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant campus life of Illinois Wesleyan University or Calvin University, two esteemed institutions offering distinct educational experiences. Illinois Wesleyan, a private liberal arts college in Bloomington, Illinois, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on undergraduate research. Calvin, a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, emphasizes faith-based learning and community engagement. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Calvin University	Illinois Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Grand Rapids, Michigan	Bloomington, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	86.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.1%	45.2%
Application fees	$35
SAT range	1120 - 1340	1110 - 1310
ACT range	24 - 30	24 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	61.0%	33.0%
Students submitting ACT score	24.0%	31.0%
Total number of applicants	3,986	4,543
Total number of admissions given out	2,992	2,055
Admitted students who chose to enroll	736	432
Yield rate	24.6%	21.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not 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	$52,840	$67,124
Average net price	$27,120	$30,610
Tuition	$37,990	$52,308
Room & board	$10,800	Room/dormitory: $7,584 Meal plan: $4,528
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $24,410	100.0% Average amount $34,810
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,987	68.0% Average amount $5,692
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $16,620	35.0% Average amount $6,781

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,068 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	1,653 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
Graduate students	189 Men 38.1% Women 61.9%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	11.7%	3.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,453	1,308
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Theology	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	77.3%	81.1%
Dropout rate	7.6%	18.7%
Transferred out	14.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,594 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $73,154 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,088 Year 2: $65,188 Year 3: $71,772 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,940 Year 2: $57,564 Year 3: $62,400 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,498 Year 2: $57,770 Year 3: $60,645 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,593 Year 2: $45,980 Year 3: $53,866 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,275 Year 2: $60,878 Year 3: $51,938 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,034 Year 2: $32,382 Year 3: $44,640 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,528 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,008 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,756 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $37,976 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,469 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $36,953	Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,305 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $77,743 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,838 Year 2: $62,792 Year 3: $73,001 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,460 Year 2: $62,775 Year 3: $69,764 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,302 Year 2: $50,356 Year 3: $56,336 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $46,139 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,272 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $39,988 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,075 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $30,321 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: N/A Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $27,439 Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: N/A

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Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) vs Calvin University

Calvin University

Illinois Wesleyan University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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