Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) vs Wheaton College

Illinois Wesleyan University and Wheaton College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Illinois Wesleyan, a private liberal arts college in Bloomington, boasts a higher acceptance rate (69%) compared to Wheaton's selective admissions (38%). While Wheaton's student body is predominantly white (73%) and Christian (84%), Illinois Wesleyan fosters a more diverse community, with 58% white students and 30% international students. Both institutions excel in academics, with Illinois Wesleyan's popular majors including biology, psychology, and economics, while Wheaton emphasizes biblical and theological studies, along with business and nursing. Discover more key differences in our comprehensive comparison table, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Illinois Wesleyan University	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	Bloomington, Illinois	Wheaton, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	85.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	45.2%	86.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1110 - 1310	1250 - 1430
ACT range	24 - 29	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	33.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	31.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	4,543	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	2,055	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	432	546
Yield rate	21.0%	31.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$67,124	$54,700
Average net price	$30,610	$28,319
Tuition	$52,308	$40,570
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,584 Meal plan: $4,528	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $34,810	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	68.0% Average amount $5,692	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	35.0% Average amount $6,781	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,653 Men 49.4% Women 50.6%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	N/A	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	3.4%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,308	2,153
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	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	81.1%	87.6%
Dropout rate	18.7%	3.1%
Transferred out	N/A	9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,492 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,559 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,982 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $48,761 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,694 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $48,539 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $30,613 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $41,661 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,251 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $41,339 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,767 Year 2: $39,049 Year 3: $38,775 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,864 Year 3: $36,928 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,471 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $34,682 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,825 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $32,867 Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,289

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