Lawrence University vs Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU)

Lawrence University and Illinois Wesleyan University, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Lawrence, nestled in Appleton, Wisconsin, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 54%, while Illinois Wesleyan, located in Bloomington, Illinois, maintains a slightly higher acceptance rate of 65%. In terms of student body demographics, Lawrence's student population is more diverse, with international students comprising 12% of the student body compared to Illinois Wesleyan's 4%. Both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, with popular majors at Lawrence including Economics, Psychology, and Biology, while Illinois Wesleyan's popular majors include Business Administration, Psychology, and Biology. With graduation rates of 82% and 79% respectively, both institutions ensure that their students are well-prepared for their post-graduate endeavors. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more, allowing you to assess which university
Illinois Wesleyan University logo

Illinois Wesleyan University

Lawrence University logo

Lawrence University

Overview

Location Bloomington, Illinois Appleton, Wisconsin
Campus setting City: Small City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Trimester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 85.0% 89.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 45.2% 75.0%
Application fees
SAT range 1110 - 1310 1230 - 1460
ACT range 24 - 29 27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score 33.0% 24.0%
Students submitting ACT score 31.0% 37.0%
Total number of applicants 4,543 2,907
Total number of admissions given out 2,055 2,179
Admitted students who chose to enroll 432 402
Yield rate 21.0% 18.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $67,124 $65,445
Average net price $30,610 $24,804
Tuition $52,308 $52,101
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,584

Meal plan: $4,528
Room/dormitory: $5,814

Meal plan: $5,370
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $34,810
100.0%
Average amount $39,841
Students receiving federal student loan 68.0%
Average amount $5,692
57.0%
Average amount $5,053
Students taking out private loans 35.0%
Average amount $6,781
6.0%
Average amount $16,464

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,653
Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
1,483
Men 45.8% Women 54.2%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 73.1%
International students 3.4% 12.3%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Small
Dormitory capacity 1,308 1,460
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Wisconsin Illinois Minnesota Texas California

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • History
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 81.1% 80.5%
Dropout rate 18.7% 19.0%
Transferred out N/A N/A
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
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $54,035
  • Year 3: $51,421
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,019
  • Year 3: $35,410
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,329
  • Year 3: $32,588
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,667
  • Year 3: $31,648
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $27,840
Music (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: $27,395
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $24,417
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $20,533
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,960
  • Year 3: N/A
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $23,113
  • Year 3: N/A

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