Northwest College vs Western Washington University (WWU)

Northwest College and Western Washington University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Washington State, offer distinct educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. Northwest College, a community college located in Powell, Wyoming, prides itself on its open admissions policy, welcoming students from all backgrounds and academic levels. In contrast, Western Washington University, a public university situated in Bellingham, Washington, maintains a selective admissions process, ensuring a rigorous academic environment. While Northwest College excels in providing affordable tuition and a supportive learning atmosphere, Western Washington University boasts a wider range of academic programs, including graduate degrees, and a vibrant campus life. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details regarding acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your unique educational goals and preferences.

	Northwest College	Western Washington University
Overview
Location	Powell, Wyoming	Bellingham, Washington
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate		81.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	96.1%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $100
SAT range	N/A	1090 - 1310
ACT range	N/A	22 - 29
Students submitting SAT score		16.0%
Students submitting ACT score		3.0%
Total number of applicants		10,580
Total number of admissions given out		10,167
Admitted students who chose to enroll		2,874
Yield rate		28.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $20,544 Out of state: $26,844	In state: $26,634 Out of state: $43,861
Average net price	$8,114	$11,388
Tuition	In state: $3,150 Out of state: $9,450	In state: $7,572 Out of state: $24,799
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,090 Meal plan: $3,290	$13,079
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	93.0% Average amount $8,647	82.0% Average amount $7,112
Students receiving federal student loan	17.0% Average amount $4,879	29.0% Average amount $4,929
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $14,652	3.0% Average amount $15,435

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,427 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%	14,019 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%
Graduate students	N/A	1,106 Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	25.7%	N/A
International students	2.7%	1.0%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	632	3,985
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Wyoming Montana California Colorado Idaho	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Visual & Performing Arts Agriculture Education	Education Psychology Business Multidisciplinary Studies Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	38.9%	67.7%
Dropout rate	36.7%	30.6%
Transferred out	20.1%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $54,781 Year 2: $50,439 Year 3: $53,642 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $17,846 Year 3: $24,183 Design and Applied Arts (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $24,597 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $21,449 Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $33,814 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,837 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $92,019 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,492 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $78,577 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,314 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $76,877 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,624 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $71,599 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,592 Year 2: $60,920 Year 3: $64,540 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $60,325 Year 3: $64,302 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,243 Year 2: $49,572 Year 3: $60,999 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,788 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $58,090 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,818 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $57,268 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,065 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $57,167

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