Oakland University (OU) vs Western Michigan University (WMU)

Oakland University and Western Michigan University, both esteemed institutions in Michigan, offer distinct educational experiences. Oakland University, nestled in Rochester, boasts a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community feel. With an acceptance rate of 84%, it provides a welcoming environment for students from diverse backgrounds. Western Michigan University, located in Kalamazoo, stands out with its larger student population, creating a vibrant and diverse campus atmosphere. Its acceptance rate of 79% reflects its commitment to providing accessible higher education. While Oakland University excels in business, nursing, and education programs, Western Michigan University shines in engineering, aviation, and health sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique offerings, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional program highlights, to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Oakland University	Western Michigan University
Overview
Location	Rochester Hills, Michigan	Kalamazoo, Michigan
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	77.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	92.1%	82.8%
Application fees	$45	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $50
SAT range	970 - 1230	1000 - 1220
ACT range	21 - 29	21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	60.0%	37.0%
Students submitting ACT score	10.0%	7.0%
Total number of applicants	10,645	18,853
Total number of admissions given out	9,803	15,612
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,025	2,112
Yield rate	20.7%	13.5%
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: $27,222 Out of state: $37,996	In state: $27,947 Out of state: $31,281
Average net price	$14,316	$19,749
Tuition	In state: $13,934 Out of state: $24,708	In state: $13,334 Out of state: $16,668
Room & board	$10,639	$10,884
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	90.0% Average amount $10,413	95.0% Average amount $6,352
Students receiving federal student loan	40.0% Average amount $4,896	49.0% Average amount $5,188
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $11,832	10.0% Average amount $15,132

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	13,771 Men 42.1% Women 57.9%	14,587 Men 50.1% Women 49.9%
Graduate students	3,399 Men 43.2% Women 56.8%	3,679 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	2.5%	23.8%
International students	4.6%	7.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	3,330	5,130
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Ohio Texas Florida Wisconsin	Michigan Illinois Indiana Wisconsin Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Education Engineering Business Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.1%	56.3%
Dropout rate	30.4%	14.6%
Transferred out	8.6%	25.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,063 Year 2: $104,510 Year 3: $111,195 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,486 Year 2: $103,078 Year 3: $104,636 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,963 Year 2: $96,829 Year 3: $102,429 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $88,366 Year 2: $89,412 Year 3: $100,527 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $75,453 Year 2: $80,858 Year 3: $88,542 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,313 Year 2: $78,488 Year 3: $85,248 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,319 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $82,466 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,808 Year 2: $76,962 Year 3: $82,235 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,652 Year 2: $68,305 Year 3: $78,387 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,648 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $75,775	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $102,212 Year 2: $103,274 Year 3: $105,179 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,392 Year 2: $73,801 Year 3: $88,332 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $87,977 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,143 Year 2: $65,945 Year 3: $79,982 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,346 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $77,922 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,069 Year 2: $73,562 Year 3: $77,263 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,557 Year 2: $70,776 Year 3: $75,447 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,559 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $73,968 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,118 Year 2: $63,749 Year 3: $72,465 Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,803 Year 2: $59,576 Year 3: $69,288

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