Old Dominion University (ODU) vs Illinois State

Old Dominion University (ODU) and Illinois State University (ISU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning with unique characteristics and offerings. ODU, located in Norfolk, Virginia, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including engineering, nursing, and business. ISU, situated in Normal, Illinois, is known for its strong teacher education program and its vibrant campus life. While both universities offer a quality education, there are key differences between them. ODU has a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while ISU has a higher graduation rate and a more diverse faculty. Explore the comparison table below to delve deeper into these differences and discover which university better aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Illinois State University	Old Dominion University
Overview
Location	Normal, Illinois	Norfolk, Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Midsize
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	83.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.5%	96.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1000 - 1200	1020 - 1220
ACT range	21 - 27	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	51.0%	83.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	11,913	13,586
Total number of admissions given out	10,905	13,074
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,374	2,899
Yield rate	30.9%	22.2%
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: $31,811 Out of state: $43,335	In state: $28,088 Out of state: $48,248
Average net price	$21,033	$17,254
Tuition	In state: $11,524 Out of state: $23,048	In state: $7,029 Out of state: $26,664
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,494 Meal plan: $4,652	Room/dormitory: $7,690 Meal plan: $5,398
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	91.0% Average amount $10,848	91.0% Average amount $7,702
Students receiving federal student loan	46.0% Average amount $5,065	57.0% Average amount $5,222
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $14,532	7.0% Average amount $15,206

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	17,674 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%	18,678 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%
Graduate students	2,559 Men 35.1% Women 64.9%	4,816 Men 39.4% Women 60.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	4.2%	10.2%
International students	2.8%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	5,560	4,361
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Missouri Wisconsin Michigan Iowa	Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania North Carolina New Jersey

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Communication and Journalism Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Education Engineering Computer and Information Science Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.3%	48.7%
Dropout rate	32.0%	19.7%
Transferred out	N/A	28.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,556 Year 2: $95,930 Year 3: $102,485 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,002 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $78,276 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,303 Year 2: $72,884 Year 3: $77,896 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,576 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $73,936 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,516 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,592 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,000 Year 2: $64,791 Year 3: $70,358 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,829 Year 2: $65,194 Year 3: $65,533 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,294 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $64,567 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,313 Year 2: $52,781 Year 3: $64,241 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,480 Year 2: $54,470 Year 3: $63,207	Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,047 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $104,107 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,948 Year 2: $95,295 Year 3: $103,379 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,161 Year 2: $78,719 Year 3: $83,937 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,137 Year 2: $72,231 Year 3: $83,852 Education, Other (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $74,043 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $77,597 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,315 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $75,302 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,709 Year 2: $66,126 Year 3: $74,887 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,357 Year 2: $71,114 Year 3: $74,858 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,112 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $73,924 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,804 Year 2: $62,654 Year 3: $72,559

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