Palm Beach Atlantic University vs South University-West Palm Beach

Palm Beach Atlantic University and South University-West Palm Beach, both located in the vibrant city of West Palm Beach, Florida, offer distinct educational experiences. Palm Beach Atlantic University, a private Christian institution, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. South University-West Palm Beach, a private for-profit university, offers a more open admissions policy and a larger student population, providing a diverse learning environment. While both universities offer a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Palm Beach Atlantic University is known for its strengths in liberal arts and sciences, while South University-West Palm Beach excels in healthcare and business disciplines. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about the unique characteristics of each institution, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Palm Beach Atlantic University	South University-West Palm Beach
Overview
Location	West Palm Beach, Florida	Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (For Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	71.0%	50.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	89.9%	Open Admission
Application fees	$50
SAT range	1030 - 1240	N/A
ACT range	20 - 26	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	77.0%
Students submitting ACT score	31.0%
Total number of applicants	1,923
Total number of admissions given out	1,728
Admitted students who chose to enroll	505
Yield rate	29.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	Not required
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Not required	N/A
High school transcript	Not required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,668	$33,088
Average net price	$27,881	$17,495
Tuition	$33,538	$16,920
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,872 Meal plan: $5,256
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $23,465	100.0% Average amount $5,612
Students receiving federal student loan	51.0% Average amount $5,286	100.0% Average amount $5,667
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $14,922	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,837 Men 37.0% Women 63.0%	359 Men 13.1% Women 86.9%
Graduate students	850 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%	163 Men 20.9% Women 79.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	52.3%	N/A
International students	4.4%	0.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,228	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Florida New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Michigan	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Business Psychology Law Enforcement and Firefighting Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.8%	38.1%
Dropout rate	36.5%	61.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,539 Year 2: $113,354 Year 3: $121,395 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,430 Year 2: $60,689 Year 3: $57,694 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,359 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $55,997 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $45,575 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $44,914 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $40,886 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,875 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $40,718 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,924 Year 2: $40,392 Year 3: $40,381 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $33,527 Year 2: $36,151 Year 3: $36,801 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,547 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $36,792	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,832 Year 2: $91,613 Year 3: $98,023 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,499 Year 2: $66,883 Year 3: $71,557 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,002 Year 2: $42,799 Year 3: $48,444 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,831 Year 2: $44,418 Year 3: $46,834 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $39,095 Year 2: $43,489 Year 3: $45,357 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,629 Year 2: $45,207 Year 3: $44,849 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,748 Year 2: $39,986 Year 3: $42,014 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,224 Year 2: $36,598 Year 3: $39,039 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,655 Year 2: $34,420 Year 3: $36,209 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,115 Year 2: $37,478 Year 3: $33,965

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Palm Beach Atlantic University vs South University-West Palm Beach

Palm Beach Atlantic University

South University-West Palm Beach

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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