Plymouth State vs Southern Oregon University (SOU)

Plymouth State University and Southern Oregon University, located in the picturesque regions of New Hampshire and Oregon respectively, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. Plymouth State boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option, while Southern Oregon's smaller student body fosters a close-knit community. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Plymouth State excelling in fields like Business, Education, and Engineering, and Southern Oregon standing out in areas such as Environmental Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional program offerings, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Plymouth State University	Southern Oregon University
Overview
Location	Plymouth, New Hampshire	Ashland, Oregon
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	64.0%	69.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.7%	89.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	N/A	980 - 1230
ACT range	N/A	18 - 25
Students submitting SAT score		32.0%
Students submitting ACT score		21.0%
Total number of applicants	6,856	1,913
Total number of admissions given out	6,285	1,716
Admitted students who chose to enroll	936	519
Yield rate	14.9%	30.2%
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: $29,804 Out of state: $39,744	In state: $25,142 Out of state: $42,962
Average net price	$20,145	$12,134
Tuition	In state: $11,870 Out of state: $21,810	In state: $9,045 Out of state: $26,865
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,600 Meal plan: $3,980	Room/dormitory: $8,235 Meal plan: $5,925
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $8,983	75.0% Average amount $5,932
Students receiving federal student loan	79.0% Average amount $5,237	42.0% Average amount $4,778
Students taking out private loans	20.0% Average amount $14,585	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,536 Men 50.5% Women 49.5%	4,396 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
Graduate students	688 Men 28.2% Women 71.8%	783 Men 30.3% Women 69.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	7.5%	N/A
International students	1.6%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,561	1,000
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New Hampshire Mississippi Maine Rhode Island Vermont	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Multidisciplinary Studies	Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	20:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	53.3%	41.0%
Dropout rate	46.3%	55.3%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,018 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $64,283 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,582 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $59,378 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,910 Year 2: $47,729 Year 3: $58,866 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,913 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $52,559 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: $50,116 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,539 Year 2: $40,209 Year 3: $49,163 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,327 Year 2: $39,909 Year 3: $47,493 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,058 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $46,029 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,875 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $45,246 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,784 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $45,102	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,797 Year 2: $47,729 Year 3: $50,405 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,167 Year 2: $47,650 Year 3: $50,120 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,975 Year 2: $40,017 Year 3: $47,745 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,536 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $47,221 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,746 Year 2: $33,192 Year 3: $42,371 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,398 Year 2: $29,322 Year 3: $40,135 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,901 Year 2: $31,042 Year 3: $34,974 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,131 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $33,557 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,663 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $32,403 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,082 Year 2: $21,312 Year 3: $26,467

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