Roger Williams University (RWU) vs Harvard

When it comes to higher education, Roger Williams University and Harvard University stand as two distinct beacons of academic excellence. Roger Williams, a private university in Bristol, Rhode Island, offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs, while Harvard, a world-renowned institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, boasts a rich history and an Ivy League pedigree. With acceptance rates of 72% and 5%, respectively, these universities cater to different levels of academic competitiveness. While Roger Williams' popular majors include nursing, business, and engineering, Harvard's strengths lie in social sciences, humanities, and life sciences. Explore our detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Harvard University logo

Harvard University

Roger Williams University logo

Roger Williams University

Overview

Location Cambridge, Massachusetts Bristol, Rhode Island
Campus setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 96.0% 81.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.0% 91.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $105
Undergraduate: $55

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1480 - 1580 N/A
ACT range 33 - 36 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 54.0%
Students submitting ACT score 31.0%
Total number of applicants 57,786 8,163
Total number of admissions given out 2,318 7,427
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,951 1,003
Yield rate 84.2% 13.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,028 $55,774
Average net price $13,910 $36,537
Tuition $51,143 $39,264
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,705

Meal plan: $7,236
Room/dormitory: $9,048

Meal plan: $6,964
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

56.0%
Average amount $59,840
100.0%
Average amount $20,225
Students receiving federal student loan 3.0%
Average amount $5,180
68.0%
Average amount $3,862
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $8,080
25.0%
Average amount $21,353

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,579
Men 49.0% Women 51.0%
4,207
Men 50.3% Women 49.7%
Graduate students 21,766
Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
322
Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 85.3%
International students 23.9% 0.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 12,874 2,992
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey Mississippi Connecticut Rhode Island New York New Hampshire

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Architecture
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
Students to faculty ratio 7:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 96.7% 70.3%
Dropout rate 2.0% 4.4%
Transferred out N/A 24.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,193
  • Year 2: $128,716
  • Year 3: $240,408
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $184,307
  • Year 2: $165,340
  • Year 3: $199,043
Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $171,333
  • Year 2: $171,907
  • Year 3: $187,553
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $140,072
  • Year 2: $128,737
  • Year 3: $163,896
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $151,371
  • Year 2: $174,023
  • Year 3: $163,512
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,508
  • Year 2: $117,916
  • Year 3: $129,281
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $121,832
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,707
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $121,771
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,905
  • Year 2: $98,670
  • Year 3: $107,389
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,745
  • Year 2: $71,486
  • Year 3: $106,375
Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,169
  • Year 2: $68,618
  • Year 3: $77,956
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,538
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $75,485
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,964
  • Year 2: $63,749
  • Year 3: $72,394
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,912
  • Year 2: $62,154
  • Year 3: $68,684
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,141
  • Year 2: $51,607
  • Year 3: $67,010
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,000
  • Year 2: $53,219
  • Year 3: $63,422
Architecture (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,522
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $62,148
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,968
  • Year 2: $45,383
  • Year 3: $59,897
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,654
  • Year 2: $48,600
  • Year 3: $54,833
Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,588
  • Year 2: $39,369
  • Year 3: $54,118

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