Southern Oregon University (SOU) vs Willamette University

Southern Oregon University and Willamette University, both esteemed institutions in Oregon, offer distinct educational experiences. Southern Oregon University, nestled in Ashland, boasts an acceptance rate of 88%, making it a more accessible option. Its student body is diverse, with 44% identifying as minorities. Willamette University, located in Salem, has a more selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 63%. Its student body is predominantly White, with 78% identifying as such. While Southern Oregon University excels in fields like Business, Education, and Health Professions, Willamette University shines in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Business, and Law. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with Southern Oregon University at 53% and Willamette University at 79%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Southern Oregon University	Willamette University
Overview
Location	Ashland, Oregon	Salem, Oregon
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Quarter	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	80.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	89.7%	79.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	980 - 1230	N/A
ACT range	18 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	21.0%
Total number of applicants	1,913	3,680
Total number of admissions given out	1,716	2,930
Admitted students who chose to enroll	519	260
Yield rate	30.2%	8.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,142 Out of state: $42,962	$60,106
Average net price	$12,134	$37,400
Tuition	In state: $9,045 Out of state: $26,865	$43,500
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,235 Meal plan: $5,925	Room/dormitory: $7,150 Meal plan: $6,650
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	75.0% Average amount $5,932	99.0% Average amount $30,413
Students receiving federal student loan	42.0% Average amount $4,778	50.0% Average amount $5,145
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	7.0% Average amount $15,973

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,396 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	1,236 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students	783 Men 30.3% Women 69.7%	549 Men 49.2% Women 50.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.1%	2.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,000	1,228
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Multidisciplinary Studies	Social Sciences Legal Profession Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	41.0%	72.0%
Dropout rate	55.3%	28.0%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,562 Year 2: $73,530 Year 3: $85,115 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $53,741 Year 2: $49,102 Year 3: $65,240 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,509 Year 2: $39,909 Year 3: $57,544 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,011 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $48,905 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,615 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $41,516 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,482 Year 2: $27,204 Year 3: $39,994 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,357 Year 2: $28,055 Year 3: $36,208 Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $33,257 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,292 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $32,785 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,658 Year 3: $29,070

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