Purchase College vs West Virginia State University (WVSU)

SUNY at Purchase College and West Virginia State University, while both offering unique educational experiences, present distinct differences in their academic profiles and student demographics. SUNY Purchase boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing for a more diverse student body, while West Virginia State maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit campus community. In terms of academic offerings, SUNY Purchase excels in the arts, with popular majors in the performing arts, visual arts, and design, while West Virginia State emphasizes STEM fields, with strong programs in engineering, computer science, and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these institutions, including graduation rates, financial aid opportunities, and campus life, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	SUNY at Purchase College	West Virginia State University
Overview
Location	Purchase, New York	Institute, West Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: 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	79.0%	56.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.4%	96.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $85	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $28
SAT range	1120 - 1320	N/A
ACT range	27 - 31	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%
Total number of applicants	4,047	2,959
Total number of admissions given out	3,052	2,857
Admitted students who chose to enroll	680	305
Yield rate	22.3%	10.7%
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: $28,661 Out of state: $38,571	In state: $22,677 Out of state: $28,365
Average net price	$19,458	$10,889
Tuition	In state: $7,070 Out of state: $16,980	In state: $7,912 Out of state: $13,600
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,098 Meal plan: $5,450	Room/dormitory: $7,762 Meal plan: $5,314
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	76.0% Average amount $8,868	89.0% Average amount $8,961
Students receiving federal student loan	40.0% Average amount $5,040	49.0% Average amount $7,576
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $12,471	2.0% Average amount $6,704

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,439 Men 41.1% Women 58.9%	3,281 Men 41.9% Women 58.1%
Graduate students	83 Men 51.8% Women 48.2%	134 Men 41.8% Women 58.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Very Low
Out-of-state students	16.2%	22.6%
International students	1.9%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,270	369
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Jersey Connecticut Florida Mississippi	West Virginia Ohio Maryland Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Liberal Arts Communication and Journalism Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education Liberal Arts Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	63.5%	29.6%
Dropout rate	12.0%	47.3%
Transferred out	23.1%	19.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Mathematics and Statistics, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $52,996 Visual and Performing Arts, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,399 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $50,881 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,852 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $41,970 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,844 Year 2: $23,693 Year 3: $41,354 Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,684 Year 2: $30,305 Year 3: $37,885 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,288 Year 2: $26,482 Year 3: $36,161 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,080 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $33,268 Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,859 Year 2: $30,475 Year 3: $32,388 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,933 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $31,949 Literature (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,339 Year 2: $21,234 Year 3: $30,297	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,198 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $36,756 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,938 Year 2: $29,141 Year 3: $36,314 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,771 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $34,416 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,256 Year 2: $27,504 Year 3: $32,672 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,227 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $32,224 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,815 Year 2: $28,816 Year 3: $30,768 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,073 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $19,116 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,654 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,626 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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