The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) vs University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM)

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) are two distinct universities with unique offerings. UTRGV, located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on undergraduate research. ULM, situated in Monroe, Louisiana, is known for its affordability and its commitment to providing a well-rounded education. While both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, UTRGV has a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while ULM has a lower cost of attendance and a higher graduation rate. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences between these two institutions and make an informed decision about which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	University of Louisiana at Monroe
Overview
Location	Edinburg, Texas	Monroe, Louisiana
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
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	72.0%	69.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	93.9%	69.9%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $20
SAT range	N/A	1060 - 1270
ACT range	N/A	19 - 24
Students submitting SAT score		6.0%
Students submitting ACT score		93.0%
Total number of applicants	14,386	4,945
Total number of admissions given out	13,508	3,456
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,439	1,140
Yield rate	40.3%	33.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,563 Out of state: $33,355	In state: $25,480 Out of state: $37,580
Average net price	$6,244	$10,408
Tuition	In state: $7,857 Out of state: $17,649	In state: $5,788 Out of state: $17,888
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,240 Meal plan: $3,368	$9,390
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $8,702	97.0% Average amount $12,205
Students receiving federal student loan	19.0% Average amount $3,752	45.0% Average amount $4,798
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	2.0% Average amount $7,783

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	26,405 Men 40.7% Women 59.3%	6,728 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Graduate students	5,535 Men 35.4% Women 64.6%	1,990 Men 24.0% Women 76.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	5.9%
International students	2.5%	3.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,049	2,257
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Louisiana Texas Arkansas Alabama California

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education	Health Professions Business Education Psychology Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	51.1%	53.5%
Dropout rate	23.2%	42.8%
Transferred out	17.1%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,380 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $116,099 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,041 Year 2: $109,235 Year 3: $108,882 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,185 Year 2: $55,693 Year 3: $70,393 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,833 Year 2: $61,334 Year 3: $66,863 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,430 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $63,962 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,464 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $62,120 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,567 Year 2: $52,464 Year 3: $60,844 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,240 Year 2: $50,439 Year 3: $60,219 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $60,013 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,391 Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $59,030	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $116,918 Year 2: $121,641 Year 3: $123,213 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,154 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $81,735 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $70,387 Year 2: $71,351 Year 3: $73,506 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,673 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $63,630 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,967 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $57,790 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,010 Year 2: $55,770 Year 3: $55,505 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $53,499 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,120 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $52,793 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,354 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $50,536 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,454 Year 2: $31,042 Year 3: $41,661

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