University of San Diego vs Westmont College

Nestled in the vibrant city of San Diego and the picturesque Santa Barbara County, University of San Diego (USD) and Westmont College stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and personal growth, they differ in several key aspects. USD, a private Catholic university, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including popular majors in business, engineering, and nursing. Westmont, a private Christian liberal arts college, emphasizes a strong foundation in the humanities and social sciences, with popular majors in psychology, biology, and communication. With contrasting acceptance rates, graduation rates, and student demographics, USD and Westmont cater to different academic aspirations and personal preferences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your educational goals and personal values.

	University of San Diego	Westmont College
Overview
Location	San Diego, California	Santa Barbara, California
Campus setting	City: Large	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	92.0%	85.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic

Admission
Acceptance rate	52.7%	79.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $55 Graduate: $45
SAT range	N/A	1160 - 1460
ACT range	N/A	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score		18.0%
Students submitting ACT score		12.0%
Total number of applicants	14,326	2,344
Total number of admissions given out	7,550	1,851
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,166	333
Yield rate	15.4%	18.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$75,982	$61,110
Average net price	$34,155	$33,554
Tuition	$52,120	$47,450
Room & board	$16,246	Room/dormitory: $9,400 Meal plan: $5,970
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	82.0% Average amount $34,413	99.0% Average amount $32,308
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $5,216	50.0% Average amount $5,052
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $12,155	25.0% Average amount $4,810

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,702 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%	1,238 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Graduate students	3,339 Men 42.4% Women 57.6%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	45.5%	31.1%
International students	6.2%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,484	1,207
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Washington Colorado Arizona Nevada	California Washington Oregon Colorado Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Legal Profession Business Education Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Physical Science Philosophy and Religious Studies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	80.0%	73.4%
Dropout rate	19.5%	26.6%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $114,672 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $115,744 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,123 Year 2: $89,672 Year 3: $102,690 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,786 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $98,598 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,329 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $93,985 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $71,367 Year 2: $73,391 Year 3: $92,346 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,417 Year 2: $75,706 Year 3: $84,924 Real Estate (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,970 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $84,277 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,809 Year 2: $61,962 Year 3: $75,083 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,424 Year 2: $67,324 Year 3: $72,729 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,434 Year 2: $61,069 Year 3: $72,310	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,792 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $66,978 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,638 Year 2: $40,402 Year 3: $40,054 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,114 Year 2: $24,808 Year 3: $34,035 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,823 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,883 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,121 Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,369 Year 2: $25,596 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A

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