University of South Alabama vs East Tennessee State University (ETSU)

When it comes to choosing the right university, it's essential to compare institutions to find the best fit. University of South Alabama (USA) and East Tennessee State University (ETSU) offer distinct experiences for prospective students. USA boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option, while ETSU has a slightly higher graduation rate. Both universities offer a diverse range of popular majors, including nursing, business, and education. However, USA has a larger student body, providing a more vibrant campus life. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two universities. Explore the table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	East Tennessee State University	University of South Alabama
Overview
Location	Johnson City, Tennessee	Mobile, Alabama
Campus setting	City: Small	City: 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	67.0%	71.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	87.4%	70.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $55	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $35
SAT range	N/A	985 - 1215
ACT range	19 - 26	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score		7.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	86.0%
Total number of applicants	8,563	11,817
Total number of admissions given out	7,484	8,364
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,856	1,778
Yield rate	24.8%	21.3%
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: $28,704 Out of state: $32,006	In state: $23,838 Out of state: $32,094
Average net price	$14,482	$14,984
Tuition	In state: $7,486 Out of state: $10,788	In state: $8,256 Out of state: $16,512
Room & board	$9,582	Room/dormitory: $4,260 Meal plan: $3,890
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $9,541	92.0% Average amount $7,774
Students receiving federal student loan	34.0% Average amount $6,489	49.0% Average amount $10,354
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $13,366	4.0% Average amount $12,311

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	10,316 Men 38.3% Women 61.7%	8,833 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
Graduate students	2,987 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	5,159 Men 20.2% Women 79.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	22.1%	24.3%
International students	2.0%	1.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	2,833	3,331
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Tennessee North Carolina Virginia South Carolina Georgia	Alabama Mississippi Florida Illinois Louisiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business	Health Professions Education Business Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.6%	47.4%
Dropout rate	21.3%	19.5%
Transferred out	25.2%	29.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $105,882 Year 2: $117,477 Year 3: $121,003 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $87,648 Year 2: $94,408 Year 3: $101,627 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,704 Year 2: $87,604 Year 3: $92,942 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,704 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $77,994 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $71,980 Year 2: $68,592 Year 3: $75,044 Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $53,417 Year 2: $55,286 Year 3: $71,655 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,748 Year 2: $54,748 Year 3: $69,192 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,234 Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $66,513 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,737 Year 2: $44,971 Year 3: $59,138 Engineering Technology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,039 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $58,679	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $116,286 Year 2: $109,763 Year 3: $117,239 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $110,918 Year 2: $115,711 Year 3: $112,240 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,131 Year 2: $102,706 Year 3: $111,122 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,584 Year 2: $96,954 Year 3: $102,546 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $60,839 Year 3: $80,009 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $72,655 Year 2: $72,214 Year 3: $79,002 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,253 Year 2: $66,240 Year 3: $76,272 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,913 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $75,983 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,168 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $74,579 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,562 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $72,349

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