University of South Alabama vs Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW)

When it comes to higher education, University of South Alabama (USA) and Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) offer distinct experiences for prospective students. USA, located in Mobile, Alabama, boasts a higher acceptance rate (86%) compared to PFW's 78%, making it a more accessible option. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with USA excelling in fields like nursing, business, and education, while PFW shines in engineering, technology, and health sciences. While USA's student body is predominantly female (58%), PFW has a more balanced gender ratio. In terms of graduation rates, PFW holds a slight edge over USA, with a 58% completion rate compared to USA's 56%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and more, providing valuable insights to guide your choice of the university that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences

	Purdue University Fort Wayne	University of South Alabama
Overview
Location	Fort Wayne, Indiana	Mobile, Alabama
Campus setting	City: Large	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	57.0%	71.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	83.2%	70.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1000 - 1210	985 - 1215
ACT range	20 - 26	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	63.0%	7.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%	86.0%
Total number of applicants	6,007	11,817
Total number of admissions given out	4,998	8,364
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,293	1,778
Yield rate	25.9%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,441 Out of state: $35,849	In state: $23,838 Out of state: $32,094
Average net price	$11,820	$14,984
Tuition	In state: $7,703 Out of state: $20,111	In state: $8,256 Out of state: $16,512
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $4,260 Meal plan: $3,890
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	96.0% Average amount $7,108	92.0% Average amount $7,774
Students receiving federal student loan	41.0% Average amount $4,577	49.0% Average amount $10,354
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $7,294	4.0% Average amount $12,311

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	7,768 Men 48.5% Women 51.5%	8,833 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
Graduate students	530 Men 46.6% Women 53.4%	5,159 Men 20.2% Women 79.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	24.3%
International students	3.5%	1.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,328	3,331
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Alabama Mississippi Florida Illinois Louisiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Public Administration and Social Service Health Professions	Health Professions Education Business Engineering Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	38.3%	47.4%
Dropout rate	57.7%	19.5%
Transferred out	N/A	29.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,891 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $88,532 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,127 Year 2: $62,508 Year 3: $71,227 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,864 Year 2: $51,106 Year 3: $59,608 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,059 Year 2: $51,813 Year 3: $55,597 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,529 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $51,831 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,756 Year 2: $42,309 Year 3: $50,227 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,157 Year 2: $45,305 Year 3: $46,663 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,423 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $43,573 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,451 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $42,453 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,308 Year 2: $36,344 Year 3: $42,039	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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