Maine USM vs CCSU-New Britain

Envision yourself pursuing higher education at either the University of Southern Maine (USM) or Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Both institutions offer distinct experiences, catering to diverse student aspirations. USM boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of applicants, while CCSU maintains a slightly more selective admissions process. When it comes to academic pursuits, USM excels in fields like nursing, education, and business, whereas CCSU shines in areas such as criminal justice, social work, and engineering. Explore the vibrant student life at USM, where a larger undergraduate population creates a bustling campus atmosphere, or immerse yourself in the close-knit community at CCSU, where personalized attention from faculty and staff is a hallmark. Discover the nuances that set these universities apart and make an informed decision about your academic journey by delving into the comprehensive comparison table provided.

	Central Connecticut State University	University of Southern Maine
Overview
Location	New Britain, Connecticut	Portland, Maine
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	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%	65.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	74.8%	87.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	950 - 1180	995 - 1230
ACT range	19 - 26	19 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	52.0%	18.0%
Students submitting ACT score	1.0%	1.0%
Total number of applicants	6,285	5,397
Total number of admissions given out	4,703	4,695
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,093	895
Yield rate	23.2%	19.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $27,572 Out of state: $40,976	In state: $23,842 Out of state: $37,842
Average net price	$14,425	$9,793
Tuition	In state: $6,162 Out of state: $18,436	In state: $8,064 Out of state: $22,064
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,174 Meal plan: $5,200	Room/dormitory: $5,460 Meal plan: $4,980
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	90.0% Average amount $6,526	92.0% Average amount $8,886
Students receiving federal student loan	48.0% Average amount $5,113	45.0% Average amount $4,969
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $10,404	6.0% Average amount $10,975

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	7,748 Men 53.5% Women 46.5%	5,956 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	1,905 Men 35.9% Women 64.1%	2,040 Men 25.3% Women 74.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	5.6%	23.4%
International students	1.6%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,512	1,189
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Connecticut Mississippi New York New Jersey Rhode Island	Maine New Hampshire Mississippi Vermont Connecticut

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Health Professions Computer and Information Science Engineering Technologies	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	54.7%	34.5%
Dropout rate	14.3%	33.0%
Transferred out	27.2%	30.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $187,984 Year 2: $198,307 Year 3: $194,357 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,864 Year 2: $87,604 Year 3: $98,038 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,439 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $97,145 Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $78,617 Year 2: $82,685 Year 3: $86,267 Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,056 Year 2: $60,839 Year 3: $79,520 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,268 Year 2: $68,422 Year 3: $79,440 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,906 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $78,042 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,873 Year 2: $69,617 Year 3: $76,973 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,468 Year 2: $65,131 Year 3: $76,161 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,686 Year 2: $68,139 Year 3: $71,268	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,041 Year 2: $95,169 Year 3: $100,726 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,660 Year 2: $61,728 Year 3: $71,074 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $52,579 Year 2: $55,594 Year 3: $65,574 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,254 Year 2: $57,422 Year 3: $60,602 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,123 Year 2: $50,231 Year 3: $55,627 Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,644 Year 3: $54,835 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,681 Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $51,356 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,716 Year 2: $51,690 Year 3: $50,246 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,148 Year 2: $45,767 Year 3: $49,334 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,098 Year 2: $41,342 Year 3: $48,118

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