University of Southern Mississippi (USM) vs East Carolina University

Envision yourself as a student, embarking on a journey of higher education. As you navigate the vast landscape of universities, two prominent institutions emerge: the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and East Carolina University (ECU). While both offer exceptional academic opportunities, they possess distinct characteristics that may influence your decision. USM, nestled in the heart of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, boasts a vibrant student body representing diverse backgrounds. ECU, located in Greenville, North Carolina, stands out for its strong athletic programs and competitive spirit. With acceptance rates of 84% and 73%, respectively, both universities welcome a considerable number of applicants. Delve into the comparison table to explore further differences in popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, ultimately guiding you toward the institution that best aligns with your aspirations and goals.

	East Carolina University	University of Southern Mississippi
Overview
Location	Greenville, North Carolina	Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Campus setting	City: Small	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	81.0%	70.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	93.9%	95.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score		99.0%
Total number of applicants	21,898	9,314
Total number of admissions given out	20,560	8,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,100	1,587
Yield rate	19.9%	17.8%
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: $23,215 Out of state: $39,492	In state: $25,100 Out of state: $27,100
Average net price	$14,762	$13,651
Tuition	In state: $4,452 Out of state: $20,729	In state: $9,094 Out of state: $11,094
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,630 Meal plan: $4,060	$10,950
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	63.0% Average amount $7,761	91.0% Average amount $9,072
Students receiving federal student loan	51.0% Average amount $5,180	54.0% Average amount $5,327
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $14,093	4.0% Average amount $12,298

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	22,463 Men 41.2% Women 58.8%	10,693 Men 35.3% Women 64.7%
Graduate students	5,558 Men 32.6% Women 67.4%	3,453 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	13.6%	25.7%
International students	0.8%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	5,203	3,592
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	North Carolina Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania New York	Mississippi Louisiana Alabama Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Engineering Technologies Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	65.8%	51.8%
Dropout rate	8.3%	46.0%
Transferred out	24.1%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $98,089 Year 2: $119,805 Year 3: $156,994 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,084 Year 2: $98,551 Year 3: $99,673 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,078 Year 2: $86,590 Year 3: $95,227 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $79,013 Year 2: $78,719 Year 3: $81,578 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,120 Year 2: $66,653 Year 3: $80,376 Finance and Financial Management Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $70,471 Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,817 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $69,508 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,622 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $69,466 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,056 Year 2: $58,447 Year 3: $68,486 Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $54,979 Year 2: $55,840 Year 3: $68,003	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $157,573 Year 2: $156,846 Year 3: $164,002 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $95,073 Year 3: $99,130 Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: $71,295 Public Health (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $67,024 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,957 Year 2: $56,254 Year 3: $57,464 Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,555 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,239 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,332 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $52,453 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,129 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $50,674 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,726 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $49,610 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,917 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $48,921

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