University of Southern Mississippi (USM) vs Eastern Kentucky University (EKU)

When it comes to choosing the right university, it's essential to compare institutions to find the best fit. University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) offer distinct experiences for prospective students. USM, located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, boasts a higher acceptance rate (86%) compared to EKU's 78% in Richmond, Kentucky. While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, USM excels in fields like nursing, business, and education, while EKU shines in areas such as aviation, social work, and criminal justice. With a larger student body, USM fosters a vibrant campus life, while EKU's smaller size may appeal to those seeking a more intimate learning environment. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Eastern Kentucky University	University of Southern Mississippi
Overview
Location	Richmond, Kentucky	Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Campus setting	Town: Distant	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	74.0%	70.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	98.3%	95.8%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60
SAT range	950 - 1180	N/A
ACT range	18 - 24	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	4.0%
Students submitting ACT score	88.0%	99.0%
Total number of applicants	7,251	9,314
Total number of admissions given out	7,131	8,922
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,493	1,587
Yield rate	35.0%	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: $23,762 Out of state: $34,034	In state: $25,100 Out of state: $27,100
Average net price	$14,271	$13,651
Tuition	In state: $9,452 Out of state: $19,724	In state: $9,094 Out of state: $11,094
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,416 Meal plan: $3,994	$10,950
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $9,891	91.0% Average amount $9,072
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $4,950	54.0% Average amount $5,327
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $10,455	4.0% Average amount $12,298

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,684 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%	10,693 Men 35.3% Women 64.7%
Graduate students	2,300 Men 30.0% Women 70.0%	3,453 Men 33.7% Women 66.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	25.7%
International students	1.1%	2.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	4,479	3,592
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Ohio Illinois Indiana West Virginia	Mississippi Louisiana Alabama Florida Tennessee

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Liberal Arts Engineering Technologies	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	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	47.8%	51.8%
Dropout rate	48.5%	46.0%
Transferred out	1.6%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $110,878 Year 3: $113,532 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,123 Year 2: $90,291 Year 3: $95,519 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,935 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $78,046 Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $73,209 Year 2: $74,105 Year 3: $74,692 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,585 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $71,030 Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $54,959 Year 2: $60,523 Year 3: $62,961 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,605 Year 2: $49,019 Year 3: $62,600 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,959 Year 2: $60,523 Year 3: $61,708 Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,702 Year 2: $49,787 Year 3: $58,036 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,745 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $57,935	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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