University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) vs Northern Illinois University (NIU)

When it comes to choosing the right university, it's essential to compare institutions to find the best fit. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and Northern Illinois University (NIU) are two excellent options with distinct characteristics. UWM boasts a higher acceptance rate (78%) compared to NIU's 71%, making it a more accessible choice. UWM also has a larger student body, with over 25,000 undergraduates, while NIU has approximately 15,000. Both universities offer a diverse range of popular majors, including business, education, and nursing. However, UWM has a slightly higher graduation rate (58%) than NIU (55%). 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 preferences.

	Northern Illinois University	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Overview
Location	Dekalb, Illinois	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Campus setting	Suburb: Small	City: Large
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%	76.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	70.4%	89.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $56
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	18 - 25
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score		82.0%
Total number of applicants	22,602	14,859
Total number of admissions given out	15,922	13,218
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,285	3,358
Yield rate	14.4%	25.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$27,218	In state: $24,614 Out of state: $36,479
Average net price	$13,265	$17,083
Tuition	$9,606	In state: $8,091 Out of state: $19,956
Room & board	$11,098	Room/dormitory: $6,274 Meal plan: $4,189
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $13,008	89.0% Average amount $4,401
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $5,313	43.0% Average amount $4,970
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $11,726	7.0% Average amount $10,933

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	11,834 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	19,411 Men 45.2% Women 54.8%
Graduate students	4,400 Men 40.8% Women 59.2%	4,418 Men 37.3% Women 62.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	10.7%
International students	4.6%	4.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	4,500	4,228
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Wisconsin Illinois Minnesota Missouri Indiana

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Engineering Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Business Engineering Liberal Arts Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	50.8%	47.4%
Dropout rate	46.9%	48.0%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $118,716 Year 2: $98,186 Year 3: $125,726 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,047 Year 2: $88,920 Year 3: $96,563 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,161 Year 2: $91,587 Year 3: $94,214 Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,013 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $76,350 Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,606 Year 2: $75,204 Year 3: $75,980 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,752 Year 2: $64,150 Year 3: $74,168 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,234 Year 2: $66,989 Year 3: $74,151 Psychology, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $57,535 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $73,940 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $70,453 Year 2: $69,151 Year 3: $72,792 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,291 Year 2: $63,685 Year 3: $72,760	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $95,506 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $93,377 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,454 Year 2: $78,343 Year 3: $86,207 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,770 Year 2: $67,812 Year 3: $72,895 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $72,590 Year 2: $72,727 Year 3: $72,400 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,200 Year 2: $65,267 Year 3: $71,939 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,477 Year 2: $66,247 Year 3: $71,536 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,137 Year 2: $67,995 Year 3: $71,158 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,809 Year 2: $64,196 Year 3: $69,426 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,103 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $68,280 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,159 Year 2: $60,851 Year 3: $65,279

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