Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) vs ECSU-Willimantic

Western Connecticut State University and Eastern Connecticut State University, both esteemed public universities in Connecticut, offer distinct educational experiences. Western, located in Danbury, boasts a higher acceptance rate (79%) compared to Eastern's 71%, making it a more accessible option. Eastern, situated in Willimantic, excels in student diversity, with a larger international student population. While Western's student body leans slightly female, Eastern maintains a more balanced gender ratio. Both universities offer a range of popular majors, including Business, Education, and Psychology, but Eastern additionally features strong programs in Communication and Social Work. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details, such as graduation rates, tuition fees, and campus life, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Eastern Connecticut State University	Western Connecticut State University
Overview
Location	Willimantic, Connecticut	Danbury, Connecticut
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	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	77.0%	69.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	73.2%	84.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	4,630	4,688
Total number of admissions given out	3,389	3,978
Admitted students who chose to enroll	784	733
Yield rate	23.1%	18.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,620 Out of state: $39,024	In state: $28,783 Out of state: $42,187
Average net price	$19,054	$15,660
Tuition	In state: $6,162 Out of state: $18,436	In state: $6,162 Out of state: $18,436
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,270 Meal plan: $6,164	Room/dormitory: $8,020 Meal plan: $5,856
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $8,680	78.0% Average amount $6,312
Students receiving federal student loan	61.0% Average amount $5,285	58.0% Average amount $7,417
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $12,507	5.0% Average amount $12,388

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,145 Men 41.8% Women 58.2%	4,172 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Graduate students	174 Men 30.5% Women 69.5%	630 Men 25.4% Women 74.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	13.0%	28.6%
International students	0.6%	0.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	2,435	1,315
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Connecticut Mississippi North Carolina New York Rhode Island	Connecticut New York New Jersey Mississippi Maine

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Psychology Education Liberal Arts Health Professions	Business Psychology Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	57.0%	52.9%
Dropout rate	41.6%	12.0%
Transferred out	N/A	31.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,410 Year 2: $53,984 Year 3: $70,171 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,288 Year 2: $58,479 Year 3: $63,206 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,596 Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $56,642 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,082 Year 2: $44,305 Year 3: $55,290 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,802 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $52,374 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,427 Year 2: $32,711 Year 3: $48,234 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,681 Year 2: $39,099 Year 3: $47,307 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,052 Year 2: $43,128 Year 3: $47,145 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,483 Year 2: $31,423 Year 3: $46,610 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,969 Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $44,335	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,081 Year 2: $75,104 Year 3: $76,468 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,332 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $70,455 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,994 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $65,192 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $58,464 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,944 Year 2: $46,321 Year 3: $51,949 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,260 Year 2: $41,464 Year 3: $50,288 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,672 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $49,639 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,963 Year 2: $45,340 Year 3: $47,607 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,029 Year 2: $41,441 Year 3: $44,462 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,205 Year 2: $35,877 Year 3: $43,291

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